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Steelpan researcher Hollis John Clifton goes into the memory of Radcliffe “Bakes” Baker at his home on Black Street, San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago on the latter’s contribution to the only percussion musical instrument founded since the twentieth century - the steelpan.

Radcliffe Baker was laid to rest on November 26, 2014 after a 2:00 p.m. celebration of his life at Skiffle Pan Theatre on Coffee Street in San Fernando.

Trinidad &  Tobago, W.I. - In his effort to fulfill a childhood dream to become a panman Radcliffe Baker enlisted as a member of Destroyers Steelband at the age of 17. The band was then located at the corner of Marryat and Cooper Streets in San Fernando, Trinidad. “Bakes” as he was fondly called resided on Drayton Street then, and he used to lime with a side from ‘on the Coffee’ named “Limers” with whom he attended fetes and bazaars, among other pleasurable activities.

Baker (now eighty-two years young), had been employed at TCL (Trinidad Cement Limited) as a rigger but his basic trade was that of a mechanic as he had successfully completed his apprenticeship at TGR (Trinidad Government Railways). In those days TGR was located at “Channel” – the waterfront Kings Wharf, San Fernando. That location is now used by PTSC (Public Transport Service Corporation) as a bus garage.

As a visionary “Bakes” always believed that Pan would reach the standard that it has today. He, nonetheless, had a job attempting to convince his cohorts as they felt that classical music was not suited for pan but rather for traditional orchestras that embraced violins and other wind instruments - trumpet or flute. He cited the days of the renowned Trinidad and Tobago-born pianist Winifred Atwell and her collaboration with the legendary Pan Am North Stars steel band in 1969 deep “Down Under” in their world tour. This resulted in the album “Ivory and Steel.”

The Coffee Boy, “Bakes,” procreated six sons with his wife Judith. They include Canada-based Rodney who continues to play pan, though in church these days; Raymond (deceased); Renwick, Richard, Gerrard and Valdez. Three of the boys played pan with Hillside Symphony - which as the name suggests was located on (Upper) Hillside Street, a stone’s throw away from the Baker family homestead. Hillside was then led by Juno Hinds with Ali Cooper as Musical Director. Renwick, Richard, and Valdez continue to be the backbone of a DJ outfit called ‘Black Gold.’

FROM DESTROYERS TO MELODY MAKERS

Within a year the band started a metamorphosis. A name change was in the making. The name Melody Makers emerged in lieu of Destroyers.

In the 1940s, during the formative years of pan, this definite pitch percussion instrument in the idiophone class, didn’t have many notes and “Bakes,” like all other panists of his time was not conversant with the theory of music. He, nonetheless, was a lover of classical music which he used to “hum and la-la” in his effort to teach the other players. So if the band had a gig over the weekend and classical piece(s) were to be a part of the repertoire, they were faced with a big challenge. They, therefore, had to create the required note(s). The ingenuity at the time on the island saw them pushing a note up or down to meet the required sound.

“Bakes” recalled that on one occasion the band had to participate at a Local Talent Show at Globe Cinema on Prince of Wales Street in San Fernando. It was a regular feature hosted by Holly Betaudier. The Destroyers came up against the likes of Southern Marines Steelband, among others.

One day as “Bakes” strolled into the pan yard he was cordially greeted by the band’s first captain, Neville “Bolvin” Sandy who informed him that he was voted captain of the band in his absence. A stunned “Bakes” protested saying “Sandy alluh crazy, I don’t know anything ‘bout pan.” In response Sandy replied “...never mind, that was unanimous.” A self-effacing Baker eventually took up the challenge.

Prior to that Melody Makers was being accommodated at Rupert Bob’s father’s premises, and as the group evolved there appeared to have been a fracas among members which did not go down too well with Bob’s father. This resulted in the band being evicted. Alternative accommodation was had at La Cour Harpe Settlement, St. Joseph Street, between two barracks building.

