Signature Awards for Pan Composers

Spotlight— Signature awards for pan composers By TERRY JOSEPH HE composers of music specially designed for the Tsteelband were brought into public glare last Monday evening, when the Exodus Steel Orches- tra and The Signature Collection presented them with the 1999 Glitterwood Awards. For the second year running, the awards function, titled Cele- brating the Composers, took place at the Exodus Pan Theatre. Pat Bishop, herself the celebrated musical director of The Lydians and a friend of the steelband, delivered an address at the function. Bishop described the initiative by pan music composers as "an example of great importance for national development". She said that with increas- ing social and economic difficulties, "urgent national need is to look to ourselves, our envi- ronment and our ways to do things, as new • Jf bases for productive - effort. ."And if we pur- ^ sue these paths dili- •i' gently, we shall find ~} the tired and jaded world out there f& relieved to hear the new songs which we,, can offer and morev^\n that, they would be happy to pay us for ^ them. • (K "The steelband VN movement, the devel- "x opment of its drums, its refinements in the r^ design and tuning of \e instruments, the continued experiments with racks and mobili- ^ ty, are all part of our '• way of-doing things-," • she said. "It is only log- \l that music which \s specifically to \ the particular qualities ^ of the steel drum , SJ should also emerge. ^\n other words," ' Bishop said, "Bopgsie ~ Sharpe and Pelham xj^ Goddard have begun a' Ci certain process by ^ j electing to play then- XJ ! own melodies which is^ essentially the only\^l. path forward for colonised people j if they want to escape the oppression of debt and dishonesty inherent in any notion that progress . can be achieved by the so- qalled transfer of tech- nology." nl EXPRESS Section 2 Friday, February 12, 1999 Page 3 Spotlight- Celebrating the composers at the Exodus Pan Theatre work of UWT's Derek breach and most cer- tional bands and whose to play those selections ture/Exodus joint Oba—In My House Hearing Pan Gay and earlier initia- tainly not in the obser- music is played in the in the panorama coTn- awards ceremony has Len "Boogsie" Sharpe— GB—Pan is Magic tives by Ray Holman, vance. competition, at least as petition. expanded upon an ini- Sweet and Sexy Roland "Moose" Joseph— Bishop warned that "The persistent dis- far as the preliminary The principal design tiative by the De Fosto—Tune for Pan Pan Fanatic round, comprise the element is the sign of Signature Collection, Andy Narell—Coffee Rootsman—Boomerang "these developments missal of that which is Street *For Lyrics: will not be permitted to inventive and indige- first category. the treble-clef, sculpted that recognised only Ken "Professor" Philmore Ting Tang—Andrew flourish in an environ- nous makes nonsense The second category from sheet brass and arrangers of steelband —Carnival is We Ferreira ment which continues of our efforts at recognises non pan- brought to a high pol- music who composed Earl Brooks—In de band Alvin Daniell—Trini Know to be ignorant of itself progress and develop- nists, who have made ish. It bears in its belly pieces especially for Bally—Pan is No 1 How, Sweet and Sexy et al and dismissive of its ment," Bishop said. compositions, the lyrics the familiar motif of pan. Hollis Wright —Pan *Special Awards values." "Let us therefore of which notice and cel- the face of a steelpan, Charade The Mighty Sparrow — use this occasion to ebrate the pan and pierced in brass and THE COMPOSERS: Mark Loquan & Andy Pan Lifetime Award he identified a reflect upon the state which have resonated held aloft by a base of Kitchener—Toco Band Sheafe—Glory Anthony "Juggy" Rose — role for the of our country and so powerfully with the hand-rubbed, oiled Blackie—Ting Tang Micky Frederick—Magic of Rookie Composer media in sensi- begin to take serious pannists themselves, Trinidad teak. Brian Griffith/Alvin Pan Phil Simmons—Media S Daniell—Trini Know How Alan "Nikko" Nicholas—Ah services to pan tising this population strides along the road that they have chosen The Signa- to a genuine under- to creative and original standing of its true development." worth and suggested Following her well- that a good way to received address, the start is for the media to awards were distrib- sensitise itself which, uted under the chair- she said, should be manship of radio per- done through self-edu- sonality Phil Simmons, cation. who himself received a "When we consider trophy for his contribu- the lack of opportunity tion to the furtherance for performance," of the form. The tro- Bishop said, "the story phies were designed by becomes bleak indeed. her sister Gillian and Where is the funding made by craftsmen at for musicians, the envi- the Signature Studios. ronments for efficient Performances were work, the facilities for had from Grandmaster recording and the Kitchener ("Toco strategies for market- Bandse) and The ing? Occasions like Mighty Sparrow, who these are rare and I did "Document Pan" would be failing in my and "Play My Music". duty, if I did not make Trophies were it clear that our record awarded in two cate- of public support for gories. Steelband the artists, actors, music arrangers, who musicians, public sup- compose music specifi- ort for the arts has cally for the panorama Eeen honoured in the competition for conven-.

Load more