Cerise Edwards-Lynch – Music is our universal communication without ever moving our lips!

Whilst attending Ellerslie Primary School at the tender age of 6, Cerise had a few friends who were encouraging her to learn to play the piano and flute but owing to her Caribbean parentage and growing up with the sweet sounds of the Calypso and Reggae. She said, ‘fortunately for me steelpan was a musical instrument offered on the music curriculum in school and because it was so different from the normal flute, guitar and keyboard I was very eager to play and see if it was something I could get into and enjoy.’ Cerise was instantly drawn to the steelpan as the Pan Jumbie drew her in. 

 Cerise’s passion for the steelpan instrument continued to grow and saw her join her first steelband, Ebonique, the Juniors of Ebony Steelband with Darren Francis as the manager/arranger. They performed at the 1996 BAS/Notting Hill Junior Steelband Panorama playing, Jahaji Bhai. Cerise continued playing with Ebonique at the 1997 competition with ‘Misbehave’ followed by a scintillating performance in the 1998 competition with ‘High Mas’. After this initial three years with Ebonique, they merged with the main Ebony Steelband.

Cerise performing at Notting Hill Panorama with Arranger, Anise ‘Halfers’ Hadeed in the background.

When asked about her favourite steelpan instrument cerise replied, ‘I can definitely say I have touched base with all the pans but my love for the harmony has seen me dedicate countless years on the Double Tenor and the Triple Second which only comes around once a year for Panorama where I get to still play the harmony and get a good workout. My heart does lie with my Double Tenor through thick and thin. Being able to zone out and enjoy the music is great but when you are on your pan that brings a whole new sense of creativity and I make every effort to ensure my accuracy is on point.’ Her dedication to her band and the instrument was evident when she confirmed, ‘I have been an Ebonite from the beginning and will be until the arthritis no longer lets me play. However, it’s in my blood so that will never go away.’ 

Cerise’s progression in Ebony Steelband sees her as their appointed Deputy Manager which is such a great achievement having been part of the band from a very young age. She confirmed that it is a very important role within the band and she is very connected with the players on a playing level and also on a family/friendship level. The balance of having fun and laughter and then getting down into the nitty gritty are definitely boundaries that are respected and appreciated.

Cerise performing at Notting Hill Panorama with Ebony.

She would love to play with Desperadoes Steel Orchestra in Trinidad. Her love for the music that Clive ‘Zanda’ Alexander creates from his musical inspirations is amazing. Cerise concluded that, when she hears Desperadoes play it makes her want to be on stage with them and to be part of the practice vibe would be amazing. She feels as though they have a very similar Ebony vibe and that is what really attracts her to them.

In 2019, Cerise performed in her 24th UK National Steelband Panorama and remembers each one from her initial 1996 appearance. She had a smirk look on her face when she said, ‘it's great to say that there have been a lot of wins as well as losses but it makes you hungrier for the title. Staying on top is definitely the hard part. So, from European Festivals to World Wide Competitions Ebony Steelband have stamped so many passports with wonderful experiences, I can only smile when I think of all the great times I’ve had and will continue to have.’ 

Cerise performing in Trafalgar Square with Ebony.

Cerise’s first most challenging experience was moving from Ebonique into Ebony at such a young age and adapting to the hard-core practice and hunger to achieve the first place. This was followed by her experiences at the European and World Steelband Festivals in France and Trinidad. Her countless hours of practice definitely paid off for the final performances and the hard work with her extended family was priceless.

 One of her greatest memories was being part of International Panorama (ICP) in Trinidad in 2015 where Ebony Steelband was the only UK steelband, so coming 9th out of 30 bands was an amazing experience. Countless hours of practice but walking onto the Savannah stage as Ebony Steelband cannot be down played as anything other than prenominal.

Cerise confirmed that there are so many great arrangers within the industry and each hold a separate influence towards the love of the instrument and the great places it has the potential to go with their contributions. She said, ‘variety is the spice of life’ and it becomes a melting pot of talent, inspiration and innovation to take the instrument and its music to its rightful podium amongst conventional instruments.’

When asked about her hopes for the steelpan and its music, Cerise replied, ‘I hope to see pan involved on a wider scale in the music industry. It would be nice to hear pan in more backing tracks, main music focus with vocals backing the pans, and concerts with lots of other instruments. I would love to see more integration with pan especially in schools as part of the curriculum and having more teachers in the music sector educated to help move this along. I have a vision of pan being more than a carnival instrument and for people to not look at the pans as such an alien instrument and to appreciate the great accomplishment’s that can come from such a great 20th century acoustic instrument.’

Cerise performing at Ebony’s 50th Anniversary.

Cerise continued explaining her thoughts about the development and continuity of the steelpan art form when she said, ‘steelpan needs to be encouraged more in schools with this becoming part of the music curriculum within more schools. I have spoken to a few friends who are studying music and use the steelpan as an instrument to represent themselves. However, due to the lack of knowledge of the steelpan this puts them at a disadvantage because even the examiners are not as familiar with the instrument as say the flute or piano. Steelpan needs to be written more clearly into the school curriculums which will give more opportunities to keep the generations of pan players going. More opportunities need to be created so that talents can be showcased throughout the year and not just during the carnival season. Unfortunately, this pandemic has brought about more barriers for live music but where there is a will there is a way and the steelpan and its culture will live on.’

Cerise playing at the 2019 Notting Hill Panorama

‘A massive thank you to Robbie Joseph for his countless encouragement in making sure I actually got this Panpodium feature done. ’

Panpodium knows that the steelpan culture is safe going forward with dedicated musicians like Cerise who has the love and passion for the instrument coupled with her relentless commitment and dedication to continue sharing that love through her music. Keep spreading the steelpan gospel!