Pan Pan! is the product of the collaborative efforts of panist-singer-composer Harry Best of St. Lucia and music producer Roland Richards of Montserrat, featuring Pan
phenom Duvone
Stewart of Trinidad
and Tobago.
The tune represents Harry’s third
contribution in as
many years to the
‘Panorama Tunes’
smorgasbord. Last
year Harry was
touted for his
crafty composition
“Pan is de Ting,”
his first effort at
writing a complete
tune for Panorama.
Two years earlier he
collaborated with calypsonian Crazy
and music producer
Phil Hawkins on the
Panorama tune “Pan Wisdom.’ Harry was the lyricist.
A capable panist, Harry has always enjoyed composing, a skill he honed while a member of a small steelband led by former PanTrinbago president Patrick Arnold when the latter resided in California in the
‘70s and ‘80s. In the early
‘90s, Harry’s songwriting talent was recognized by the late calypsonian Arrow for whom he wrote such hits as
“Lolay Lolai” and “Come Girl.” He
has also collaborated and consulted with musicians and calypsonians in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Lucia.
A major provider of pan music to patrons all over northern California for over three decades, Harry has founded steelbands, conducted classes and promoted pan events. He was instrumental in bringing the Our Boys Steel Orchestra from Trinidad and Tobago to California in the
‘90s, where they worked with the likes of Jeff and Andy Narell as well as Tom Miller to set the standard for steelbands in the area.
Harry Best is the principal owner of Kakesa.com, the chief supplier of steelpans and accessories throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. He is the author of four books and has four recorded albums to his credit. In October
of 2011, Harry is due to release a new CD of his original tunes which he produced in collaboration with producer/panist Phil Hawkins. The album entitled
“See Ya” will be available on itunes, CD Baby and other digital distribution sources.
When it comes to music, for Harry it’s all about
“Pan Pan!”
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