Texas, USA
Codrington Pan Family at SXSW 2015
The reviews have been glowing. Last week the Codrington Pan Family performed at the globally recognized, very influential and trendy SXSW festival. In fact, the Codrington Pan Family was named one of SXSW 2015’s 10 breakout acts. As the first steel ensemble to ever perform at SXSW, much was expected of the substantially talented and accomplished Codingtons hailing from Trinidad and Tobago. SXSW is an annual music, film, and interactive conference and festival held in Austin, Texas, USA. In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks - the Codrington Pan Family share their thoughts on this successful venture - and the serious challenges they still face in their home, Trinidad and Tobago.
WST - “What was the mission of the Codrington Pan Family in going to the SXSW?”
Codrington - “- Our mission was to deliver an impressive performance—to attract the world to the steelpan.”
WST - “Was the mission accomplished? ”
Codrington - “- I believe we paved the way for that to happen. Many went to instagram and twitter and posted about both performances and to top it off we were listed among SXSW 2015 top 10 breakout acts.”
WST - “How were you received?”
Codrington - “- At first, people didn’t know what to expect. They were like, steelpan?, Trinidad?, what’s that?, where’s that? But, throughout the performances there were screams and cheers. They were in awe. ”
WST - “What was your most memorable moment?”
Codrington - “- I think you would get a different response if you were to ask us individually. There were many good memories but the one that stands out for me was seeing one guy wipe away a tear drop when we played Michael Jackson’s Earth Song.”
WST - “What is the impact of your performance on the global stage?”
Codrington - “- I think that’s something we would have to wait to see. Already we have created a lot of buzz on social media both locally and internationally. ”
WST - “What did you learn?”
Codrington - “- We learned that the performance must go on. It’s not a new lesson for us but it was further emphasized during our performances at SXSW. ”
WST - “What types of songs did you perform?”
Codrington - “- The repertoire was very diverse. We included in the repertoire RnB, Pop, Jazz, Classical, Latin and Soca.”
WST - “Where does SXSW rank among the many other tours and performances the Codrington's have done?”
Codrington - “- We would certainly rank SXSW as No. 1. We gained a lot of fans, we gained respect and we’re certain that much more people are now aware of the capabilities of the steelpan by our performances at this festival.”
WST - “What are the Codrington Family's expectations going forward after performing on this stage both locally and internationally?”
Codrington Pan Family
Codrington - “- We don’t expect anything actually. What we have done is that we have added more to our name which will make it a bit easier to secure deals with record labels or to tour. It all depends on how we can skillfully take advantage of that. However, we are desperately in need of a rehearsal studio. At the moment we rehearse at the old wholesale market in Sea Lots under a tent. If rain falls, it’s very difficult to rehearse. There are also electricity problems on the compound and it damages the equipment at times. So we would find ourselves having to repair or replace amps and cables. We’re hoping that with what we achieved at SXSW, we can get help to improve those conditions. ”
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