f or j
steelbands
Panoram
Stories and photos toy TREVOR
YpUNffpjshriists Stefan Burgess\21, and Jahira
Harris, .19, t&gether played for a mind-boggling
11 steeibaihds in Panorama competitions' in the
North j'E^t and Tobago. f
The talented duo is currently pursuing ttieir batch-
elor of arts degree in music majoring in ithe steel-
pan with percussions as their minor at the University;!
of the West Indies. -St, Augustine.
Burgess is front Calvary Hill; and {Harris is. from
AJenore Garcisns, ".'.; . , . -'•,•_„ ../••' • - . , • • ...7
They- both completed their secondary education
with fuif CXC certificates of which music is arnb'&g.
the subjects listed^ .Burgess , attended Barataria
Secondary. while Hafris'was a-pupii of St George's
College. " ' - • • ' '""• -7 - : "•'•"
Burgess and Harris met two years ago while pre-
paring their app!icat!Q|.:forms for entry into UVVI in
pursuing insif certificate ir> pafi music:and they' just
"
The 3tes!bart0s and songs that they played for
in the East ara pan 6n The Move This: Melody
Sweet, Nostalgic €>usf /n Vuft fcsce, Marsicans. £)o/-
ter VWrje, Gocorite Road Groovers This Party Is It,
Meiodians My Band, and Musical Gems Pan In
Danger. :;,-:-;5' . • : • . . - , • - .
In Tobago they treated with -Get Down On It -AH
Over, T&Tf G Ifew East §ide ^ Oirnensiori Lorraine,
and Kgtzenjarhrhers Kesilom Walcott,
And in the North they were embraced by Defence
Force Iron Man, and Renegades; Youth Steelband
playing Maestro's 6o/d, the steeibands that Bur-
gess and Harris missed out or. were Tinica, Super
;,,_,; .,,.:.,..,-.v . -
Novas and tH Par: Groove,
Harris explained, "My musical career began at
the age of four while attending Hoiy Cross kinder-
garten singing the calypso Grime-ifrthe Couijftryand
continued atArima Qirls RC. • -r ;
'In Standard Two I. sang at MWAC and went.oo to
place .second at Eastern Credit Union in 2005 sing-
ing the song We Are All Human Equations. , • -
"At St-George's College .in Form Three I was
•'considered-to be too professietiat and sarjg.as'a
guest calypsbnian as I was debarred from cofhpet-
:ing, ':."^l'-'-.. • ' r-
' ". "|-ajso hSM;?tiSe opportunity of singing fc
• mary and secondary schools at Music Festp
"My steelband career started with Pan Or
at the age of seven-piaying the'five-note
-progressed through ;primary and secondar
successfully," Harris smited7 ' ' - ' : • ' - ' •
Burgess retailed, "I began playing pan
often in Curepfewith Michael 'Soca' GumK
of Sforzata Steel Orchestra. ' >
- "My pan playing talents continued at-secondary
te\st;Snd.-l have played for many steelbands includ-
ing Trinidad All Stars.i .-. • .;V?S" : ..
"!n- ppmfjleting .ray musical degree;l"arri looking
forward to enrolling with the US Navy SEALS'spe-:
cial Music School, unlike.my girlfriend Harris, whose
dream is.taBe enlisted into the Trinidad and Tobago
Defence Force. •••"• ; 7 , . '..• ',-.: • ' • ' i
"However, we. ftoth look forward .to settling down ;•
in: thfe: future, pperting ;our music school, -teach-
ing'^ie steetpan..ahd .arfahging for Pan.orama and
Steelband Festivals some day and to quote Shake-
speare in focal parlance, if pan-music be the food'of
love, we will olay on." Burgess .-uipped. •
:.->:: I I ,-.-7; I 'M , 1 ;.-•:-„'-- (.,-': .; I ii^ SiiSfe
:ateh