Later the outfit moved to Coffee Street at Ms. Mander, under a large tamarind tree, in a barrack yard. Ms. Mander was “Bolvin’s” mother who turned out to be the custodian of the instruments when the band was not practicing.

Unlike most other bands, Melody Makers never had an outside tuner. Prior to Baker’s involvement with the band Neville Sandy was the tuner-cum-captain. In fact there were a few guys who could have tuned pans. There was also Cyril aka “Dougla” who came from Free French. But Baker challenged him as to why would one want to leave a big band like Free French to come to play for Melody Makers – a less popular outfit? In response “Dougla” recounted that Theo Stephens aka “Black James” “won’t give him a break” and he feels he could tune pan too. Following some deliberations the members agreed and Baker gave “Dougla” the opportunity to tune instruments for the band. With time, fresh barrels were acquired and the band went further into tuning its own pans. As it panned out Baker admitted that he was much more skilled than the others as he actually prepared the barrels for tuning i.e. cut, sink, groove and burn. When the instruments returned from the tuner he would further clean and polish them.

Between “Dougla” and himself they were able to place the notes which were deficient in the original set of Destroyers pans. Eventually, however, Sandy emerged as the background tuner specialist while “Dougla” focused on the front line pans.

It is interesting to note that in 1949 another band with the same name of Melody Makers emerged though, briefly, in Port of Spain under contrasting circumstances. Through sheer determination Curtis Pierre defied his middle-class Portuguese parents when he got involved in the poor Afro centric subculture. During his student tenure at St Mary’s College he recruited some of his cohorts of White, Portuguese, Chinese and Black middle class backgrounds. As leader of the band, Pierre changed the band’s name from Melody Makers to Dixieland in 1951 when they paraded the streets for the first time during carnival. Many moons later the said Pierre was to become a Lawyer cum Social Worker where he kept himself busy defending steelbandsmen in the courts of law and organizing the movement into a representative body.

THE EFFECT OF TASPO ON THE STEELBAND MOVEMENT

“Dougla” remained in the band in excess of two years after which he migrated to the United Kingdom just after the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) appeared at the Festival of Britain on the South Bank on July 26^th 1951. The experience of TASPO caused the bands in Trinidad & Tobago to progress from playing pan around the neck to the use of stands.

The departure of “Dougla” heralded the emergence of Edwin “Fire” Jack as a tuner from within the band.

Baker recalled that Lieutenant Griffith (of Barbados) who was the musical director of the Trinidad & Tobago Police Band was given the opportunity to prepare the TASPO for the trip to the UK. He was in fact on his way to undertake further studies in music in the UK when he was made the offer.

Melody Makers met its demise when Baker threw in the towel after the island’s premier music festival which was held at Empire Cinema in San Fernando. A union among Free French, Metronomes and Southern All Stars appeared evident as Free French and Metronomes merged in 1959 and participated in the music festival. Melody Makers were victorious playing “Mambo Granada and Gold and Silver Waltz.” Southern Symphony emerged second with a piece entitled “Alma Llanera.” The line-up included Cross Winds, among other steel orchestras.

The circumstances saw Sandy going to Port of Spain to join forces with Carib Tokyo as a bass player. He was so skilled on the bass that they gave him the sobriquet “Baseman.” George aka “Starlight,” one of the best tenor players migrated to the United Kingdom; Carlton “Screw punch” Wallace joined Cavaliers as a tenor player.

An interesting character of the band was “Tunkey Boy” (of East Indian descent). He never played pan during rehearsals but would ‘take a knock’ after practice. Vic Lange used to attempt to teach music to the players by writing the chord structures on the board. The seasoned players, however, never showed any interest except for “Tunkey Boy” who would write down the theory in a copybook. The two Ferguson brothers, Collin & Ken, who were also accomplished guitarists, got so frustrated that they eventually pulled out and formed their own combo side in Volt Express. In fact they used to have to walk from Ste. Madeline to ‘de Coffee’ and back for practice.

