Revolution, mas and pan
IT WOULD not be an exaggeration to say that Kitchener’s music ruled the road. Apart from winning the Road March five times in the 1970s, his calypsoes were played by the winning Panorama large bands seven times.
From Margie to Play Mas, Tribute to Spree Simon and Pan in Harmony, Lord Kitchener seemed to be blessed by an unstoppable writing genius. In 1970, Desperadoes Steel Orchestra won Panorama with Kitchener's Margie, arranged by the legendary Clive Bradley.
Indeed, the Despers/Kitchener/Bradley combination proved magical in 1976, 1977 when they were victorious and again in 1978 when they placed second with Kitchener’s Pan in the 21st Century.
In 1977 a seismic shift took place in the industry when Calypso Rose made history as the first woman to win the Road March title with Gimme More Tempo. The following year Rose won the Calypso Queen Competition and forced the national calypso competition to be changed from Calypso King to Calypso Monarch when she was victorious in this as well.
The presence of women in the panyards and on competition stages slowly increased during this period. Pan historian Ian Franklin recalls that in ’73 when All Stars won, only two women were part of the ensemble.
Arranger Michelle Huggins-Watts points out that it “wasn't until the late 1970s or 80s that women even started playing the steel pan. It was a street instrument; it took a while to become respectable.”
In spite of these views, the panyard sustained community life. It was the focal point not just for the music, but also for the mas. “Long time, the mas camp was in the panyard,” remembers Gregory Perrotte, a Despers elder and photographer for the band for many years. “In fact, every yard had its own band.”
By Dara Healey
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
