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Engineer Co-founds Steelband in Washington
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Ronald Barnes (in
yellow) with Hollis
Clifton |
When Ronald Barnes left Champs Fleurs in
Trinidad in 1967, little did he know that he
would become a founding member of one of
Washington DC’s foremost steelbands, Pan Masters,
some eighteen years later.
The bass pannist cum percussionist never allowed
ambition to muck his useful toil in his adopted
country, as within a fairly short space of time
he was to become a mechanical engineer
following a stint at Howard University. He later
achieved a Masters in Engineering Administration.
Barnes, the panman, was the guest on PAN
DIASPORA last Sunday on WACK90.1 FM Radio in San
Fernando, Trinidad, which is aired from 4 to 5
PM as a segment of “Pan In Yuh Pwefen” with
Presenter DJ Heshimu and co-host Hollis Clifton,
the segment’s initiator.
Unlike his founding partners in Lennard Jack (Fonclaire)
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resident arranger, and Patrick Belle (Guinness
Cavaliers), Roland had no experience in pan
prior to his arrival in the USA.
Currently residing in Maryland and performing
under the sobriquet of TriniRolo over the last
ten years he has written, sung and competed in
calypso competitions in Washington DC,
Baltimore and Miami.
The Trini cultural ambassador also served as Pan
Masters’ President and PRO at various stages in
twenty of the twenty-two year life span of
the steelband. To this end he has been
instrumental in developing and fostering a programme to teach youths and adults the art of
playing the steelpan, inter alia.
Among the callers who congratulated Mr. Barnes
on his contribution to the Diaspora of pan were
Barbara Hunt from the UK and David Williams from
San Fernando. WACK Radio was also commended for
hosting such an informative ongoing encounter.
by
Hollis Clifton
Pan Diaspora Visionary
contact
hollisclifton@yahoo.com; 1 (868) 462-2738
