Catalogue - Pan

The Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs
National Museum and Art Gallery in collaboration with
the University of Trinidad and Tobago
presents
THE
AUDACITY
OF THE
CREOLE
IMAGINATION
A multi-media exhibition of steelband history
FEBRUARY 06 – 28 2010
NATIONAL MUSEUM and ART GALLERY
FOREWORD
T
he National Museum and Art Gallery is pleased to present its Carnival
Exhibition for 2010 entitled The Audacity of the Creole Imagination. This
exhibition is a tribute to the early panmen and panwomen who against all
odds fought for their freedom of expression through the unique and everevolving instrument that is the steelpan.
This exhibition is a product of years of research by Guest Curator Kim
Johnson, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Trinidad and Tobago
(UTT). Through a series of potent and poignant photographs and archival
recordings, the viewer relives the story of the creativity and determination of
the people of Trinidad and Tobago. From a photograph of the Invaders Steel
Orchestra in 1941 to Desperadoes at the Queen’s Park Savannah in 1956 and
Anthony Williams and Winston “Spree” Simon in 1968, this showing is a
memory bank of images that are testament to the difficult but undoubtedly
brilliant journey of the Steelpan and Steelpan music.
It is envisioned that by way of this exhibition the current generation of steelpan players as well as enthusiasts will be inspired by the history of this internationally sought-after instrument. Faces, memories and moments that would
have otherwise been obscured by time’s unrelenting veil have now been
brought into the open and hopefully into the forefront of our minds as the
instrument continues to evolve and questions continue to be asked about the
meaning of the steelband movement and its future.
Clifford Alfred’s steelpan Tuning Instruments, courtesy Kim Johnson
The National Museum and Art Gallery, Ministry of Community Development,
Culture and Gender Affairs, takes this opportunity to thank Kim Johnson for
his dedication to the preservation of the historyof the steelband movement
and for curating this exhibition and directing its accompanying film. We also
thank Kwynn Johnson for designing the exhibition; audio engineers Martin
Raymond and Kats Imai for designing the exhibition soundscape and editing
the film’s sound track; Michael Mooleedhar for editing the film; Melanie Archer
for designing promotional materials; the staff at the National Museum and all
those who played a part in making this project a success.
Head Curator, National Museum & Art Gallery
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CREATING THE AUDACITY
T
hree years ago Curator of the National Museum Vel Lewis invited me to
mount an exhibition based on my research into the photographic record of
steelband history. I agreed and we left it at that until Friday October 2, 2009,
when the exhibition was commissioned at a meeting between Vel, Assistant
Curators Nimah Muwakil-Zakuri and Lorraine Johnson, and myself. We all envisaged an exhibition of captioned photographs on walls.
Over the weekend of October 3-4, however, after discussions with artist
Mario Lewis, my conception metamorphosed. The next Monday, at a logistics
meeting with Nimah and Lorraine, I preempted their agenda to describe my
new vision of a multi-media presentation, which included artifacts, a multitrack soundscape and a 10-minute film. This was something much more complex, involving people with different skills and a larger budget. For my part I
had to venture into a completely new field for me – film-making.
As I spoke Lorraine and Nimah’s expressions shifted from incredulity (“What
madness is this?), to curious interest (“Hmmm, I wonder if it’s feasible?”),
and finally, after an apprehensive glance at one another, cautious acceptance
(“This sounds exciting – do we dare attempt this on our own?”). It is the mark
of their open-minded adventurousness that they were able to completely accept my proposals with no more than a second’s hesitation.
The guiding idea is that the word “pan” refers to different but interrelated
things– a range of instruments, a kind of music and a movement involving
those gigantic, complex organizations known as steelbands. That concept of
pan could not be adequately encompassed and celebrated in an exhibition
solely of still images. There had to be sound and movement.
Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams (wearing glasses and hearing aid) next
to manager of Desperadoes Steel Orchestra Rudolph Charles (in hat)
and tuner Wallace Austin (in sleeveless top) in the Laventille Community
Centre, ca. 1977, courtesy Government Information Service Photo Unit
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As my ideas were brought to life by artist Kwynn Johnson captioned the photographs with quotes from pan pioneers contained in my forthcoming The
Illustrated Book of Pan. The main gallery of Museum’s annex was divided three
partially separated chambers, each with its own images, artifacts and soundscape, These embodied, first, early pan and its precursors; second, the development of melodic and harmonic capacity in the instruments and their music;
and third, modern “pan”. Thus the long, rectangular room was transformed
into the road travelled by the steelband movement from the 1930s to the
present. Visually the journey starts with the iron band coming down Leotaud
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Lane in Gonzales in the early 1940s, and culminates with the spontaneous joy
generated by Fonclaire Steel Orchestra in Skinner Park, San Fernando in 1969.
The L-shaped annex also has two small side-chambers, the first of which became one of the many yards where the alchemists known as tuners work their
magic. In this one tuner Clifford Alfred and some of his illustrious mentors
create the instruments.
And finally, in the last chamber is projected a short film intended to tie together what the visitor has just experienced with his eyes and ears, heart and
mind. Here you will see and hear the journey made by the steelband movement from the drum dances during the slave era, through the stickfighting
gangs of the 1880s, to the tamboo bamboo bands, the early iron bands, which
elaborated their instruments and expanded their repertoire into the power
and glory of modern pan:
“This instrument, this steelpan, is our gift of love. It’s like the Taj Mahal in intelligence and beauty. The story of its creation is our odyssey, it’s the story of
our heroes and their return from the wars. And the music, those vast compositions – those are the real New World symphonies, our Odes to Joy.”
Kim Johnson
Guest Curator
UTT Senior Research Fellow and former Journalist Kim Johnson is a leading researcher on steelband
history. In the 1990s his long-standing “Pan Pioneers” newspaper series (collected and republished as
If Yuh Iron Good You Is King) introduced the public to the men and women who created pan between
the 1940s-1950s. His other books include The Fragrance of Gold, about pre-Columbian to 16th Century
Trinidad; Renegades, a detailed study of the steelband of the same name; Descendants of the Dragon,
chronicling two centuries of Chinese in Trinidad and Tobago; and, forthcoming, The Soul In Iron, an
oral history of the genesis of pan; and Saraswati Descending – The Birth of Modern Indo-Trinidadian
Music: a Biographical Prelude. His most recent steelband research involves the creation of an archive
of the audio and visual records of steelband history, out of which has been written The Illustrated Book
of Pan, to be published this year.
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Seabees Steel Orchestra, San Fernando, 1959, courtesy Kenrick Lalsingh
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SOUNDSCAPE
a.
PHOTOGRAPHS
b.
a. West Indian Rhythm: Trinidad Calypsos on world and local events, 10-CD compilation of censored recordings 19381940, including the earliest recordings of iron bands – the
West Indian Rhythm Band and the SaGomes Rhythm Boys
b. Casablanca Steel Orchestra’s 1948 album Trinidad Steel
Band, recorded in 1947 – the first steelband album
c. Jump Up Carnival, recorded live in Frederick Street on
Jouvert Morning, 1956 by Emory Cook, including performances by North Stars “Puerto Rico Mambo”, Starland
“Back Bay Shuffle”, Invaders “Yankees Gone”, Cairo
“Yankees Gone”
c.
