San Fernando,
Trinidad, W.I. - Although he was born in Port of
Spain - the capital of Pandom - Cyril Boxill or “Nick,”
as he was fondly called, grew up in San Fernando. For
the greater part of his life he was involved in the
steelpan movement.
Small wonder he was also
known as “Bredwin” due to his kind-heartedness. He often
referred to the steelpan as “Barrels” and was a founding
member of Mayo Starlift which, with Vic Lange as
arranger, made quite an impression in the Steelband
Festival in the 1950s with a piece entitled “Waltz of
the Sugar Plum Fairies.”
Former Guinness Cavaliers captain Bobby Mohammed
plays final rites to Nick
The former mechanic with
the now defunct Trinidad & Tobago Railways eventually
moved to San Fernando where he played with a number of
bands including Teenage Symphony, Q. T. Minors, Sea
Bees, Guinness Cavaliers and Pearl Harbour. He even had
a ‘Pan round the neck’ outfit called “Sounds 2001.”
“Bredwin” was a founding
member of the San Fernando based group “South Steelband
Pioneers.” In recognition of his contribution to the
steelband movement Pan Trinbago gave him an award in
2010.
Former panists at Nick’s send off
His associates in pan
included the likes of the late Gulab Belgrove, Meadow,
Alan Bishop, Angus “Laddie” Lalsingh, Fitzroy Lyons (of
Southern Marines) and Errol James – the tin smith.
Seventy-nine year old
Cyril “Nick” Boxill was laid to rest at the Broadway
Cemetery on Wednesday November 2, 2011 following a
service at the St. Vincent de Paul Home for the Aged
where he was domiciled for the last three years. His
last place of residence was on Skinner Street in San
Fernando, the said address where “Laddie” and the
Lalsingh brothers lived downstairs - of which was also
the pan yard of Maestros Steelband.
“Nick/Bredwin/Barrels”
will be sadly missed as he was always a familiar face at
any pan event in T&T.
Leave a comment
in the WST Forum
