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Mark Loquan - Steel Band Panorama Music Composer

Mark Loquan
Mark Loquan

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Starting out as a stage side member of Silver Stars Steel Orchestra in the early 90s, Mark Loquan has performed as a tenor player in several Panoramas, with Silver Stars, Starlift, Skiffle Bunch and Potential Symphony. He has also performed with the winning steelband, Skiffle Bunch, in the World Steelband Festival 2000 held in Trinidad and with Steel Pan Lovers (Finland) in the European Steelpan Festival held in Sète, France in 2002.

Turning to composing for pan in 1998, Mark’s music was first performed by the winning steelband ensemble, Super Sonics, in Pan is Beautiful IX in October 1998. Since that time, he has composed music for Sheldon Blackman, Shanaqua, former Trinidad calypso monarch Denyse Plummer (for 7 years), Steve Sealey, Anselm Douglas, Colin Lucas and with soca diva Destra Garcia since 2006. His composition “Colours Again” sung by Destra, was awarded the COTT (Copyright Organization of Trinidad & Tobago) Pan Song of the Year. He has also worked with several noted arrangers in co-composing:  Edwin Pouchet, Amrit Samaroo, and from 2008 with Ken “Professor” Philmore.

In 2000, he released the CD, Passion for Pan, which included the works of several panists, including Andy Narell, Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, Natasha Joseph, and Liam Teague. In 2005, he released the innovative Pan in Education, with Sanch Electronix Ltd., having taken a deep interest in preserving musical arrangements for pan for education.

With an interest in promoting music literacy in communities, he was founding chairman of the Music Literacy Trust, which has served as a vehicle for assisting several panists and musicians in various communities of Trinidad and Tobago. His music has been performed by steelbands across the globe, and also on conventional orchestra (pan arrangements by Liam Teague transcribed by Gary Gibson, performed by the National Sinfonia).  Mark continues to experiment with music and still serves as an Honorary Director on the Music Literacy while now based in Angola with his company.

Some of his works include: Passion for Pan (with Shanaqua), Fire and Steel, Identity, Frenzy and Good Times (with Denyse Plummer), Colours Again, Hooked, Surrender, Rewind, Calling Meh (with Destra).

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