Home Page
Free Newsletter
What's New
eCatalog
Audio Clips
Reviews
To Order
Payment Options
Shipping Info
Search
Profiles
About eCaroh
Things Caribbean
Track Listing:
|
Pantastic! Players
|
Notes
Pantastic Players are Yohan Popwell, double seconds, musical director/arranger; Kinda Natasha John, double guitar; Sheldon Peters, Deslie Paul, tenors; Samantha St. Clair, Natoya Peters, cellos; Renaldo Taylor, Danielle Mulrain, six bass; Francis Walters, drums and Kenneth Clark, percussion. Deryck Nurse is the co-musical director/arranger. Editor’s note: We welcome Pantastic! Players to the world stage with fond and proud memories of the precursor ensemble of which Yohan Popwell was a co-leader. Panazz broke new ground in Boston by appearing twice at Symphony Hall. They also presented master classes to students in the Boston Public School System on both occasions. Their standard of excellence is a level many are striving to attain since the concerts in 1997 and 1998: top class musicianship and full house attendance in a 2500 seat venue. Panazz prevails with panache as Pantastic Players The acronym Panazz Players (Pan and Jazz) was coined by Barry Bartholomew and Yohan Popwell in 1993. It was an integral part of their mission to form a self-sufficient steel ensemble. Initially, they participated in the Pan Ramajay steelband competition, a brainchild of the late Amin Mohammed and Exodus Steel Orchestra. The group was extremely successful and dominated the event for several years. Apart from astute panmanship, dexterity and suave arrangements, the players always enjoyed themselves while performing. They loved to ‘get on’ and this endeared them to their many patrons. Panazz successfully released four albums, toured extensively and aggressively merchandised their artefacts along the way. After twelve years, they eventually disbanded in 2005 when Bartholomew gave up music for the culinary arts to become a very successful chef. Popwell has now collaborated with Deryck Nurse to form a new ensemble, known as Pantastic Players®. The band plans to develop a repertoire and style similar to its predecessor. Pantastic Players are Yohan Popwell, double seconds, musical director/arranger; Kinda Natasha John, double guitar; Sheldon Peters, Deslie Paul, tenors; Samantha St. Clair, Natoya Peters, cellos; Renaldo Taylor, Danielle Mulrain, six bass; Francis Walters, drums and Kenneth Clark, percussion. Deryck Nurse is the other musical director/arranger. Nurse and Popwell asked me to produce their first CD. I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to showcase it on the Sanch catalogue and to use my networking clout to help them to achieve their objectives. The album, entitled Livin’ de Music, will be launched with two live concerts on Friday 06 and Saturday 07 November at the Learning Resource Centre, UWI St. Augustine. Recorded at Queen’s Hall in 24-bit HDCD® format, the repertoire includes one Popwell original and twelve other effervescent arrangements in the Latin, Bossa Nova, Calypso, R&B and Popular genres. I am extremely pleased to be associated with this talented group of musicians and will ensure that they effectively make use of the Pan in Education Business Model curriculum as a means of ensuring their economic viability. Simeon L. Sandiford PROFILESYOHAN POPWELL - Musical Director/Double Seconds Yohan Popwell is one of Trinidad’s best arrangers. He began his successful Steelpan career with the Trinidad All Stars in 1981; there he received most of his musical influence. As years went by he was fascinated more and more by the music he was playing in All Stars. He began to arrange for school bands where he experimented and developed his musical expertise while gaining victory for the various bands. He soundly believes that a greater future lies ahead for the Steelpan only if people can begin to see and treat pan as a business. To him, the art form has suffered in the past because people in management positions are not taking the right and necessary measures to improve the status of the instrument and pannists. He also believes that all pan men can make pan their livelihood but only with the right vision and foresight. Out of this ideology Pantastic Players was formed as a model. The aim for Pantastic is to become a household name on the international stage and to deliver high quality performances every time. Accomplishments
DERYCK NURSE - Musical Director/ Congas I started my musical career as a tenor pan player with the (then) Catelli Trinidad All Stars. I was actively involved with Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra for twenty seven years and held positions of Assistant Musical Director and Assistant Leader. The bi-annual Classical Jewels Concert laid the foundation for my appreciation of classical music and my solid musical career. I enlisted in the Trinidad and Tobago regiment in 1988 and was a founding member of the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force Steel Orchestra in 1995, of which I became its Musical Director and Conductor. I graduated from UWI St Augustine with a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Arts in 2006, and I am currently retained as a tutor at the same institution. I believe that in order for any venture to be successful, all its members and participants must understand their individual roles and work towards it. To me, Pantastic Players is a band where all the members can take as an avenue to learn from the expertise and experience of each other while working to achieve the band’s mission. I led the Defense Force Steel Orchestra to victory in the 1998 World Steelband Music Festival (joint winners). I received the Suruj Boodram prize for the best Certificate in Music student from the Faculty of Humanities and Education, UWI, St. Augustine”. NATOYA PETERS - Secretary/Cello I became involved in Steelpan at a very young age as I was born into a musical family. As a teenager, I began to move away from pan in order to focus on school, but I have since realized that nothing else makes me feel as worthy as Steelpan because I enjoy playing the instrument and I can make it my career. I am now developing my skills in formal music as this helps to upgrade a person as a general musician. Pantastic Players is a group consisting of genuine individuals all with the common interest of taking pan to the highest possible level. We all want Pantastic to be the best steelband on the planet. DESLIE PAUL - Tenor My name is Deslie Paul and I am seventeen years old. I am currently a member of Pantastic Players Steel Ensemble. I enjoy singing, writing poems and listening to music. I love being involved in any type of musical event especially the steelpan. Pan has contributed greatly to my life and has helped me to be a better individual overall. The current practice sessions have been challenging yet fun. Day by day progression is our reward for the hard work