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Brooklyn, New
York - I
write these words with a heavy heart.
On Sunday 8th June 11, 2008 a good friend of mine informed
me that my long time friend Crawl had died in a vehicular
accident, I was in total shock when I got the news.
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“Crawl” on Nine-Bass |
Frank Findley more famously known as
“Crawl” came to Trinidad
in the early sixties and we became friends immediately. Crawl was always an exciting
individual, in his teenage years he was always well dressed
and in those days he was considered a ‘Saga boy’ a term
fondly used in those days to describe a so-called ladies
man, and used to woo the ladies and aggravate the men with
his special walk hereby which he got his now famous name.
He
was a member of the ‘Silk Hats’ a group of boys in those
days that were admired by their peers for their spunk and
courage.
He always showed an interest in the steelband which was in
its evolutionary stage at that time, he always like the
challenged of the bass because of the number of pans to be
played.
After his initial entry into the steelband world, we both
were part of a small steelband called Staronettes. In 1965
we all graduated to the Desperadoes steel orchestra playing
our various instruments, he was a standout immediately with
his unique style of playing the bass which often fascinated
the members of the band; even stalwart bassmen as Gonga Din
and Reddock were amazed with this phenomenal bassman and how
easy he made it look, and in that same year he became a
member of the stage side and remained a Desperado for life.
Crawl had travelled the world with Desperadoes, and gained a
lot of fans internationally.
Despers and the pan world have lost one of the best and
longest serving bass man ever.
This year is forty three [43] years that he has been playing
bass non-stop for Desperadoes, he played in every
competition that Despers has won, and in recent years he had
even spread his wings and fly to New York to play wave his
magical sticks and play the bass for D’radoes one of the top
steelbands in Brooklyn.
He is poetry in motion behind his
nine-bass, and many young bassists have learnt the art of
playing the bass by watching him. When the history of
Desperadoes Steel Orchestra is written, Crawl and his nine
bass will always be mentioned with reverence.
His lost has left
a void in the pan fraternity, a void so had to fill. He will
be missed by us all and would be very had to be replaced.
Rudolph Charles- Gonga Din -Panter- Bradley –Michael and
Buffy are all waiting for their musical brother Crawl to
continue their musical odyssey with the angels..
My heartfelt condolence to Crawl’s family and all the
members of Desperadoes past and present. Shadow maybe the
Bassman from hell but Crawl is the Bassman from Heaven.
Crawl my friend it’s so hard to see you go, but I say to
you, wherever you are right now.
[May The Blessings of Almighty God be with you?] Rest in
peace my friend.
Till we meet again.
Valentine Young
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