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The “badjohns,” from
left, Rawle Dove of Starlift,
Rudy Marshall and Keith
Moore of Renegades. PHOTOS: NOEL SALDENHA
A comprehensive and vivid dissertation on the birth and
development of pan, and the formation of Pan Trinbago, was delivered last
Wednesday night, at bpTT Renegades pan theatre on Charlotte Street,
Port-of-Spain.
Produced by Pan Trinbago, as part of Pan Month, a small
gathering of pan enthusiasts was held captive throughout accounts by six
steelband veterans, including former Pan Trinbago president Melville Bryan,
Bill Trotman, Rudy Marshall, Rawle Dove, Hugh “Dasheen” Hackett and Kirton
“Eddie Boom” Moore. Cameo snippets were also given by Pan Trinbago trustee and
event host Allan “Pablo” Augustus and Renegades pan player Leiba Trotman.Proceedings
were opened by Bryan who traced Pan Trinbago’s birth and development, from its
emergence out of the National Association of T&T Steelbandmen (NATTS) and
the Steelband Improvement Committee (SIC).
In his address, Trotman, who is also an accomplished artist,
calypsonian and dancer, read extensively from his treatise on pan. Speaking on
the evolution of the national instrument, from the incidental discovery of the
two note dud dup, Trotman said: “Badjohn wasn’t a criminal. The badjohn was a
protector of the community, which respected the badjohn. Today doesn’t have
badjohns; today has criminals; they kill people.”
Endorsing what Trotman had to say, Starlift veteran Dove
stated that the Bomb competition began with a “musical clash” between
Trinidad All Stars and Starlift. Dove also stated that pan musicians were
not “badjohns” but were “very fast runners.” He said the badjohns of yesteryear
were primarily supporters of steelbands.
In a brief speech before introducing the next speaker, an
emotional Augustus lamented the small turnout and lack of support by steelbands
for the event, adding “every steelband in Trinidad knows about this event
tonight.
“We have to take this programme into schools to get wider
support from young people. Young students come to Pan Trinbago every day to
research papers for their theses. Think of how much they could learn by
attending sessions like this?
“Let me make it quite clear tonight, pan is an African thing.
But, I must let people like Sat Maharaj and they know that pan is also a
Trinbagonian thing. Jit Samaroo is one of the greatest pan musicians
ever.”
Augustus complimented Renegades president Michael Marcano and
the band for allowing Pan Trinbago to use its premises free of charge. He
called on other steelbands to emulate Renegades
Renegades
pioneer Rudy Marshall spoke on the history of the Charlotte Street band. He
emphasised that the notorious Lawbreakers gang was formed long after Renegades
was in existence. He, too, sang praises of Samaroo.
Up
next was Hackett, a longtime Woodbrook and Invaders “badjohn.” Proudly
disclosing that he was born on February 18, 1930, the 83-year-old boldly
predicted: “Invaders and Tokyo could never win a Panorama. Invaders has been
unfairly judged every year.”
He
suggested that steelbands are kept in check by their sponsors as bad behaviour
causes the risk of a band losing sponsorship.
Contradicting
Dove’s account of the start of the Bomb competition, Hackett said the
competition was initiated by Invaders and Trinidad All Stars.
In the
wake of Hackett’s address, Trotman, a pan and music academic, spoke of the
relationship between Invaders and Casablanca.
Moore,
71, a living Invaders legend, claimed, “Renegades and Invaders were always in
war. The only Invaders man who could have gone by Renegades was ‘Cobo Jack’,
because he was the band’s pan tuner.”
Moore
gave a vivid account of his life as a “badjohn” at home and abroad, his
reputation taking him as far abroad as Britain to add “muscle” to Mangrove
steelband.
He
also revealed that “weapons of choice in the badjohn days” included cutlasses,
iron bolts and bombs. Adding that “icepicks were for cowards,” Moore said that
airplane fuel increased the devastation of a bomb.”
The
audience sang happy birthday for Hackett and Moore at the start of their
speeches.
Source: http://www2.guardian.co.tt/entertainment/2013-08-16/veterans-tell-badjohn-pan-days
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