Episode 223 | Duvone Stewart - Corie Sheppard Podcast

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:16):
so do we want, stuart ?
How are you going?
Sir, I'm doing good man,everything good.
How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:23):
going.
How was the season?
The season, the season wasgrand.
Alright, as every other seasonPreviously.
Yeah, I'm just Happy to bealive, to make a contribution
Into the, the futility that Irepresent, which is Full, steve
Pan.

Speaker 1 (00:38):
Well, we happy You're alive too.
You know, because I had to tellpeople.
Last episode I recorded.
I recorded a journalist by thename of Franka Phillips.
I was telling her this is myfirst steel band finals on
Carnival Saturday night.
You know, I do semis before Ididn't understand that with
semis Pan, people always tellyou when you go semis you ain't
really hear pan.
And this was the first time Irealized that the pan is me

(00:58):
facing the grandstand, the bandin totality facing the Grand
Sands.
So I experienced the drag, Iexperienced the greens, the
North Sand.
But this is my first time in afinal and two things happened
that night.
The first time I hear the firstband strike up, I couldn't
believe how powerful it feltAfter a pam, pam, pam, pam and
the band comes at you.
That was an experience I willnever miss again.

(01:20):
The second thing that happenedis a man riding on a horse and
putting a shoe on a display.
I've never seen anything elselike that before.
You know that, fella, I saw it,I saw it Still trying to meet
the guy.
So, if you don't know, you had afight.
You arranged for renegades,renegades.

(01:41):
That's how I introduced you andyou talk more about all the
other exploits, but you allplayed Beth Medici, mm-hmm, big
big song for Carnival, big bigsong for Carnival.
Before we get into it, tell meabout you coming up with the
presentation.
You're coming on your horse.
You had a bunch of Bethmeetings.
How are you coming up with allthat?

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Well, I've been around Panorama for more than 40
years and I've seen changes.
I've seen adjustments takeplace where brothers in the
creative space we call themarrangers they have a song, they

(02:17):
have a title and they work withit.
Some people have their owncreative thought process in
doing their music, which Itotally respect, because if it
wasn't for these guys in thepast, we would have never had an
idea how we do things now.
So what happened with me when Iwas introduced to the
instrument?
Being a player wanted to be anarranger, got the opportunity to

(02:40):
be an arranger.
I saw myself as setting astandard and being a trendsetter
, not revolving and focusing ona monotony that was there from
before, but yet still theinstrument is seen as one of the
world's greatest inventions, orthe world is seeing presently.
So when you come to Trinidadand you come to Panorama, you

(03:02):
come for Carnival expect to seechanges, expect to see growth,
expect to see evolution, notjust a band coming on stage,
play and roll off, because backin the days it didn't have
fireworks, it didn't haveconfettis and stuff like that.
No, it had confetti, every bandcoming with the fireworks.
It never had somebody in frontof the band.

(03:23):
No, it had somebody in front ofthe band.
Now you have somebody in frontof the band.
It never really had somebodyputting on a display of a skit
before, back in the day.
Now you have it.
But now it's done in such a waynow that everybody's seen it
and everybody's elaborating onit that much.
And then it comes with the themeof your song.
What song?
You do it.
So we did Bet Me the this yearby Marshall Montano and we heard

(03:46):
the song and it was like don'tdoubt me.
If you feel I can't do it again, bet me Gosh.
So what happened with that?
Now it has like a double foldconcept behind it, because
Marshall was speaking abouthimself lyrically in terms of he
win this already, he win thatalready.
You want to bet me, I ain'tgoing to win the next one much

(04:07):
he coming back for more.
He coming back for more.
So with me now.
This song spoke to me in thatway.
I win Singapore already.
I win large band already, I winmedia band already.
You feel like you have win thishere Bet.
It brought the casino concepttowards it Right In Trinidad and
Tobago.
We have gamblers.
We have gamblers all over theworld.

