That infamous steelband clash on the Coffee! In the nineteen sixties, Southern Marines Steelband of Marabella was the classic community band; at carnival just about everyone in the community was involved and band was also supported by the local craftsmen and businessmen. The panyard was a busy place on Sundays before carnival; after the well … Continue reading HANDEL’s LARGO , AND A CLASH OF STEELBANDS!
Tag: Trinidad and Tobago culture
The local culture including calypso, the carnival , the steelband ,steel -pan, steelband panorama, chutney and soca music.
Childhood Memories!
Memories! At my age certain memories still cause me to smile, and some of my memories also include my dad, who In my mind was a bit of a character himself. Today I had one such memory that I thought I might share it. When I was a boy we moved from San Fernando to … Continue reading Childhood Memories!
Progress: It doesn’t happen “just so”!
Maybe we aren’t as smart as we think! Over half a century ago, in the year 1968 I left Trinidad for the first time. I was hired by a company in the US Virgin Islands and was sent a plane ticket from Piaco International Airport in Trinidad to St Croix.There was something of a construction … Continue reading Progress: It doesn’t happen “just so”!
AN UNFORGETTABLE PANORAMA PERFORMANCE FROM THE EARLY DAYS
From Panorama 1969 , the greatness of arranger Earl Rodney, and the power of Solo Harmonites in full display with this rocking version of Sparrow's. "Bongo".
Reviewing and Renewing the Steelband/Carnival Connection!
Let us really do something for pan! The think is, whether we wish to accept it or not, there’s an historical and cultural nexus between the carnival and the steelband, and that’s the lens through which most of the world see the steelband. Because , if we know our cultural history , it was the … Continue reading Reviewing and Renewing the Steelband/Carnival Connection!
The beauty of a skilled steelband bass player featuring Kwesi Moore.
The closest I've ever got to playing the bass in a steelband was the tenor bass ( I also played the cello pan ), but I've always loved the bass section, admiring the beautiful, fluid movements of a skilled bass player, and the powerful sound of the bass as it vibrated in your body. For … Continue reading The beauty of a skilled steelband bass player featuring Kwesi Moore.
It’s not an “Afro” thing , it’s a “Trini” thing !
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 !
G R JOSEPH 