and dedication. My goals and objectives with Pantastic Players are mainly to be world acclaimed and highly acknowledged. This is not a fantasy; it’s strictly reality. SHELDON PETERS - Tenor Sheldon began playing pan with Moods Steel orchestra at a very young age. He then moved on to the band Exodus where he spent thirteen years. Sheldon gathered his skills and entered the Scouting for Talent competition where he placed second. He is now a member of the Defence Force Steel Orchestra and arranges for St Margaret’s Boys’ Primary School which placed first in at the National Junior Panorama under thirteen category. KINDA NATASHA JOHN - Double Guitar Kinda began playing pan at age 14 in Parry’s Pan School. She used the instrument as an avenue to get away from household duties before she fell in love with the instrument for the nine years that she has been involved in steelpan she has played all of the different instruments before settling down on cellos. Kinda believes that Pantastic Players is the real thing, its members are vibrant, and share have strong communication and understanding. But most importantly we all share similar values. SAMANTHA ST CLAIR - Cello When I was introduced to the Steelpan at fourteen years old I found it to be noise, but now I love the national instrument. It gives me a sense of well being. I can read music and I am in the process of improving my reading, writing and playing of music. I believe that the vision the band has set for itself will only be achieved with dedication and commitment. Although we are a new band, the members of Pantastic Players have thus far shown the necessary commitment. DANIELLE MULRAIN - Bass I have always been involved in music. I started playing piano at age three and recorder at age five. But my love for music blossomed when I joined the South East P.O.S Secondary Steel Orchestra. There we engaged in several activities such as inter-class Panorama, junior Panorama and playing for school functions. I attempted playing several instruments, but the tenor bass appealed to me the most. After South East, I played with several bands including FLABEJ Ensemble and CLICO Sforzata Steel Orchestra. Currently, I play bass with the newly formed Pantastic Players and I know that my love and appreciation for this great instrument can only grow”. RENALDO TAYLOR - Bass My Name is Renaldo Taylor I am 22 years old and started to do music at the age of 16 while in Secondary school. I played the Steelpan, then started playing piano and pan privately but after a while moved back to playing pan, I can play the Tenor pan but I am originally a six-bass player, I am originally from San Fernando, but moved up to Port of Spain to further studies, I started playing pan in the Port Of Spain in 2008, where I met Mr. Popwell. Pantastic Players gives its members an opportunity to develop as people and as musicians. I can see this band going places because of the kind of people we are. Formerly, I played with several bands such as Golden Hands, Hatters, Mount Moriah Pan Movement, and Clico Sforzata. FRANCIS WALTERS - Drummer I began playing Steelpan at age ten in primary school. I started on the tenor pan but kept switching until I finally settled on the drums. I was not very skilled at playing drums at first, but as time went by, my skills improved. Now, I consider myself an able and proficient drummer. I am currently the drummer for Pantastic Players. Pantastic is a very interesting steel ensemble with vibrant people and music. A band like this can only move forward in time and ultimately hope to be world acclaimed. KENNETH RICHARD CLARKE - Percussionist I began my long musical career while listening to the Pan Am North Stars Steel Orchestra as a child. I became a talented six bass player and toured extensively with the band. As years went by, I began to familiarize myself with other musical instruments such as the electric bass, the drum set and other minor hand percussion instruments. I was involved in the formation of several small music groups as drummer and musical director. I have accomplished many of my goals in music and I know that there is much more to be achieved. I hope to contribute some of my knowledge in jazz and Latin jazz to Pantastic Players and I know that my involvement in the group will be a learning experience. All the members have a very good relationship and we are all working to achieve world acclamation for Pantastic Players. DENYSHA YOHANNA POPWELL - Tenor Yohanna began playing steelpan at age three when taught by her father; Yohan Popwell. She did her first solo performance at a school’s graduation when she was just seven years old. She has participated in several major events like Pan in The Twenty First Century, Music Festival and New York Panorama. LLETTESHA SYLVESTER - Lead Vocalist Llettesha Sylvester is a final year voice music student at the University of the Southern Caribbean. She completed Grades 6 and 7 Royal School of Music Practical Voice examinations and is currently preparing for Grade 8. She did voice training with Mr. Jessel Murray for three years and since then have been training under Ms. Nadine Gonzales and Dr. Vertrelle Mickens. She is a passionate music minister and had been singing from the age of nine at various religious children's programs. Since then she has worked on various studio projects for/ with other musicians like Carlton Louison, Kerron Noel. She is also a background vocalist for Loucretia 'Luckey' Horrel. She sang at various gospel concerts and other events around Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and St. Vincent, graduations, weddings, funerals and other services and events. She is the song service leader at church and also assists with the church choir. Music has served as her comfort for many years and as such has enabled her to become the musician that she is today. JUELLE ARCHER - Background Vocalist Juelle Archer is an able vocalist who can find harmonies in both major and minor keys. She has performed extensively as both a lead singer and background vocalist. Juelle also sang live lead and background vocals with steel ensembles. She performed with artistes like Iwer George, Isaac Blackman, Shal Marshall and Destra Garcia. Mappo as he is called began to observe other tuners in order to learn from them and further develop his skills. He was influenced by tuners like Leroy Thomas, Patrick Worrell, Bertram ‘Birch’ Kellman, Herman ‘Guppy’ Brown and Lincoln Noel. He has tuned for some of the top bands including; Trinidad All Stars, Phase II, Desperadoes and Sforzata. In the late nineties people began to demand his instruments and his name has since become a household one in the steelpan circuit. Richardson has made all of Pantastic’s instruments and he
believes that the band is a wonderful idea and has the potential to
be very successful. He is also looking forward to tuning for
Pantastic Players. |
|
