Steelband Music Ambassadors down South take Pan By Storm

San Fernando, Trinidad, W.I. - St. Margaret’s Boys’ Youth Pan Extravaganza was previously a single local event held in Port-of-Spain at Trinidad All Stars Pan Theatre. Due to its resounding success during the initial three years, it was decided to share the episode with their southern counterparts.  It was so nice last year that they decided to do it twice at the Skiffle Bunch Pan Theatre.

The non-profit exercise which was pioneered by Kurt Abraham, continues to be co-ordinated by his wife, Rosemarie Abraham, a teacher at the school, St. Margaret’s Boys’ School. The Pan Extravaganza instantly received the blessings of the school’s principal, Colette Percy who continues to serve as the Director of Ceremonies in the non-competitive atmosphere. It has now, indeed, taken on international proportions incorporating the Florida Memorial University Steel Ensemble in 2010. “Nuf respect” to Kurt and Rosemarie’s daughter, Shenelle Abraham, who continues to be the musical director of the St. Margaret’s Boys’ School Orchestra cum doctorial candidate at the Florida Memorial University.

The Pan Extravaganza is the crystallization of the school’s Mission Statement which is “The development of young, skillful, artistic panists who will also be knowledgeable in music theory, through workshop conducted by local and foreign professors; also to provide a career path through alliance with local and foreign universities”.

The participating bands included: St. Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School Steel Orchestra, St. Margaret’s Steel Orchestra, Grant Memorial Presbyterian Steel Orchestra, Fonclaire Youth Steel Orchestra, Golden Hands Steel Orchestra and Little Bunch Steel Orchestra.

The host – St. Margaret’s - showcased three outfits: its Standards 3 and 4 classes who played a piece called Cool It Down as arranged by Robert Tobitt and the Standard 5 group who dished out three pieces – Careless Whisper as arranged by Kion Robinson; I Believe I Can Fly and Pan Army as arranged by Sheldon Peters.

Then the school’s steel orchestra came on to do six pieces; Turn Your Lights Down Low – a Sheldon Peters arrangement followed by five pieces arranged by the young and promising researcher of Florida Memorial University, Shenelle Abraham. These included High Mas, Your Love, Pastime Paradise, Calling Meh and Rock Melody. Later in the second segment the audience was treated to two pieces as arranged by Shenelle – It’s Over and Soca Melody.

The non-competitive atmosphere also brought out the likes of Franka Hills-Headley’s Broadway-based, Golden Hands Steel Orchestra. The 100% musically literate youth outfit (a rarity for Pandom) has significantly impacted the musical landscape of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the Caribbean and the USA - having performed at Howard University and The University of Delaware.

All players are required to eventually sit both theory and practical music examinations. Some have completed Grade 8, and to date seven have completed their BA in Musical Arts at The University of The West Indies. Students also are prepared for the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council Music exams. In 2005, Franka’s daughter Vanessa Headley became the first student of St. Joseph’s Convent in San Fernando to sit this exam, and she placed first in the Caribbean. Since then, five Golden Hands students have excelled in the exam and ten are currently preparing for same.

The group was privileged to present their original steelpan musical, “The Rainmakers,” at the Percussive Arts Society International convention, in Austin, Texas. They were the first non-American steelband to be featured in the convention’s showcase concert. In its presentation Golden Hands employed new configurations of the steelpan.

Golden Hands has taken this commitment to musical excellence to another level and this year has sent two of its students Vanessa Alexandra Headley (double second player) and Daron Roberts (drummer) to participate in the well-acclaimed Berklee College of Music’s Five-Week Summer Programme.   In the absence of Vanessa, the eighteen year-old band is ably assisted by Dane Hinds, Assistant Director. The highly competitive band, with students ranging in age from three to twenty-two, is bent on promoting the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago as a bonafide musical instrument.

The “national treasure” [Golden Hands] – (according to visiting adjudicators), has the distinction of having won twenty-three championship trophies in the Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival. Under their belt, they also count Caribbean tours to the islands of Dominica, Antigua and Martinique. Golden Hands is the first non-Antiguan steelband to ever win the coveted “Five-Alive Title” in that country’s annual Moods of Pan festival, and did so a record consecutive three times.  To date Golden Hands has produced three CDs: “Pure Gold,” “Under the Sapodilla Tree” and “The Rainmakers.”

The band’s repertoire at the Steelpan extravaganza included several arrangements by Vanessa Headley: Shout To The Lord, Find Your Love, I Will Always Be There For You, Portrait Of Trinidad, Sassiness and Endless Vibrations. They also performed Dane Hinds arrangements of Pan In ‘A’ Minor and What A Wonderful World.

Following their premiere earlier this year on June 19 at their parent band’s [Skiffle Bunch] Annual Fathers’ Day show, the Skiffle Bunch Youth Steel Orchestra made their second manifestation at the St. Margaret’s Boys’ Annual Youth Concert. Thanks to the musical arrangements of their 22 year-old captain who is currently an undergraduate music major student at the University of the West Indies, in just under two months the mainly female youngsters were able to execute four songs with energy and flare. The pieces included Len “Boogsie” Sharpe’s Ashley, and Kes The Band’s Wotless as arranged by Cedel Hinds; Benjai’s Trini arranged by Hudson Henry, and Billionaire arranged by the pair.

Through the initiative of Joyann Farrel and the eventual Musical Director, Adana Pompey, almost one year ago some forty youths between the ages of four to seventeen came together with the aim of fostering quality musicians, capable of playing our national instrument and building the art form.

The youngsters - Fonclaire Junior Steel Orchestra - who are now versed in both practical and theoretical aspects of music and steelpan playing have had two major appearances - at Pan Trinbago’s Steelband Month Youth Rally at Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima (2010), and at the Independence Celebration at Harris Promenade, San Fernando.

The pieces the group presented at St. Margaret’s Extravaganza were: Secret arranged by Marc Seebaran, and Mo Wok, Hold My Hand, Calling Meh, Human Nature, Always Be and Trini – all arranged by Adana Pompey.

In their second appearance at the St. Margaret’s Extravaganza, the Grant Memorial School Little Bunch went one step ahead of the other bands in that they engaged two frontline singers as part of their presentation. They were Arielle Ghouralal of Standard 4 whose rendition was The Prayer and eight year-old Solana Ali who belted out My Favourite Things. The other pieces in the fifteen member orchestra’s repertoire were arranged by Hudson Henry: Dis Melody Sweet, I Believe I Could Fly and Rain Down in Africa. Hudson has also been the tutor over the last eight years for the “Pan in the Classroom Project.”

Little Bunch had the distinction of touring Barbados in 2004 where the students conducted workshops at the Vauxhall Primary School in Christ Church.

The second leg of the St. Margaret’s Boys’ Youth Pan Extravaganza unfolded in north Trinidad on July 16 at the Trinidad All Stars Pan Theatre. The cast included St. Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School Steel Orchestra, St. Francois Girls’ College Steel Orchestra, Success Stars Pan Sound and St. Margaret’s Steel Orchestra.

Edited by When Steel Talks

All images by Hollis Clifton