Aging Panist Savours his Story

Trinidad, W.I. - Born and raised during the Second World War in San Fernando, the industrial capital of Trinidad and Tobago, 78 year-old Elton Parks or “Sackie,” as he’s fondly called among the pan fraternity - in an interview with Hollis Clifton - revealed that he had a vision to become a ‘calypsonian’ and a ‘taxi driver.’  Both of these were achieved except that he became a calypsonian for Jesus. 

His first encounter with the steelpan was at the tender age of seven when he was drawn into the Rising Sun Steelband in his neighbourhood of Vistabella, south Trinidad.  He was by then a student of Coffee Boys AC School in San Fernando.  Some of the rival steelbands in those days were Batan, Free French, Hatters, All Stars, Silvertones, Southern Marines and Bar Twenty.

In the early 1950s when he felt he had enough experience and enough funds he pulled himself away from the Rising Sun Steelband to found his own, United Circle, at his Jarvis Street home.

“Sackie,” who is currently recovering from surgery from the San Fernando General Hospital, reminisced on the good old days of the United Circle Steelband.  He was all aglow about the competitiveness of the band in events such like “Scouting for Talent” with veteran impresario Sam Ghany at the Globe Cinema (now Faith Centre Church). He also alluded to “a close second” to Southern Marines which his band placed in a competition at a cinema in Gasparillo.  For that feat he remained quite complacent.

According to Parks, as band captain, his role was to maintain discipline and some semblance of order.  In those days the United Circle was managed by a white man who lived near the band in Vistabella and worked at Neal and Massy Pty.  It was through his initiative that many of the band’s engagements were for white folks.

Feat after feat, after feat

The United Circle established a feat by being the first band to perform on Harris Promenade in San Fernando and then another feat by being the first band to play in a night club. The boys also played for bus excursions to popular beaches like Las Cuevas, Maracas, among others.

As a drummer Sackie got a vision in which he conceptualized a trap set, so he knew exactly what to get and how to make it.  He got himself a large round Bermudez biscuit tin (now obsolete) as the bass.  He then proceeded to fabricate the foot pedal which he attached to the tin.  He still boasts of having the first trap set in a steelband in Trinidad and Tobago, and by extension the rest of the world.  This feat was later to be emulated by other bands, the first of which was the Coco Boys of Toco. This he believes contributed to the evolution of the steelband.

The pint-sized band leader recalled that at first, his invention was a laughing stock among bands, but then he eventually had the last laugh.  They all eventually went to the store and purchased ready-made trap sets.  First in line he recalls, were the Bonaparte Brothers from La Brea followed by Rising Sun Band from out of Port-of-Spain in North Trinidad.

When asked by Clifton if his wife Enid (fly Woodly) ever opposed his involvement in the steelband movement Sackie quipped: “not at all.”  She in fact formed her own female version of the band in the United Girls Circle Steelband!  Back then, he says, the ‘weaker’ sex never indulged in pan but she was in charge of a youth group with eight girls and they were all enthusiastic.

In the immediate post war era pans were still carried around the neck or hand held on the lap when seated.  Stands were introduced some time later.

The band had two arrangers in Gerard Moses and Cecil Hamlet. His contemporaries included the likes of John Andrews, Neal Small aka “Jokolo” who was, indeed, a suave “fireman dancer” and Theo Stephens of All Stars.  The latter was one of the panists who journeyed to the United Kingdom to represent Trinidad and Tobago as part of TASPO (Trinidad All Steel Percussive Orchestra) at the memorable London Music Festival in the 1950s. Theo is alleged to have created the spider web pan. There was also a singer in the band, Rosal,  who was at home with the sentimental pieces.

Sackie recalls the band’s performance fee in those days being as little as one hundred to one hundred and fifty dollars (TT $100.00 to $150.00) per gig.  The sum did not include transportation as that was usually provided by the organisers.

Some of the tunes played on pan in those days were:
Pepper Sauce Woman; In a Fine Castle; Mary Had a Little Lamb; Ice in yuh Ice.

On the issue of steelband rivalry and clashes Sackie agreed that there were clashes, but as far as his band was concerned the clashes were not physical, but rather musical, and never involved cutlasses (machetes) or other weaponry.  Such clashes were about volume – one steelband playing side by side of one another in an effort to drown out the other.

On the downside, women would often find their wash tubs disappeared at nights since it was quite common for pan men to pinch steel drums for conversion to refined musical instruments. By the next morning, however, the tub would have been painted to conceal identity.

In response to Pan Diaspora Visionary Hollis Clifton’s question on his move from pan man to being a ‘man of the cloth,’ Sackie revealed that his elevation from pan man to a life of religion came from heaven because prior to that he lived in ignorance.

In fact he never wanted to hear anything about baptism until one day he adhered to an invitation of Reverend Claxton. There ‘he was overcome by the Holy Ghost - his head began to feel light; and he heard a calling in his head which he thought was a spirit talking to him saying: “it’s time, it’s time”.’

His wife, who was already a “Mother” in the church cried for joy when Sackie went up to the altar to be received.  Thereafter, Sackie quickly moved up the ranks from Brother to Shepherd. He skipped Deacon since he was already preaching.  He then moved from Reverend to Arch Deacon and then finally to Bishop.  His wife, Enid, also moved up the ranks from Deaconess to Arch Deaconess then to Assistant Superintendent Mother, and Elect Lady.

When asked if he ever took a pan to church he uttered “you have to be missing a screw in your head to even think it.”  In those days pan was associated with vagabonds.

Sackie retorted that all in all, he has had a wonderful time in the world of pan; now he is having a time of his life with the Lord Jesus - baptizing, and performing christenings and funerals among other religious ceremonies.

He claimed that once someone asked him if he will ever go back to pan to which he replied:  “Does a King go back to being a commoner?”