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One
of Tobago’s longest serving entertainers on the hotel
circuit, the multi-instrumentalist Ansel Wyatt, has created
a truly innovative conceptual Karaoke product which he
has tied into the release of his new CD ‘Old Time Kaiso’,
that takes you back to the heydays of the classic Caribbean
songs made popular by the international artistes Harry
Belafonte and the Andrews Sisters “Rum & Coca Cola”. These
songs are some of the many created by local bards such
as Roaring Lion, Lord Invader, Growling Tiger and Lord
Kitchener etc.
The
12 tracks on the CD are the extremely popular old time
hits known worldwide and include the hilarious “Shame
& Scandal in the Family”, the double entendre “Big Bamboo”
and “Dr. Kitch” and also the melodious “Mary Ann” and
“Matilda” amongst the dozen gems – an absolute delight
for all Calypso lovers with songs originating in the 1930’s,
40’s and 50’s still being sung and enjoyed today.
The
Karaoke products are a spin-off of this CD and take the
standard Karaoke format. The products are 2 Karaoke CD’s
- 12 tracks each, 6 with voice guide 6 without and also
a Karaoke DVD which can be played on any computer or DVD
player.
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You
are sure to have hours of fun entertaining friends and
family with the acquisition of any of these products.
Check out Ansel to purchase your copies on-line at anselwyatt@
gmail.com or Tel: (868)639-2540 or 753 -9147 or 381-7070.
Enjoy!!
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"I'm
a singer from the heart; I just want to sing, dance and
be what I am on the big stage," says Princess Adana to Billboard.
Not long out of her teens, Tobago's golden girl has been
there and done that at the Plymouth Jazz Festival when she
grabbed the opportunity to open the show with a terrifically
vigorous performance, signalling her arrival on the top
tier of the Island's pro singers. Naturally lithe and bubbly,
she delivers sultry when required and can open the tap with
the best of them as soca hips start to sway 'out of control'
- a sure-shot hit. Her stirring, soulful R&B style reflects
one part of her many influences and this popular live-wire
has been buzzing since she began winning competitions at
age 15.
'Nuff nice things have happened to the much-loved local
lass since then, including contracts to perform at the Island's
major hotels, which is where you are likely to catch her
most evenings - or, of course, on the Big Stage when the
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are open-air. Shine on…catch her if you can!
http://www.myspace.com/princessadana
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TOBAGO
MUSIC MASTERS
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EUPHONIC
SOUNDS STEEL ORCHESTRA
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Bells! Tobago Euphonic Sounds Steel Orchestra, 'The little
Giant with a big Sweet sound and Large Heart', celebrated
their 20th birthday in October 2009. They are a specialist
steel band of nine members who perform at Tobago's Hotels,
Restaurants and major tourism events. |
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If you are getting married in Tobago, a steel band is
a must and the band manager can also see about your entire
bar arrangements. A well disciplined, punctual, trust
worthy and dependable band you can even request them to
wear a uniform that fits in with your colour scheme; with
a repertoire of over 50 tunes, they give consistent and
appropriate music for over 3 hours including 'Here Comes
the Bride', Ave Maria' etc. for the ceremony.
Tobago's Tourism Division has consistently utilised the
services of the band for many years when entertaining
their foreign dignitaries including the Prince of Wales'
visit last year and when making promotional European tours.
The band has just returned from representing T&T in 23
cities around Germany and are now back home performing
at Turtle Beach Hotel every Saturday night from 8.30 pm.
For
more information e-mail: rentabar@hotmail.com or
Tel: 868- 685-2881 Mr. R. Marshall, Manager
www.tobagoeuphonicsounds.hpage.com
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The
Story of Irving Burgie & Harry Belafonte
A
generation before Bob Marley globalised Jamaican Reggae,
Harry Belafonte had popularized the Calypso beat and music
of the Caribbean by recording and performing some classic
songs that have become the theme songs with which these
islands are automatically associated.
'Day-O'
(Daylight come, and me wan' go home) is over 50 years
old and is celebrated in stadiums all over America by
home-town fans who use it as their cheer song.
'Jamaica Farewell ' (Down the way, where the nights are
gay) is another beautiful classic that tourists delight
in hearing and singing along to when they visit the Caribbean,
together with that other wonderful oldie 'Island in the
Sun'.
It's
perfectly natural for people worldwide to associate the
singer Harry Belafonte with these classics as his first
record - Calypso - was the very first album to sell more
than one million copies when it was released in 1956-7,
remaining at No. 1 on the Billboard Charts for a staggering
32 weeks.
Irving
Burgie, aka Lord Burgess is the composer of the above
titles, having written some 34 songs for Belafonte. Irving
Burgie grew up
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in Brooklyn, the son of Barbadian immigrant parents. He
taught himself to play the guitar while serving in the
U.S. Army in World War Two and he also wrote for the Kingston
Trio. His songs have sold over one hundred million records
worldwide and have been sung by artists everywhere. He
also composed the Barbados National Anthem in the 60's.
His
autobiography can be found locally in the book store at
Gulf City Mall.
Explore more. Enjoy more!
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MUSIC
MASTERS
Katzenjammers
Playing
for England's Queen
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This
Black Rock band celebrated its 50th birthday in 2001 and
continues a tradition of providing musical tuition and employment
for its youth. Among today's players are the children and
grandchildren of the founders who did indeed play for Queen
Elizabeth at Government House, on the Northside Road in
1955, when she visited the Caribbean. Her sister Princess
Margaret also enjoyed their infectious rhythms at No Man's
Land.
In 1963, Hurricane Flora destroyed their pan yard; the lads
moved their drums under the mango tree which still stands
at the entrance of the road to Fort Bennett. Passing tourists
would report back to the hotels that some jolly times were
to be had with the musical lads under the mango tree. These
reports led to regular engagements at their local Turtle
Beach Hotel.
