Xmas with solar lights for a pan tuner’s home

THE EDITOR: Gold, Maestro’s tribute to Hasely Crawford, was playing on pan as a thank you to the Pan Moving Forward (PMF) team for ensuring that tuner Felix Clarke got lights this Christmas. He said, “I feel like I won gold today” and he prays that God blesses and continues to bless the members of PMF for the “good work” the group has been doing for the steelpan movement during this period.

Clarke, originally from Point Fortin, learned to tune pan as a boy by observing the late great Allan Gervais. He recalled he was not old enough to be taken seriously by Gervais but because of Clarke’s passion, he started putting notes to fruit juice tins and oil tins. He continued following his passion for tuning and has had a lifelong relationship with the steelpan.

As a young adult, Clarke founded La Romaine Super Vibes Steel Orchestra. He chose the name, tuned the pans and arranged the music. He travelled to Canada in 1981 with Buccooneers Steel Orchestra as he served as its tuner.

In 1989 he travelled to Pyongyang, North Korea, with Brother Resistance and a group of musicians as an arranger/performer for the group, which represented TT in the 13th World Festival of Youth and Students.

He tuned pans for steelbands like Third World, Free French, West Stars, Harmonites, just to name a few. However, his standout project was at Casablanca’s panyard and his involvement with the Jomoline pan, which made the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest steelpan in the world.

Jomo Wahtuse was not a tuner so he turned to Vernon “Birdie” Mannette who tuned the first Jomoline pan and then to Clarke for improvement on the clarity of the notes for the second pan.

Clarke is currently building his home in Morvant. After seeing on social media that PMF lit up the Brazil RX 4 steelband’s panyard with solar lights, he reached out to PMF’s education officer, Lesedi Felix. Felix was also a student of Clarke’s. PMF assessed what was needed and worked with the funds Clarke had to ensure his home was powered.

Clarke’s main concerns were depending on the neighbour to charge his phone and working on his tuning craft after the sun set. He said he is very impressed with the PMF’s ability to deliver and he would literally have a bright Christmas because of the group and its solar drive.

The same day PMF lit up Clarke’s home, the pan movement lost the great innovator, Anthony Williams. PMF expresses condolences to the steelband world and to his family.

PMF has a growing concern with the way our elders and unsung heroes in pan are being treated. Preservation of our history and by extension the makers of that history is non-existent at this time. It is not good enough to wait until our pioneers die to make a speech and donate trinkets to their funeral costs.

The pan movement must do better. The elders may not always need money but the support to make what they have do. Attention must be given to them as they were the ones who paved the way for not only the instrument but also the people that make a livelihood from it.

PMF takes this opportunity to wish everyone a bright and prosperous New Year.

AQUIL ARRINDELL

president, PMF