Big 5 pan to honour Neville Jules

Pan pioneer Neville Jules -
Pan pioneer Neville Jules -

This year's edition of the Big 5 concert will honour pan tuner, arranger and player Neville Jules.

Jules was a tamboo bamboo player before he began his steelband career tuning for the Hellyard Steelband during the early 1940s, and later the All Stars.

This living legend has made significant contributions to the development of the pan and is credited with tuning the first bass pan by using a caustic soda drum. He then combined two caustic drums to expand the range of the bass.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Jules initiated a ritual whereby All Stars would hit the road at dawn (J'Ouvert) on Carnival Day with an interpretation of a classical music selection played to the calypso beat. Invaders led by Ellie Mannette followed suit and the selections of each band came to be known as "The Bomb."

With the passage of time, the J'Ouvert Bomb competition was named after Jules.

Jules has received many awards locally and internationally, including the Chaconia Medal (Silver) in 2018, for long and meritorious service in the field of culture and community service.

The Big 5 Steelband Concert, now in its third year, will also be held under the patronage of the Prime Minister, an avid pan lover himself.

Featuring at the event are reigning and 11-times National Panorama champs BPTT Renegades, the legendary Desperadoes Steel Orchestra that also has 11 titles, ten-times winners Massy Trinidad All Stars, HADCO Phase II with seven wins and Republic Bank Exodus with four titles.

The big five have collectively won the Panorama competition 43 times since the competition's inception in 1963.

These five bands have also dominated the National Steelband Music Festivals, World Steelband Music Festival, Caribbean Panorama and World Steelband Panorama.

The much-anticipated annual event takes place at the Paddock, Queen’s Park Savannah, on October 26, and starts at 6.30 pm.

It is produced by the International Steelband Foundation,whose aim is to develop mutually beneficial opportunities for its members and to promote more collaboration between progressive bands throughout the year. Bringing their bands together under one flag will make it possible to share ideas, bring their skills together and work at making those ideas come to life as a team, it said.

On the night, each band will present a varied repertoire and will include guest artistes in the programme.

Tickets are available at NLCB booths and as is customary patrons can bring their own coolers.

Comments

"Big 5 pan to honour Neville Jules"

More in this section