Carlton Alexander, known in musical circles as “Zanda,” has
established a strong name in his native country of Trinidad
and Tobago where he enjoys being a pan jazz piano player and
steelpan arranger. Zanda’s musical genius was acknowledged
at an early age. As a teenager, he was the pianist at his
church as well as the musical coordinator for the Siparia
Best Village Group, all before migrating to Canada to pursue
his studies in architecture and design. Five years later, he
was privileged to study under the world-renowned bebop
legend and four-time Grammy Award winner, Barry Harris.
In 1990, Zanda founded the Coalpot Band while living in
Toronto, which served as the catalyst for other
Canadian-based Caribbean jazz outfits such as Kalabash.
Since 1995, he has continued the band in Trinidad using
talented local musicians. Zanda is a much-sought-after jazz
clinician lecturing on various topics ranging from steelpan
awareness to the fundamentals of improvisation. Over the
last thirty-plus years, he has performed at jazz festivals
in the Caribbean and in Canada.
Source: Jazz Artists on The Greens press
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