Fascinators Steel Orchestra "Fascinators Minor" (1957)
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Wasnt their name Johannesburg Fascinators??? I remember Dem Fortunates (Belmont) and Jo'burg Fascinators
Thanks GRJ for the Info . I only hope that if those photos are around they would be posted for us to enjoy . These Memories surely Light up my Life . Thanks .
Both Southern Marines and Hatters were actually started in the 1940s, Steve.
My first steelband memories are from Broadway San Fernando, and they involved Hatters. Hatters is one of the oldest steelbands in Trinidad, and the first steelband I ever experienced in my life
They were also a big time military mas band in the fifties and sixties.
Some people think that Hatters came out of Cavaliers. Not so . Hatters was"the Broadway band " long before Cavaliers ever existed.
I remember as a little boy of about five or six a Carnival Tuesday morning when Hatters mas band was gathering at the bottom of the Naparima College hill about a hundred yards from where I lived.
They had a glorious presentation of the German army, complete with Gestapo officers in a black car shouting propaganda over loudspeakers.
This was probably 1950 or 1951.
Like you said , Steve, in those days the bands paid close attention to details. The military bands actually practiced military drills so that their presentation could be as authentic as possible.
GRJ you are correct for that guy surely looked like Fidel Castro and I would add he was also Brave as Fidel for in the midst of Bottles that was being hurled he mustered his forces to keep on moving . I remember the next morning on my way to school we saw the rocket on the side of the road . In those days the Mas had Costume along with Presentation / Portrayal to the minutest detail so your Info here confirmed this . Marines has always been around as far as I remember and along with Hatters are the oldest surviving Bands in Sando .It was probably started in the 1950s' and I believe the same is for Hatters . This is indeed an accomplishment . Thanks .
Good memories, Steve .That was 1963.
Both Southern Marines and Guinness Gondoliers used to play military mas in those days.
Southern All Stars was probably the biggest band in San Fernando but they were mainly a sailor band.
We came real good that year. The band presented "The Cuban (Missile) crisis"with Russian technicians, a missile with fire, American soldiers, Cuban soldiers, Air force pilots, the works.
Big time military mas.
I played an American Soldier( a preview of my days in the US Army)
We even had the local pharmacist playing Fidel Castro, and he looked just like him.
Milton "Squeezer" Lyons was the captain of Southern Marines back then and he said that it started (as usual) over women, but there was also envy by the Sando bands since we had some of the sweetest pans in South, and had won the competition that became Panorama.
Squeezer is also one of those unheralded pan pioneers and tuners who helped people like Burch Kellman and Karloff Alleyne hone their craft.
I remember that night clearly. We were taking our last trip up the Coffee before heading home. We were jammin our bomb tune, Handel's Largo. (I remember the Largo to this day . Outstanding Bomb tune).
Guinness Gondoliers was coming down the Coffee. Both bands had their "badjohn" elements. Marabella was a known hot spot, and Gondoliers was actually started by some tough guys that used to lime behind the San Fernando market.
The "powers that be" hadn't yet figured out that it was best to have one way traffic on Carnival day, so a clash was inevitable.
Like Blakie sang"An then the two bands clash, if yuh see ole pan and cutlash"
I ran like hell down Lord street, and since we were easily identified by our costumes, I didn't feel safe until I wes back in Marabella.
In retrospect, this probably made it easier for Bobby Mohammed and his friends to break from Gondoliers to form Cavaliers.
-Be Happy-
I lived on Pointe a Pierre road very close to the Circular Road intersection and in those days the only 2 Steelbands on this route were Marines and Sundowners so as kids we tried to wake up to see them on their way home . I remember that Carnival Tuesday night in the early 1960s' when some guys from Gondoliers were after Marines for what I do not know and Marines passed us in a Hurry just pulling their pans . There was this guy who I believe portrayed Fidel Castro and he was just shouting to the Marines players and supporters to keep on moving . The Police was there in a flash and I remember seeing those Gondoliers guys running up Sando Hill just opposite to us and they came out after the Police left and headed back down Pointe a Pierre road towards the Library . The talk around Town after was some Envy occurred as Marines had a Rocket on a platform which had fire from the exhaust and in the night it looked real nice . The Gons also played Military Mas but is it that which sparked the hostilities ? . GRJ you may be able to enlighten me on this . We can look back now and smile for as the War Lord Blakie improvised some years ago when singing his Classic " Steel Band Clash " at the Mas Camp Pub in POS " I have to admit SteelBand have no riot again " . Thanks .
It is very possible that it was their own, Steve.
Many bands back then had simple verse and chorus tunes of their own that they played, especially on the road at Carnival time.
"The Marabella Band" Southern Marines for example had a tune called "Syncopation in G" that the played for several years on the road.
I remember the band coming up High Street on Carnival Tuesday night for the last time. The band would rest, then take a left turn up Pointe-a-Pierre road to Marabella.
As the rhythm started, the basses started the familiar bass run of "Syncopation in G", and we knew that the Marines were taking us home, and the Carnival was over.
Was this their own composition ? As you always say " Pan Music Sweet from its' inception " .
This tune was recorded live at the famous "Casbah" on Eastern Main Road in Port of Spain, where the band was appearing nightly at the time.
. I've never been anywhere near there, but I remember hearing"sagaboys" talking about the Casbah when I was a kid..
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