THE SOCIOCULTURAL IMPACT OF PAN

During the 1950s steel bands were a must at carnival fetes. The more popular dance halls included Eastern Unity, Windsor Hall, The Loan, Hart and Hand Lodge, The Coterie, EC School (Coffee EC). J’Ouvert morning at the culmination of fetes it was customary for all partygoers to head for the Coffee. Most revellers were waiting for Melody Makers to chip down the road. Such was the popularity of the band. It’s interesting to note that all the fete venues were on or around Coffee Street.

In the year 1956 Melody Makers participated in a competition in which there was a test piece plus two tunes of choice. The venue was St. Benedict’s College Grounds (now called Presentation College Grounds). The test piece was Toselli’s Serenade – the piece which was played at the Festival of Britain in 1952. Other bands included Sea Bees and another one from Princes Town. Melody Makers had a line-up which included some seven ping pong players. The players included Starlight, Screw Punch, Padmore, Stork St Hill, “Dougla,” Cyril “Skull” Barker Cedrick and Freddie Whorwood and Carlton “Musmus” Lynch on guitar. He will be remembered for tuning his own pan so that when Makers folded he teamed up with Winston Moore as a tuner.

According to “Bakes” people from North Trinidad only recognised one band from South – Free French. He recalled Oscar Pile leaving Port of Spain on a visit to San Fernando scouting for players with the intention of forming the island’s premier Steel band Association (1950). This led to an encounter with Emile “Zola” Williams who, in the view of “Bakes,” erred in that he only made reference to Casablanca from where pans were had which led to the founding of Free French.

Again, “Bakes” posited that Spree Simon is alleged to be originally from Point Fortin but, however, his family engaged in internal migration in an effort to gain social mobility and they thus ended up in the nation’s capital, Port of Spain.

THE EFFECT OF THE WORLD WAR ON THE STEELBAND MOVEMENT

It is argued that the first steel band emerged from Kings Wharf in San Fernando; whereas the first steel pan is said to have been made from a TM&R drum (coconut oil container). It was much smaller than the present 40-gallon drum now commonly used in shaping the only musical instrument to have emerged since the twentieth century. It was played with the use of a broomstick. Again, the first steel band to hit the road in San Fernando was ‘Pearl Harbour,’ i.e. as far as Radcliffe Baker could recall.

That most significant event occurred on “V-J Day.” (On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 & 15 have been known as “Victory over Japan day,” or simply “V-J Day.” The term has also been used for September 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. Coming several months after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan’s capitulation in the Pacific brought six years of hostilities to a final and highly anticipated close.)

On that occasion revellers with Pearl Harbour Steel Band recited a chant as they chipped down the road with a rhythmic motif accompanying the chant wells. The chant was:-

“Chinee never had a V-J Day”
Chorus - “Lai Fung, Lai Fung Yeea”

The man on the ping pong was “Tall Boy.” Free French went through its own transformation in that it was at one stage called “Snow” and before that “Cross of Lorraine” well before its demise as “Free French.”

An emphatic Radcliffe “Bakes” Baker posited that the majority of bands emerged from the bowels of Free French and Bataan. The former was located in the Bideau (a short-cut leading from upper Cipero Street to Roy Joseph Scheme houses, HDC nee NHA; while the latter was located on Medine Street just behind the Ice Factory on Coffee Street.

From the recollection of “Bakes” some of the bands which were around during the early post-war period were: Lil Carib (Upper Hillside), Melody Makers nee Destroyers (Coffee Street), Texas (Train Line, Mon Repos), United Circle (Jarvis Street), Sea Bees (Mon Repos, Skinner Street by the Lalsinghs), Southern Marines (Marabella), West Stars (Springvale), Hoytonians (La Romaine), Criss Cross (Victoria Village), Teenage Symphony (Prince Alfred Street), Rogues Regiment (Irving Street), Vibratones (Broadway), Hatters, Southern All Stars (Carib Street), Sundowners, and Southern Symphony (Oropouche).

Images supplied by Hollis Clifton

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