Alston Jack, a native from the isle
of Tobago, has been passionate about the steeldrum since he
was 9 years old, when he became a member of the Tobago All
Stars. The steeldrum was an almost immediate attraction
for him. It was not long before he, like so many before
him, began experimenting with the instrument.
Seeking a
greater challenge, the double second panist became a
member of Renegades Steel orchestra in 1967, but
remained with the band for only one season and then found himself
being drawn to the famous Laventille hills’ cross-town
rivals, Desperadoes. There he met pan patriot Rudolph
Charles, who became a mentor to Alston
because he understood the instrument, the culture. “He
brought passion to the movement,” Jack says.
As a
member of Desperadoes Steel Orchestra Alston Jack was able to tour many places
with them including New York city where he stayed and
made his second home. In New York he studied piano and
voice theory at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and
Theory and the Third Street Music School Settlement.
Jack’s pan compositions have been featured on the
soundtracks of Fatal Attraction, Working Girl and NBC’s
daytime soap opera Another World. He has also
appeared on the Cosby Show and Another World. He has
arranged for bands in New York such as Harlem All
Stars, Moods Pan Groove, Metro, Women in Steel, Tropicans and
Pantonic.
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Lyrics by
Samantha Jack and Cris Jack
VERSE 1
AH HONORING DE MEN WHO SPENT TIME IN PROMOTING
WE CULTURE
SPECIALLY, ON DE STEEL DRUM
AH TINK IT’S ABOUT TIME WE BIG UP, ALL WE
PLAYERS AN TUNERS
FOR DEY EFFORT AN HARD WORK
CHORUS 1
BOOGSIE AND ROBBIE YUH DIDN’T KNOW TWO MUSICAL
GENIUS
TWO LEFT EARL RODNEY YUH SEE HIGHLY QUALIFIED
MUSICIAN
ANTHONY WILLIAMS DE MAESTRO
SOLOIST GREAT PANIST
SIGHTIN MOUTHABIE AN RAY
PLEASE RECOGNIZE
SO MANY NAMES TO MENTION
DE LIST IS SO LONG
WHO CONTRIBUTE TO DE ART
ALL DID THEIR PART
OH TRINBAGO, PAN IS WE TING
OUR HEROES WE HONORING
OH TRINBAGO DON’T YOU BE LATE
WITH DE STEEL DRUM LET’S CELEBRATE
VERSE 2
DE SINKING OF DE DRUM
PLENTY SWEAT TOILING MORNING TILL EVENING
WITHOUT DOUBT
DEDICATION
ORIGIN OF DE PAN, THEN TO NOW
REALLY TRULY AMAZING
PAN HAVE DE WORLD STILL TALKING
CHORUS 2
BASSA ZIGILEE AH TELLING YUH DEM MEN FULL OF
TALENT
BERTIE AND GUPPY YUH SEE SO MANY YEARS DEY
SACRIFICE
PATRICK ARNOLD POW YUH UNDERSTAND
PERFECTION IN TUNING
COBO JACK LEARIE ROLAND
AH NATURAL GIFT
AH SAY DON’T WAIT TILL DEY GONE, DEN WE GO MORN
SHOW DEM YOUR LOVE WHILE DEY HEAR, MAN IF WE
CARE
OH TRINBAGO, PAN IS WE TING
OUR HEROES WE HONORING
OH TRINBAGO GOD MADE US GREAT
WITH DE STEEL DRUM LET’S CELEBRATE
VERSE 3
TOBAGO KATIE BROWN WAS A MAN ALL AROUND IN DE
CULTURE
CAN’T FORGET
ELLIE MANNETTE
DE LEGACY OF THOSE WHO GONE BY WE SHOULD KEEP IN
MEMORY
CAN LET THEIR WORK GO TO WASTE
CHORUS 3
BUFFY LITTLE AXE AH NAMING MORE REAL OUTSTANDING
PLAYERS
CONRAD ROACH AND JULES YUH KNOW WAS TUNING PAN
SO LONG AGO
DELBERT HENRY LAX AND RUDY KING YES DEY DID
THEIR OWN TING
RUDOLPH CHARLES AND TASH THEO SHOW DEM YOUR LOVE
SO MANY NAMES TO MENTION
DE LIST IS SO LONG
WHO CONTRIBUTE TO DE ART
ALL DID THEIR PART
OH TRINBAGO, PAN IS WE TING
OUR HEROES WE HONORING
OH TRINBAGO DON’T YOU BE LATE
WITH DE STEEL DRUM LET’S CELEBRATE
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