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The Clifton
Family Steelpan Ensemble |
Botswana
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The Bahai Faith recently showcased the steelpan as an art
form at its monthly “ART GATHERING” in Gaborone, Botswana,
Africa.
The event featured The Clifton Family Steelpan Ensemble,
originally from Carlton Lane, San Fernando, Trinidad, W.I., as
guest performers for the specially invited in-house
gathering.
The evening began with a short steelpan recital by the
family aggregate – Karelle, Andre', Karysse, Hollis. A sumptuous meal
was next, followed by a
question/answer session on the steelpan.
Hollis (the father), took the enthusiastic audience on an
historic journey through the origins of pan – the only new
acoustic musical invention of the twentieth century – from
his native Trinidad and Tobago; from the playing of the African drums to Tamboo Bamboo, to
the banning of all drums during the Second World War, to
their replacement by biscuit tins, and eventually by
discarded oil drums (which were readily availably in Trinidad, being an oil-based economy);
then the evolution of the steelpan players from
'outcast' status, to internationally-renowned musicians in
their own right.
Another question which the former teacher of Pleasantville
Senior Comprehensive School had to respond to, was the making
of the instrument. Again he took the astonished listeners
through the process of SINKING the drum to 'stretching' the
material (metal), and obtaining adequate space for the different notes,
using a sledge hammer, followed by the GROOVING process to form and separate
the notes with the use of a hammer and a punch. He
went further, explaining the next stages - the BURNING
of the pan in order to temper the
metal, and enhance the sound coming from the pan, then the actual TUNING to enable the proper musical
pitch, resulting in the production of a refined musical instrument.
Other questions from the audience focused around the longevity of the
instrument, its price as well as its availability.
Previous artists featured at the Bahai Faith's monthly
gatherings included Quilt makers, Singers,
Conventional Musicians, Painters, and Potters. The
organizers are always on the lookout for new talent.
The evening’s Coordinator was Philip Huebsch, a prolific
artist himself, who was a recent recipient of a handsome
award from the Government of Botswana for his depiction of a
series of butterflies, native to Botswana, and to be used as
postage stamps.
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