Fifty years on and the band is one of T&T's finest steel
orchestras and they've still got that knack of providing
'some jolly times' for Tobago's visitors.
Tobago's oldest steel band, they're the 2004 & 2008 winners
of Pan in the 21st Century, a major achievement and a first
ever for Tobago. Visit their pan yard down the lane next
door to Michael's Bar in Black Rock and hear them rehearse
and perhaps take in a gig.
Progress through perseverance - WAY TO GO!
Katzenjammer's Tel: 776 6274 - Beverly, Public Relations
Officer For info on Tobago Bands Tel: 639 1402 or 635 0473
www.pantrinbago.co.tt
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Tony Williams The Pan Jumbie
JUMBIE – local word for a supernatural
being.
In
this instance, it’s a nickname lovingly bestowed upon Tony
by the people of this island to show their appreciation of his
musical talents and sheer wizardry on his instrument, the pan,
as the locals prefer to call the steel drum.
He started playing the steel pan when he was 15 years old and
boy, how he’s made up for his relatively late start!
He has won the prize as top arranger in Tobago for nine consecutive
years as well as achieving the same honours for 3 years running
in Toronto’s Caribana Carnival. In 2000, he drove
off in his brand new car prize, courtesy of the island’s
Scouting for Talent and has since toured Europe, Canada the U.S.
and Japan impressing and dazzling his audiences while taking the
national instrument to the world. Naturally, the Tourism
Dept. is delighted to take him on tours abroad as well as have
him perform for the Cruise Ships’ visitors.
Not content with arranging for some of Tobago’s steel bands,
and performing as a solo pannist in the island’s hotels
and major events like the Plymouth Jazz Fest, he’s started
to show some entrepreneurial skills with his Pan Jumbie Enterprises
Pan Factory on Scarborough’s Esplanade where you can purchase
C.D’s, mini-pans and other steel drum memorabilia and hopefully
come face-to-face with one of Tobago’s best-loved musical
icons – The Pan Jumbie.ESPLANADE BOOTH # 9
Tel: # 868 – 791 7065
E-mail panjumbietw@yahoo.ca
ANSEL WYATT
A Class Act
Ansel,
jovial and amiable, has been playing in Tobago’s hotels
for over 15 years. He started at the Turtle Beach Hotel when he
first arrived and was one of the opening acts at the Grafton Hotel
when it was first built.
An adopted Tobagonian, he was a teenage music star in T&T
in the 60’s and early 70’s. For years he reigned supreme
throughout the Caribbean islands changing the style and format
of music making when he followed the guitar/combo trend of The
Shadows and the early rock & roll bands. This was the era
of the big dance bands in T&T, for which he was recruited
to play guitar at age 14 by one of Trinidad’s foremost dance
bands, the Norman ‘Tex’ Williams Orch. You can still
hear traces of that era when he plays his Latin selections in
his one-man-orchestra.
A guitar virtuoso, he has taught himself to play the sax and keyboard
and produces his own CDs which showcase his various styles and
moods. A first class act for weddings and other celebratory occasions,
he enjoys the status of being the musicians’ musician and
can be found nightly performing his melodic and soothing music
at the larger hotels usually during the dinner hours. By the highest
standards, he is what you’d call – A CLASS ACT!! Enjoy!
Ansel & Jenny – Tel: 639 2540
WINSTON
GORDON
A Man for all Seasons
This
is a story of rare ambition and achievement. An adopted Trini,
Winston Gordon began playing pan in his teens and has grown into
a respected arranger for Tobago’s top-rated steelband as
well as a chorale master and arranger for the dynamic New Dimension
Folk Choir. They perform at the Coco Reef Hotel every other Sunday.
The steelband, RBTT Redemption Sound Setters have won Tobago’s
Champs Competition for the past 9 years. At the massive Panorama
Competitions they were the only band to receive a standing ovation
when Winston incorporated Tobago’s Tambrin Drum rhythms
into his arrangement.
Winston holds down a full-time job as Business Development Manager
at one of T&T’s major banks which by itself is some
achievement, but to have risen thru’ the ranks to the position
of Manager at the bank he first started at as a messenger is really
a remarkable feat by any standards! Incredibly he still finds
time to serve on various professional and charitable organisations.
The steelband plays at the Hilton and Coco Reef Hotels.
Michael
Baker-Spot the Talent
Single
handedly, over the years, (well almost, as behind every man etc.)
Michael has provided a platform for the Island’s aspiring
performers. He does this thru’ his Wednesday night talent
contest held at the Golden Star, with the attraction of a car
as the 1st prize. With weekly T.V exposure, arranged by his new
marketeer and producer, Carl Groome of Multi-Concepts, there’s
no shortage of contestants. The action starts in May, so you are
right in time to enjoy this ‘must see’ - wonderful
barmy nights beneath the stars, balmy evenings full of hilarity
and joie-de-vivre where he helps the aspirants present their acts
before an expectant full-house – laughs galore and dance
the night away at the after-show disco.
Michael retained the Tobago Calypso King title for a number of
years and performed in the major Calypso Tents alongside the great
bards – Sparrow, Shadow, Arrow etc.
He is also the Head of Lifeguard Services on the Island and was
the first Lifeguard to be recruited and sent to the U.K. for training
35 years ago. Sitting on the beaches, strumming his guitar while
off duty, an American visitor spotted him and invited him to play
at his party at the Crown Point Hotel.
The rest, as they say, is his-story.
He performs nightly at the larger Restaurants and Hotels. CHECK
HIM OUT!!
Tel: 639 8243 – mbaker@trinidad.net
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