As previewed last Sunday, Pantopia is a steelband musical inspired by the music of Ray Holman, scheduled for performance in April next year. I describe this week the strong historical context that should impel support for Pantopia.
The historical context includes the insertion into the Trinidad Music Festival of competitive classes for pan soloists and for steel orchestras respectively, shortly after the Trinidad Music Association, the organizer of the Festival, was formed in 1948.
The Invaders Steel Orchestra practices under the breadfruit tree in an image from yesteryear. Photo: Invaders Steel Orchestra
The Festivals were very well attended. This step in the early 1950s far sightedly embraced the musical instrument that had been invented a decade and a half before.
The inspiration to insert those classes for pan music into the Music Festival was that of Helen May Johnstone, affectionately known as ‘Ma John’, the Association’s chair. It was achieved against establishment forces, who did not want persons known as ‘Cobo Jack’ inside the place.
I have previously described my connection as a child with Ma John and my attendance at those steelband performances under the guiding hand of my Auntie Lorna. I will forever remember being there. I place Pantopia in the historical context of the positive outcomes of the presence of pan in the Music Festival.
The brilliant performances of light classical music and the skill of the soloists supported early recognition of the new instrument.
A steelband team performs during the New York City Jouvert celebrations.
There is a rich account of this and how Festival competition led to the establishment of the Pan Is Beautiful event under the auspices of Pan Trinbago in a piece by David Cuffy in the Trinidad Guardian of 25 August 2013 entitled: Celebrating the steelband classics- playing pan with pride.
Stimulated by the brilliance of the pan music and awarding marks in the 90’s out of a possible 100, the Festival adjudicators, Drs Northcote and Wiseman, advised us to start composing for pan so that the music played on pan would be designed to achieve the best harmony between the music score and the capabilities of the instrument.
Albeit confined to a particular musical range, the annual Panorama competition evolved into a stimulus to compose for pan.
Action from the 2023 Panorama competition. Photo: Ministry of Tourism
Ray Holman began and persisted with the composition of what was called “own tune”. Andy Narell composed a favourite of mine called Coffee Street, but the arch conservatives and resisters of change in the pan movement at that time were not welcoming.
It is our grievous loss and St Lucia’s considerable gain that Narell spends months per year in St Lucia working with youth in music.
Following in the tradition of Beryl Mc Burnie, one of his mentors, Holman first rebelled against the established order. In 1972 he brought his own tune entitled Pan On The Move, performed by Starlift, into Panorama, thereby bringing to life the advice given by the Festival adjudicators and starting another development cycle in pan music.
Renowned steelpan arranger Dr Ray Holman (right) and director of the National Steel Symphony Orchestra Kareem Browne perform at the United Nations in New York in July 2023. Photo: Pan Trinbago
Other composers for pan of great stature came along, but playwright and director Rawle Gibbons chose Holman’s music for his play. It is the music and arrangements of those many formidable musicians, too many to list, that we must curate.
Pantopia is a giant step in that direction. It will provide narrative illuminating a development cycle that took pan into new musical territory.
Someone, who has become one of my closest friends, played in Starlift in 1972. He told me that ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe, then aged around 18, was also a player in that Starlift Panorama stage side.
Iconic pan man Len “Boogsie” Sharpe.
He reminded me that 1972 was also the second consecutive year that Harmonites won the Panorama with arranger Earl Rodney, whom we sadly lost this month. They defeated Tokyo and Starlift, who came second and third respectively, adding to their triumph in 1968 with Kitchener’s The Wrecker.
These recollections incidentally reveal significant generational milestones. Boogsie, as is well known, has arranged his own compositions for seven-time Panorama champions Phase II, which he formed in 1972 and became the arranger.
His linkage with Holman is such that Boogsie reportedly deputised Holman, when necessary, to be arranger and drill master for Phase II.
The Phase II steelband orchestra performs at the 2020 Panorama semifinals.
The constancy of all this musical success within a post-colonial people’s turmoil ridden history also provides inspiration for frequently disadvantaged generations. Let us assist in having Pantopia illuminate this success.
LOWELL — Nicole Parks knows the value of music education. As the new director of UMass Lowell’s String Project, she wants to share the experience of learning — and teaching — music to as many people as possible. Founded at the university in 2001, the String Project is a music program for K-12 public school students from the Merrimack Valley who might not otherwise have a chance to learn to play classical stringed instruments or perform on stage. UMass Lowell […]
