Global - Khuent Rose is a scholar, an intellectual, brilliant, thoughtful and cerebral without being ‘disconnected and automated.’ His immense musical talent is undeniable as he remains spiritually, historically and actively engaged with the steelpan music genre. And Khuent is part of that new generation of young steelpan music innovators that is charting an imaginative and successful direction while holding a profound respect and understanding for the titans that have built this distinctive art form.
Hear his views on education, Panorama, the way forward and the present state of Pan in this exclusive interview with When Steel Talks.
In this UpClose! When Steel Talks exclusive interview, here is philosopher, practitioner and musician Khuent Rose’s story in his own words.
More on Khuent Rose
WST - “You said that that education, not politics, money, or cultural hysteria, is the key to the progress of the steelpan movement. Explain.”
Educator, Arranger, Composer and Performing Artist Khuent Rose
Khuent Rose - “But we’ve made the other three more important. And what I’ve realized is that we’ve made the other three so important that we have negated, for the large part, the need for education. It’s –--- we want to learn how to play, but no one cares where the instrument came from. We want to know -- ‘Oh, it’s beautiful, it sounds beautiful!’ [But] How is it made? That kind of – that kind of education is not happening, and the messed-up thing about it is – when you don’t understand the genesis of something –”
WST - “So you’re talking from the historical perspective –”
Khuent Rose - “In this point – because the politics that gets involved, is very much based upon that. The current politics is very racist; I’m not going to act like it’s not. Um – it’s racist. It’s racist to – it’s racist, oddly enough, not to necessarily black and white – it’s sometimes racist just to nationality. Um – and we’ve seen that. Or at least I’ve seen it; I’ve lived it.”
Listen to a performance by Khuent, UpClose!
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