When Steel Talks (WST) extends Happy Birthday greetings to pan mom and panist Tamika Alexander

-

 

Tamika Alexander 

September 27th

When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to panist Tamika Alexander 


After ten years with one of New York’s powerhouse steel orchestras, Tamika Alexander could be described as being ‘Despers USA to the bone!’ She is impassioned about, as she calls him “My big time Arranger! Odie Franklin” of Despers, while also cherishing arranger Marc Brooks, who gave her her first lessons on the instrument at age six. For Tamika, it’s all about her love for the steelband and her ‘Pan’ family.

In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks - the dedicated performing artist talks about her journey in pan to date, and hopes for the future of the steelband art form and community.


See interview


    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    The passing of Gary “Soup” Harrigin

    -
    Image
    Gary “Soup”  Harrigin Condolences on the passing of Master Tuner Roland Harrigin’s brother Gary Harrigin  aka  “Soup.” He was one of the brothers who took all of Roland’s pans to Rudolph Charles to hear once completed. Gary Harrigin was also very good in the making of the steelpan instrument as well. May Gary Rest in peace. Submitted by Lyndon Spencer
    Read more

    Calypso’s “Kitch” of the Day

    -
    Image
    Calypso’s “Kitch” of the Day by Von Martin written for the “WASHINGTON POST” February 20, 2000 published at the request, and with the expressed permission - of the author If Aldwyn Roberts, the calypsonian known as Lord Kitchener, had been born in a metropolitan country instead of the island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, he might have been considered one of the greatest composers of this century.I wrote for the Washington Post commemorating “Lord Kitchener.” This was done in 2000 using material from an interview I did with Kitch in 1988. I think its a doozy. Cheers, Von But then he would not have contributed so much to calypso music. For more than 50 years, Lord Kitchener, who died Feb. 11 at the age of 77, gave calypso some of its wittiest and most infectious musical compositions. Calypso, a genre grounded in the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, is both poetry in music and editorial in song. Calypso songs praise or condemn their subjects. The lyrics tell of the life of th...
    Read more

    When Steel Talks extends condolences to the family and friends of veteran composer, arranger and musician extraordinaire Wayne “Birdie” Kirton - RIP

    -
    Image
    Wayne "Birdie" Kirton When Steel Talks extends condolences to the family and friends of veteran composer, arranger and musician extraordinaire  Wayne “Birdie” Kirton  - RIP Wayne “Birdie” Kirton  Bio Wayne “Birdie” Kirton Born on August 1st 1947 in Belmont, Trinidad and Tobago he attended Queens Royal College and was an original member of Q.R.C. Jazz Club, an original member of Gemini Brass and also a member of Rockafella Combo. He recorded with Andre Tanker, Super Blue, Dakota Stanton, Mighty Sparrow, Explainer, Swallow, Poser and many other artists. He is a graduate of Berklee College of Music. He also arranged for Invaders USA.                                  Leave a comment Related content Wayne Kirton's - Discography
    Read more

    When Steel Talks (WST) extends Happy Birthday greetings to scholar and veteran panist Nyana Price

    -
    Image
    Nyana Price  October 14th When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to panist Nyana Price “I remember going to Sesame Flyers’ Saturday program, I was 9 years old. That’s where I met Marc Brooks, K.J., and a few others who are still around now. I started off playing tenor there actually until I started playing with Sonatas. I was too shy to be in the tenor section with people I didn’t know at the time so I went to double tenor with Marc.” -- Nyana Price Although she is young in age she is a veteran panist and represents one of New York’s most talented and finest musicians. In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks - panist and performing artist Nyana Price shares her reflections, experiences and views on Pan, and the steelpan art form overall. ...
    Read more

    Winning Panorama arranger Victor “Babu” Samuel, Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, Patrick “Stone” Johnson and the former Honorable Prime Minister Baldwin Spence

    -
    Image
      Panorama champion arrangers and Prime Minister - Pictured left to right: Patrick “Stone” Johnson, Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, the Honorable Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, and 2010 winning Panorama arranger Victor “Babu” Samuel  Related content: The Maestro, Arranger, Composer and Versatile Panist. Steelband Panorama Champions of Antigua and Barbuda Halcyon Steel Orchestra Wins Antigua & Barbuda 2010 National Panorama Title - Victor “Babu” Samuel is winning arranger! Total Antigua & Barbuda Panorama Champions Scholar, educator, champion Panorama arranger, drummer and ace panist Victor “Babu” Samuel has passed
    Read more

    No respect for national instrument -- TT Unified Teachers Association

    -
    Image
      “STEEL PAN, oh what an invention./It should be the pride of our nation./Steelband music the world knows about it,/And is we invent it so why should we disregard it?/But what I am seeing lord it have me grieving./Why is the steelband still suffering?” – Merchant. When Merchant sang Pan in Danger he was begging our country to pay respect to the instrument that was born in Trinidad and Tobago – it being the only instrument invented in the 20th century. At that time there was a lot of lip service paid to the steel pan, but nothing changed. In 1998, Ian “Teddy” Belgrave, a teacher at the Arima Senior Comprehensive School, initiated a meeting inviting teachers who were interested in promoting the national instrument as a necessary part of the school’s curriculum. This meeting was held at the office of the and the result was the formation of the Pan in Schools Co-ordinating Council (PSCC). This body immediately decided to host a School Steelband Music Festival in 1999. The idea was ...
    Read more

    Who is Clive Zanda? Clive Zanda Speaks...

    -
    Image
    Clive Zanda: Clive Zanda Is Here With 'Dat Kinda Ting' -- from back cover notes Professionally, I am an architect planning consultant; but essentially, a composer/improviser. If there is any truth in the statement that 'architecture is frozen music, then these disciplines naturally complement each other.' I was born in Siparia, County of St. Patrick, South Trinidad, on June 15 , 1939, into a musical environment. My father Richard Alexander, is a shoe-maker by trade, a guitarist and choir master by vocation; my mother Louisa, is a gospel singer. We all sang in the church choir, where I played the guitar. Later I was exposed to the piano.The next phase of my musical development started when I began 'liming' with the Bill Ken Thomas Orchestra. Not long after I got an opportunity to play bongos in the Choy Aming Orchestra where I met trumpeter Erroll Ince and we both planned to migrate to the U.K. with a view to furthering our musical careers. During this period (1...
    Read more