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INSTRUMENTS
SOUNDSCAPE
FILM
EXHIBITION LIST
Henry Antoine. ca. 1945, courtesy Jean Pearse
Biscuit drum amid Black Indian Traditional Mas. Q.P.S. late 1940s, courtesy Patrick Raymond
Louis “Boyie” Randoo with Anthony Williams. Sun Valley St James.ca. 1949, courtesy Jean Pearse
Loading pans onto a lorry, courtesy John Braithwaite
Invaders Steel Orchestra, ca. 1941, courtesy Government Information Service Photo Unit
Jouvert Morning, Broadway, San Fernando, 1946 – first Carnival after World War II
Gonzales iron band, Leotaud Lane, Gonzales. ca. 1943, courtesy UWI Library
Seabees Steel Orchestra, San Fernando. 1956, courtesy Kenneth Lalsingh
Boys around Five Graves To Cairo steelband, Bel Vue ca. 1946, courtesy Charlotte Elias
Seabees Steel Orchestra, San Fernando, 1959, courtesy Kenrick Lalsingh
Dixieland Steel Orchestra, Frederick Street, POS. 1950, courtesy Marjorie Boothman
Panmen in sailor costumes in the Savannah, courtesy Jack Williams
Desperados’. “To Hell and Back” in the Savannah 1956, courtesy Jack Williams
Girl Pat Steel Orchestra, ca. 1952, courtesy Marjorie Boothman
Daisy James of City Syncopators, 1956, courtesy Daisy James-McLean
Prime Minister Dr. Eric Williams, Rudolph Charles Desperados’ General manager (in hat), and Wallace Austin (tuner) in the Laventille Community Centre. ca. 1977, courtesy Government Information Service Photo Unit
Casablanca Steel Orchestra, with bases and double pans being wheeled, single pans with straps, use of the 2-note du-dup, 1959, courtesy Oscar Pile
An unidentified band playing at what is probably a public carnival fete. ca.1952, courtesy Jean Pearse
Fonclaire at South prelims in Skinner Park, San Fernando, 1969, courtesy Milton “Wire” Austin
St James North Stars, the second year of wheeled pans. 1957, courtesy Winston Wellington
City Syncopators 1961, courtesy Daisy James-McLean
Clifford ‘Rope’ Alfred tuning a steel drum, courtesy Kim Johnson
Steel drums at old St Joseph road, courtesy Kim Johnson
Steel drums, courtesy Kats Imai
Ellie manette in Invaders yard making a ping-pong, courtesy Government Information Service Photo Unit
Allan Gervais using a tuning whistle, courtesy Vincent Lila
Anthony Williams and Winston “Spree” Simon experimenting in Williams backyard with over-sized pans, 1968. Courtesy Government Information Service Photo Unit
Roaring Lion and West Indian Rhythm Band, ‘Lion-Oh’, recorded 1940
1948 Casablanca Steel Orchestra album
Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra 1951 record
Emory Cook 1956 album Carnival Jump Up. Panam All Stars, recorded J'ouvert morning Frederick Street The Audacity of the Creole Imagination. Film by Dr. Kim Johnson
41. 2-note bass pan
African Drums
42. 4-note bass pan
“box-bass” or “rhumba box”
43. 8-note bass pan
derived from African mbiraTamboo Bamboo
44. Single guitar pan
Early Ping-Pong
45. Single guitar unchromed
Alto-Pong
46. Grundig
Early convex pan
47. Bermudez Biscuit drum
4-note Ping-Pong
48. Guitar single side chromed
19-note ping-pong tenor
49. Du-Dup or bass kittle
Hub iron
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Barry McComia and Advance Dynamics
The Carnival Institute
Christopher Laird and Banyan Studios
Mario Lewis
Ministry of the Prime Minister, Sport & Culture Fund
Ray Funk
Tim Mora and Studio Art
UNESCO
ARTIFACTS COURTESY
The Carnival Institute
Clifford Alfred
INTERVIEWS
Brian Copeland
Ernest Ferreira
Daisy James-McLean
Alfred Mayers
Kenrick Thomas
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY
Clifford Alfred
Milton Austin
Jeffrey Chock
Irwin Clement
Brian Copeland
Charlotte Elias
Clem Imbert
Daisy James
Colville Joseph
Brian Kong
Bertie Marshall
Government Information Service
Jean Pearse
Jimi Phillip
Curtis Pierre
Patrick Raymond
Trinidad Express
UWI Library
Jack Williams
left to right
Kwynn Johnson, Michael Mooleedhar,
Lorraine Johnson, Kim Johnson,
Martin Raymond, Kats Imai
Clifford ‘Rope’ Alfred steel pan tuning 2009, courtesy Kats Imai
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Kim Johnson – Guest Curator and Film Director/Producer
Kwynn Johnson- Set design and production manager of exhibition
Michael Mooleedhar – Film editor
Martin Raymond – Soundscape
Kats Imai – Film audio and Camera
Clifford Alfred Pan tuning interview and recording 2009 – Kats Imai
Lorraine Johnson and Nimah Muwakil-Zakuri – Assistant Curators of the
National Museum
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Fonclaire at South prelims in Skinner Park, San Fernando, 1969,
courtesy Milton “Wire” Austin
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