Thoughts and ideas relating to the music and culture of Trinidad and Tobago , especially the steelpan and the steelband
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cDREldhlRI The Nerlin Taitt Orchestra of San Fernando , Trinidad -"Marlena" One of the greatest unsung contributors to Caribbean music is pan and reggae pioneer, the late Mr Nearlin Taitt from San Fernando.An outstanding pan player who also did some tuning, he was the winning soloist in the island wide ping pong (tenor pan ) … Continue reading Remembering Pan and Reggae Legend Nearlin “Lynn” Taitt
The steelpan and its culture belongs to Trinidadians, all Trinidadians, and of course Tobagonians. We cannot on one hand refer to the instrument as our national instrument , and yet have it claimed by or even identified with one ethnic group that makes up less than forty percent of the nation's population. It is therefore … Continue reading It’s not an “Afro” thing , it’s a “Trini” thing !
Beyond the sweet music - catchy lyrics and musical hooks , there is a reason that the song "Full Extreme " dominated Trinidad's carnival in 2017. As an alternative to any of the many calypsos decrying the social and political atmosphere in Trinidad , this soca calypso reflected the yearning of the people to feel … Continue reading Dimanche Gras , or The Message in the Music
What do pan people really mean when they talk about a panorama "strike" ? As a former union negotiator and local lodge president (LL 2503 0f the IAM&AW), I've always taken a strike very seriously , since the idea was to pressure the employer by withholding skilled labor and forcing a compromise. I've always considered … Continue reading What do Pan People in T&T mean when they talk of a panorama “strike”?
In spite of the uneven audio quality of the webcast via YouTube, I enjoyed the Big 5 concert immensely. The bands all displayed the highest quality of steelband excellence , and it must have been a joy to be present for the live performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr91t5PO_Ho However , in spite of my enjoyment , I couldn't … Continue reading A critique of the fabulous Big 5 Steelband concert.
Time and time again we hear complaints that the T&T government isn't doing enough to promote the steelband , and culture in general. I myself have noted that in my forty plus years in the Northeast USA I've seen few if any features , commercials etc. extolling the virtues of T&T , and encouraging foreigners … Continue reading Tourism , culture and the steelband
I have always maintained that Trinidad's Carnival has suffered in quality as steel-band participation in the carnival parade has diminished. The most visible demonstration of this over the last few years is the fact that while rest of the carnival parade has deteriorated into a semi pornographic display of beads , bikinis and flesh , … Continue reading Why we should consider moving panorama away from Carnival, and increasing the steelband’s participation in the Carnival street parade.
An example of the Ron Berridge Big Band Sound "My Favorite Things" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6VDKW3D1tI This Ron Berridge arrangement of the Rodgers and Hammerstein show-tune "My Favorite Things" (from "The Sound of Music")is an example of the powerful big band sound of the Berridge orchestra that was partly created by the trombone of Simeon Cabellero, also known … Continue reading The Night Ron Berridge Dropped his “Bomb”.
One of the least known and appreciated of all the pan pioneers of Trinidad and Tobago is Belgrave Bonaparte, the leader of the La Brea steelband Southern Symphony. Southern Symphony, a pioneering steelband, was the first to introduce the reading of music while playing to the steelband , according to sources like Junior Pouchet and … Continue reading The Bonaparte Brothers of Trinidad
I believe that the primary difference between calypso composers of yesteryear, and soca / calypso composers of today is the fact that old time composers wrote calypsos with a steelband beat "in dey head". This was partly because the steelband dominated the streets and determined the road-march winner which was coveted by calypsonians back then … Continue reading Some thoughts on calypso , modern soca and the steel-band
G R JOSEPH 