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 and Tobago Music Festival of competitive classes for pan soloists and for steel orchestras, respectively, shortly after the Trinidad Music Association, the organiser of the festival, was formed in 1948. 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. 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 August 25, 2013, entitled “Celebrating the steelband classics—playing pan with pride”.
Stimulated by the brilliance of the pan music and awarding marks in the 90s 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. 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 McBurnie, 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.
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. 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, which 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 champion Phase II, which he formed in 1972 and became the arranger. His linkage with Holman is such that Boogsie reportedly deputed Holman, when necessary, to be arranger and drill master for Phase II.
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.
