Views: 274
The Southern All Stars is another San Fernando steelband that was big in South Trinidad in the fifties and sixties, and was a major contributor to steelband history.They also happened to present the biggest sailor mas bands ever seen in the south.I remember how, in the sixties by Carnival Tuesday evening, Sando would be "dutty" with All Stars sailors, all over town.The most noted player to emerge from this band was legendary guitarist and champion tenor pan soloist Nearlin "Lynn" Taitt, the man who was credited to being one of the creators of Jamaican reggae music.From the 1958 Emory Cook album Steelband Promenade, here is Southern All Stars and the merengue "Semilo", a composition of Puerto Rican bandleader Noro Morales.Incidentally, the late Nearlin Taitt himself claimed to be the tenor panist on the album cover at the top in the blue striped shirt.Unfortunately, his head is cut off in the picture. .
Comments
If am not mistaken three or four years ago that band was in the medium or small bands catergory of Panorama and played minus a drummer. That drummer was the most vindictive person on steelpan for a long time, the man waited until the band was ready to play and got up and walked away because he was not paid all his money. I wished I knew his name to put him on Face Book. I have no sympathy for the band committes who do not like to pay and make players see hell for money. But those young people spent all those hours of practictsing. They played and did themselves PROUD and got a standing ovation from the crowd in Skinner Park..