Xmas with solar lights for a pan tuner’s home
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.
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By Aquill Arrindell
PMF.
