‘Pan Revolution’

It is not often that you get a British/USA/Caribbean blend in an artiste. Gia Telesford is truly international having been born in Great Britain to a Grenadian father and a Trinidadian mother.  Having migrated from to the USA from England, Gia has made New York her home.  This uniqueness along with a host of other things make Gia so very different!

She enjoys singing a variety of musical styles, but her passion remains pan and kaiso music.  Gia has been a finalist in the  Grenada soca monarch, sharing the stage with artistes like  Ajamu, Scholar Beast, Black Wizard and other top contenders.

She is following her dream and doing what she likes to do best which is entertain all walks of life through music.

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LYRICS

Take Over/Pan Revolution

Every time ah take a look around
Everywhere that ah go in the Caribbean
Seems like we have a revolution
Once upon a time it was only man
Who use to dominate every steelband
Now when you look, is plenty woman
And it’s not only the Caribbean
But in Brooklyn, France and in London
Nuff Woman, Playing Pan
They already outnumber the men
Playing every instrument
They come to play
They come to stay
 

(Chorus)
Revolution, they playing pan
All over, in every band
Tenor pan and guitar pan
Quadro-phonic and seconds
Bass and cello every pan
Drums and rhythm section

All Over, They take over
In every steel orchestra
Pan Angels and Dimension
Pan Wizards and the Wharf band
All up in Rainbow City
And Westside symphony
It’s a revolution in pan, understand
The (we) women take over steelband

About Pan Revolution and Carlyle Roberts

Pan Revolution recognises the change in composition of the members of many of today’s steel orchestras, not only in Grenada but also in Trinidad, the wider Caribbean, North America and Europe. What was once the domain of mainly male players is now being more and more, dominated by young girls and women. It is common to see more female players in steelbands today than male players.

“Not too long ago, in case you don’t know, wasn’t always so, women couldn’t go, anywhere close to a steelband yard,”

says the lyrics of the song, but in the last ten years or so, the “few” female faces seen in a steelband have grown to the extent that, as the lyrics continue:

“..when you talk bout playing pan, we (women) are the new musicians,”

 - a fact that not only acknowledges the role that women are now playing within the steelband movement but one that also speaks to the acceptance of the steelpan and the steel orchestra.

Women can now be seen playing every instrument in a steel orchestra, from tenor to bass and from drums to the engine room. They have become leaders in many steel orchestras and a few have risen to be musical arrangers for steelbands.

Composer Carlyle Roberts who has been involved in teaching young kids to play the steelpan for a number of years with Grenada’s Angel Harps, feels that the support that young girls get from their parents, especially their mothers, is a big reason why girls will continue to have a major impact on the steelband movement in years to come. He thinks that “most of the mothers are sort of making sure that the opportunity to ‘join a band (&) play a pan’ will not be withheld from their daughters as it was from them.”

“Even in the schools, you are finding that the Girls’ schools are taking the initiative to have pan programmes for their students.”  At Angel Harps, there are three school programmes, namely the Anglican High School (Girls School), the St. Louis RC School (Girls school) and the TAMCC (T. A. Marryshow Community College) where, although a mixed school, usually more girls than boys participate in the pan programme.

Yes, indeed, it’s a revolution in pan, the women take over steelband. They come to play, Let the girls play.

Republic Bank Angel Harps News