Ontario, Canada
- Oh goooode!
I get christen
over again!
Dem pan jumbie
hole me in a
full Nelson
and douse my
head in holy
water till ah
ketch de power
an bawl for
murderation.
Hear nuh man.
Talk bout bess?
Steupse....it
was more dan
bess. It was
Most Bess!
If you en know
what I talkin
bout den you
real miss out
oui. October
30th
in Toronto it
had a show call
Autumn Leaves
on Steel. Yuh
girl take she
fass self and
say she MC’ing
part of de show.
I bade, powder
up and went.
I never been
in dis show
before eh. Ah
did hear bout
it yes, but
din really know
what to expeck.
I say a lil
panside go come
and give we
two chune, we
siddong, we
clap and we
go home. Little
did I know papa.
When
I reach in de
place, I hustle
finish dollsin
up myself because
I done know
my mudda girl
chile have to
be put away.
I en want nobody
say how I come
looking greasy,
as doh I jes
finish make
market. I even
get a makeup
artist name
Niki Doorbal
to do meh makeup.
She had me looking
like people.
Ay ay. I fly
backstage to
take my place
and peep at
de stage. It
was set up wid
a regular band
- keyboard,
drums, a bass
guitar, percussion
and ting and
a saxophone.
I say I in de
wrong place.
Where de steelband?
Is only when
I see Andy Phillips
do so and put
he single tenor
in de middle
of de stage
dat I get lash
wid a OR HORRR
Stick and realize
is pure pan
I come to hear.
De back-up band
was de Liamuiga
Project. Dey
start wid a
lil toe tappin
jazz ting while
people settlin
een dey seat.
I ease out chippin
on de stage
and start skylarking
wid de audience.
Yuh know yuh
girl like de
ro-ro, so it
was nice to
see meh people
to ole talk
wid. I introduce
Andy and my
boy start a
dingolay. Hear
nuh man. Skill
dong de line
eh? Not no simple
do-ray-me. It
was far-so-lah-tee
in yuh pweffen!
Den he give
we some vocals
to sweeten de
business. Yuh
shoulda see
me backstage
bussing a two
step. I nearly
heng mehself
wid all dem
wires an cords.
Den Darren Sheppard
come. Backstage
I akse he what
he going and
do for we. De
man say he coming
wid pure love
whole night.
He en lie nuh.
Darren come
wid This Masquerade
and mash up
de place. He
find we en mash
up fine enough,
he turn arong
and lash we
wid some jazz.
What get me
wid Darren is
de control he
had over he
sticks. Man
play wid de
rubber end,
switch up and
play wid de
udda end. It
had a part where
Liamuiga Project
sorfen to a
whisper and
Darren strike
de last two
note so sorf
but so clear
and Tony Pierre
on percussion
start to rattle
some shells
- it sound between
a lil Shango
and birds and
yuh hearing
de tinkle of
a crystal pan.
Hear nuh man.
Meh skin walk
FUSS it was
sweet! I stan
up in de wings
like a mook,
so taken wid
de zaffairs
dat I nearly
forget to come
back on stage.
When I come
on I tell de
audience is
me who learn
Darren to play
pan and dey
laugh at me.
I cah even fine
de C note on
my tenor widdout
looking. Dis
man fine notes
I din even know
it had.
Dane Gulston
performs
at the 2010
Autumn Leaves
on Steel
After dat we
had a lil intermission
and den Liamuiga
Project come
back and play
for we. We had
door prize an
ting and den
Dane Gulston
come.
Steupse.
I en know Dane
eh. I am not
he gawdmudda,
tanty, sister
or chile so
doh say how
I pushing ting.
But dat boy
lick up dat
pan until de
pan nearly start
to talk. Papayo!
It had a time
I couldn’t even
see he hand
fuss he was
moving so fass.
I had to lean
on something
to hole me up.
Tonné! I never
see nutting
so! Energy was
bess, accuracy
was bess, delivery
was bess. It
din have a place
on dat pan,
dat Dane din
use to make
we bawl. People
clap till dey
schupid. Dane
was dripping
wet by de time
he done. My
heart had palpitashun.
Is a good ting
by den Elton
Jones had take
over de job
of MC because
I was weak.
Dane boy, yuh
have a gift
oui. I doh normally
give people
a ten out of
ten. I does
keep back one
point for manners
but garçon!
Gardez La...take
win!
By dis time
now, I done
change my clodes
and was moving
around taking
snap. I hear
de MC call out
de next solois
- Duvone Stewart
- people clap.
Duvone Stewart
commands
the mic
and pan
at the 2010
Autumn Leaves
on Steel
De place quiet,
stage darkened,
spotlight come
on and I see
Duvone reach.
You could see
dis man wasn
no stranger
to a stage.
He come in a
tuxedo papa
- deck awf for
days. Real saga
ting. Den he
proceed to wipe
up de stage
wid style. He
haul he music
from over so,
to over so.
He sing along
wid he music.
He even play
de new E-Pan
dat a fella
by de name of
Salmon Cupid
invent. All
yuh ever hear
de E-Pan? It
interesting
boy.
Duvone tell
we it have a
important lady
in de audience
dat he want
to big up. Duvone
mummy come quite
up in de cole
to see she son
play and sing
for de firse
time since he
leave Tobago.
Gorme, it was
a nice moment.
He went on to
douse we wid
music, from
R and B to jazz
to reggae. You
could see dis
was a real showman
because he had
we involve in
de business
from start to
end.
What a night!
Toronto was
cole like dawg
nose but in
dat auditorium
it had a warm
breeze blowing.
Pan gorn clear
eh all yuh.
Doh doubt me.
If yuh din know
before, yuh
know now. Pan
belong on a
World Stage!
Ah gorn.
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