Earl Rodney (born 1939 in Egypt Village, Point Fortin, Trinidad)
Additional info below posted with special permission from the BestOfTrinidad.com by Ronald C. Emrit - check link for updates
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CAREER:
Rodney was exposed to pan at a very young age and began playing when
he was four years old. Growing up in Egypt Village, he spent two
years as a member of the Intruders Steelband, which was previously
known as the Morning Stars Steelband. In 1951, he founded the
Tropical Harmony Steelband with Allan Gervais and became a member of
the National Steelband of Trinidad and Tobago in 1962. In the early
1960s, Rodney learned to read music and play the acoustic string
bass, and worked with brass and jazz bands. He joined the Dutchy
Brothers Orchestra in 1963 where he became a bassist/arranger. After
three years with the Dutchy Brothers, during which time Tropical
Harmony disbanded, Rodney joined the Harmonites Steelband in 1967
where he took over as arranger and led the band to Panorama titles
in 1968, 1971, and 1972. In 1973, he composed "Friends and
Countryman." While a member of the Mighty Sparrow's accompanists,
The Troubadors, he arranged calypsoes for some of Sparrow's albums
including "La Cha Cha Cha" (1968), "More Sparrow" (1969), and "One
For The Road" (1976). The following is a summary of the Harmonites
record in the Panorama competition with musical arrangements by
Rodney:
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AWARD:
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Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit |