|
Trinidad and Tobago,
W.I. - When Cary Codrington’s
childhood neighbours Joseph and
Addison Cummings taught him to
play the pan under ‘the downs
tree’ in their back yard, they
laid the foundation for a future
initiator of an influential and
phenomenal musical legacy. Today
the family of Cary Codrington,
affectionately known as ‘The Codrington Pan Family’ residing
at Bath Street East Dry River,
Port of Spain, Trinidad, are all
proficient on the steelpan and
are unique contributors to the
legacy of this musical art form.
Cary
Codrington
Cary Codrington’s own musical
career received a boost from its
humble beginnings in the
Cummings’ back yard to an
opportunity to play pan
professionally with Starlift
Steel Orchestra in 1972. His
talent and enthusiasm for the
instrument continued throughout
his youth and today Cary
continues to devote much of his
time to the nurturing of young
talent with several school
bands, individuals and groups.
Following his experience with
Starlift, Cary took his talents
to another level and began his
arranging career with the Woodbrook Government Secondary
School.
Under Codrington’s tutelage,
Woodbrook Secondary won the
School’s Panorama in 1978. Nine
years later, he repeated this
feat with the well renowned and
respected St. Augustine Senior
Comprehensive School band. In
recent years, Cary has been
arranging for the Success
Laventille School Steelband.
They also won the School
Steelband Festival on two
occasions, placed second on two
other occasions and won the
Junior Panorama in 2003.
It was in 1982 that Cary started
arranging for adult bands, with
the City Symphony Steelband. He
also took Birdsong Steel
Orchestra to their
first National Panorama Finals
in 1984. He arranged for
Laventille Sound Specialists who
continued the tradition of
musical excellence by placing
5th in the medium band category
at Trinidad & Tobago’s National Panorama Finals
in 2004, then 4th in the World
Steelband Music Festival
(WSMF) qualifying round, and 4th in the
Finals of the WSMF held in
2005 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Cary explains that he likes to
spend time teaching steelband
music, especially to the young
ones, because he believes that
the zeal that is abundant in
young musicians can help the
evolution of steel bands and
allow Trinidad to maintain a
leading role in the future of
steelband music and Pan
Technology.
Cary is the band’s Musical
Director and Arranger. He has
been playing and arranging for
steelbands for more than twenty
(20) years. He is the
holder of a Grade II Solo
Performance - UWI (University of
the West Indies) Creative Arts Centre,
1998 and a Grade V – Royal
School of Music, 2000. He has
performed extensively, both
locally and internationally. He
has arranged for several bands
at the National Panorama
Competitions, National School
Panorama Competitions, Music
Festival and Pan Ramajay. He has
also performed alongside
distinguished Calypsonians and
other artistes.
|
