On the evening of Saturday, August 6, 2005, after an afternoon of visiting various venues in Georgetown (The Dutch Bottle, CCWU, the Police Officers' Mess, the British Military Cemetery) and observing the lively Brazilian presence in Georgetown, my QC schoolmate John Piggott and I stopped at the Golden Island for dinner.
We were joined by a longstanding friend, Winston Edgar Beckles ('Beck'), and a lively conversation about the early days of steel band in Guyana ensued. According to Beckles, the golden days of steel band in Guyana were in the 1950s.
He told an inspiring story of camaraderie and innovation. His encounter with steel band began with the Invaders Steel band and blossomed with the Pelcans Steel band. Beck was one of a number of young men who got their first exposure to the art of steel band from the Invaders Steel Band, whose pan yard was 'Federation Yard,' Regent Street.
During the early 1950s, steel band captured the imagination of British Guianese youth. The names that Beck recalled indicated that participation transcended class. Among them were Richard Beresford, Charwin Burnham, Majumba Clarke, Kenneth Croal, Roy Geddes, Edward Green, the Griffith Brothers, Stephen Moore, 'Trap' Holder, Patrick Patterson, Donald Augustin, Mike Leila, Joy Leitch, 'Smokey' Leitch, Cecil 'Pluto' Martindale, Dan Sandiford, Reggie Simpson, and Calvin Whyte.
These are some of the pioneers of pan in Guyana. They went on to play in memorable bands, establish reputations as outstanding tuners and arrangers, and before Trinidad and Tobago, demonstrated to the world that a steel band could play classical music.
Beck isolated Dan Sandiford for special comment. He described Dan, one of the founders of Invaders, as a pan-tuning pioneer and the mentor of Eddie Green, Ken Croal, and Pluto Martindale.
Beck recalled that by the mid-1950s there were several steel bands in Georgetown. Among them were Invaders, Texacans, Kaietukians, Quo Vadis, Marabuntas, and Blue Gardenias. He became a member of Pelcans.
Pelcans was primarily a civil service band. According to Beck, the members came from the Post Office, education, local government, Customs, agriculture, and the newspaper sector.
Beck has very fond memories of the six years (1955-1961) he spent with Pelcans and recalled the wonderful camaraderie that existed. Among the members of the band were Donald Augustin, Ken Croal, Eddie Green, 'Trap' Holder, Michael Leila, and Cecil 'Pluto' Martindale.
He remembered Martindale as the 'boss man' and a disciplinarian who was loved and respected by the members. Another disciplinarian was Eddie Green, who stressed punctuality at rehearsals. Beck says that the silent treatment from Eddie Green was more incisive than being spoken to.
He considered Kenneth Croal an unsung hero. Croal, who studied pan with Dan Sandiford, tuned the first guitar and double second pans in British Guiana, and this was done even before such a development took place in Trinidad and Tobago. He pointed out that Croal had formal musical training and brought this skill to the art of pan-tuning.
Beck recalled with a chuckle that Croal, who lived in Hadfield Street, had to tune the pans on the Durban Park Race Course, as he was considerate of his neighbours. He also recalled with pride Eddie Green's victory in the 1956 British Guiana Music Festival when he won the ping pong solo.
According to Beck, by 1960, Pelcans was the top band. But Beck's love of steel band was not limited to Pelcans. He was loud in his praise for other bands such as Blue Gardenias, Chicago, Invaders, Kaietukians, Texacans, Metronomes, Quo Vadis, and Tripoli.
Beck remembered the Blue Gardenias as the only female band in Georgetown and Joy Leitch as an expert jam pannist. The band, which was made up of Girl Guides, had its pan yard at Mrs Leitch's home in Norton Street. The band was managed by Mrs Leitch, the mother of Joy and 'Smokey' Leitch.
'Smokey' was a member of Kaietukians. According to Beck, both Blue Gardenias and Kaietukians were "sweet bands," meaning that they played wonderful music. The Kaitetukians' sound was a mix of well-tuned pans and the genius of arranger Reggie Simpson.
In a recent interview, Charwin Burnham was also effusive about the genius of Simpson and indicated that Simpson had developed and sharpened his musical skills with the Salvation Army Band.
Beck's reflections on the early days of steel band in Guyana revealed that steel band performed in a number of contexts, including church concerts. By the mid-1950s, steel bands, especially those with classical music in their repertoire were in great demand. A party was not a party if it did not have a steel band.
The bands began to wear uniforms. Beck recalled that Pelcans' concert or formal uniform was a white shirt, a yellow knitted tie with a black zig-zag stripe down the middle, and dark trousers. Their party uniform was a black shirt with gold coins.
In the 1950s, steel bands had a special place on our streets - they were the engine for Christmas and festival tramps. According to Beck, Quo Vadis, Marabuntas, Invaders, Tripoli, and Chicago were the masters of the road.
During the 1950s, steel bands from Trinidad and Tobago toured British Guiana and vice versa. For example, in 1952, 'Girl Pat' All-Girl Steel Band from Trinidad and Tobago, visited British Guiana for a 10-day tour.
Beck also recalled a 1958 tour to Trinidad by Texacans and their performance of Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring at the Roxy Cinema. That performance got the band a standing ovation because it was the first time that a steel band had performed classical music in Trinidad. Individual pannists may have done so, but never a steel band. Charwin Burnham, who was a member of the band that toured Trinidad, recalled that as a result of that performance they became 'celebrities' with radio interviews and performances.
Beck recalled the important role mothers played in supporting the art form. Despite some early resistance, his mother, along with Mrs Croal and Mrs Leitch, was an ardent supporter of the sons and daughters who participated in the pan.
For Beck, his engagement with steel band in British Guiana during the 1950s provided him with values that have benefited him throughout his life. These included developing a sense of discipline, collegiality, and community.
His reflections also revealed that much work remains to be done on the history of this important aspect of Guyanese pre and post-independence life, and he has started me on what I anticipate will be a wonderful journey. Over the next few months, I shall be sharing stories of steel band in Guyana from the perspectives of Charwin Compton Francis Burnham, Calvin Whyte, Stephen Moore, Eddie Green, Desmond Lynch, Alwin Daniels, Bertram De Varell, Roy Geddes, Ras Camo Williams, and Dan Sandiford, among others.
The story of pan in Guyana must be recognized and celebrated. I hope that the recently launched audio archives initiative within the National Archives will start an oral history project to record the memories of these Guyanese pioneers who, through the power of music, contributed to the dismantling of class barriers in Guyana.
To my dear friend John Piggott thanks for recommending the Golden Island for dinner on August 6, 2005. You have again made a valuable contribution to my research on music in Guyana during the 20th century.
Sources
Articles
The Daily Argosy, April 13, 1952, 'All-Girl Steel Band Arrives from Trinidad for 10-Day Tour: Mayor Extends Welcome.'
Interviews
Telephone Interview: Vibert C Cambridge with Winston Edgar Beckles, August 6, 2005
Telephone Interview: Vibert C Cambridge with Charwin Compton Francis Burnham, September 19, 2005.