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me appreciate my beloved homeland Grenada event more .
Given the opportunity to arrange and conduct the music for Commancheros at the Celebrity wedding of Aisha Hinds and Nigel Walker was a once in life time experience . Seeing people cry when Commancheros and PBC Choir amalgamated and performed along with Jason McGee on May 21st 2022 , was astounding .
Who has been your musical influences over the years ? I listen to and love all genres of music and played and play many different types of music but the love and influence really started at home with the kind of music played on the gramophone …… Sparrow , Kitchener , Frank Sinatra , Jim Reeves , Holy Name Convent choir / Goretti group . Hearing Mr . granddad ’ s friend , Mr . Jones , who was a masterful player of the Cuatro playing and singing , Git Samaroo of Renegades Steel Orchestra and his phenomenal musical arrangements on the steelpan for Calypsoes and classics . Then came the Maestros , Evlyn ‘ Brat ’ Bullen and his wife Monica , Lorraine Ramdhanny – my music teacher at GBSS , Bertha Pitt-Bonaparte – Teacher at SGU , Lionel Lawrence and Benedict Croney former bandsmen of the Royal Grenada Police Force Band and our classical musical arrangers for Commancheros and James Clarkson , musician extraordinaire . In a nutshell the influence was as a combination of whose and what music I heard as well as the people I saw and experienced playing and arranging different genre of music .
What is your opinion on the progress of pan in Grenada to date ? In the words of Cecil ‘ Flying Turkey ’ Belfon , “ We have come a long way , yet we have a long way to go ”. We are remotely behind where I think we should be . The progress of the Steelpan , Steelpan Music and the Steelband Movement are primarily and fundamentally based on the actual production and allow me to add , quality production and sound of the instrument . Could we have steelpan music without steelpan ? No !. Therefore , without Pan Tuners , this artform will endure significant challenges especially from a lack of readily available quality instrument and well as the constant flow of finance out of the country . We must work assiduously to ensure we have quality Pan Tuners locally .
On an annual basis , thousands of dollars goes out to Trinidad as payment for the purchasing of steelpans . In addition , for the steelpan artform to become encompassing through our society , it must occupy a permanent space in our school curriculum as a formal steelpan music class , where children are taught the history , making and tuning techniques and how to play the instrument . And to take it a step further , it will also be an asset for our panists to be able to reading and writing music .
Renumeration to Pan men and women for performances , continue to be below what it should be , considering the time , effort and money put into perfecting the artform ; for most part , it is still seen as ‘ somebody just doing a ting on the pan ’. The construction of an Amphitheatre or some other venue for performances of the arts including the steelpan , is significantly long overdue . An umbrella body and or Association to efficiently and effectively manage the Steelband Movement seems to be an elusive dream . It is my hope that soon and very soon these issues will be addressed and resolved for the furtherance of the only musical