(04:28):
Right, life is like a gambler.
Of course You're taking chancesand risking and doing
everything, but the games thatwe played dominantly in Trinidad
and Tobago on the gamble sceneis like we betting horse, we
betting play away.
Are we betting these things?
So with the song now Bet Me, Itry as much as possible to

(04:49):
incorporate themes of what weknow, most of what we gamble
about.
While you hear the arrangement,you hear the, the, the trumpet,
ba ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba,ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba ba.
So I incorporated it within thearrangement.
So, like we are on theracetrack and we batten and we

(05:12):
did something called like a WAPIjam.
Wapi is like an undergroundcard game where you have a cassa
, who just put it on cards andeverybody looking to see the
card come, the card come to takethe money, put it on cards, and
everybody looking to see thecard come, the card come to take
the money.
So I tried to bring that partof it in a more musical form for
people to understand what I wasdoing.
And everybody understood what Iwas doing with it because there

(05:34):
was a point in the song it wassaying bap bap, bap it represent
the cards hitting the table.
Bap, bap, bap, bap.
Wait, the cards hit the table.
Bap, bap, bap, bap, Wait, hesee card.
Bap, bap, bap bap, and you havea pack of cards this time too,
and I have a pack of cards in myhand displaying what that
section was all about the horse,it was just a presentation

(05:56):
scenario for me, because Iwanted people to come to the
Savannah to see a show, to tosee a show, to witness a show
and to listen to music.
It's like making the blind seeand make the deaf hear.
Yeah, bring that, that, thataspect to the music, where 2026,
with the people who were therein 2025 have been to Trinidad,

(06:17):
carnival and what I saw, aTelena friend, a Telena next
friend, yeah, they carried it.
They carried that news outsideand you never know every one
story that touches somebody.
Five people could hear it, tenpeople could hear it.
Now we have social media.
Everybody's seen it.
I want to be there in person tosee what's going to happen for
2026 what's Uvongo going?
To do.
What's Uvongo going to do?

(06:37):
But it has some nice guyscoming up in the game.

Speaker 1 (06:41):
Everybody, guys coming up in the game.
Everybody.

Speaker 2 (06:42):
It was a special night, Special night Everybody
doing the display of theatrics,the presentation, the look of it
was, the visuals was nice andthe offering and the deliverance
that we Steel Pound Men andSteel Pound Women and Brothers
in the Creative Space.
We showcase our instrument aslike an advertisement for the
next one to come.

(07:02):
Of course, and for the countryas a whole, for the country as a
whole, for the country as awhole, you know, because we want
to sell the instrument in everypossible way that we can, that
we have the opportunity to do it, gotcha.
So bringing the horse was likeit was never done before.
No, nobody ever did it.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
You ever ride a horse before.
No, I wouldn't even frightenedup there.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
I wasn't frightened up because I was good, I was
there on Carnival TuesdayCarnival Wednesday Right, I was
at the Santa Rosa.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
Okay, I went and practiced.
Yeah, I went and practicedriding the horse.

Speaker 2 (07:32):
Thanks to Mr De Freitas Nice, ted, the assistant
with the horse.
The name of the horse was AshNice, so I was close and
personal with him, we fed himand we had a nice one-on-one
with them.
But the moment when to get onthe horse to come onto the stage

(07:52):
, the horse was at the back ofthe north stand, so nobody saw
me.
Not even the members of theband knew what was happening.
Oh, they didn't know you weregoing to do that.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
Nobody in the band knew, because a few of them had
some little horse things theyride out of before you.
Yeah, that was planned.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
Okay, gotcha, that was the idea of Mr Colin Greeves
was the president of the band,along with the captain, mr
Scandris Drews Brummond, and wewere looking for that cutting
edge presentation because, again, the band BPTT Renegades we
have been so enigmatic in somany ways and, being an

(08:27):
international brand and a localrepresentative to the world for
the instrument for everybody tosee, not just panorama,
classical music, we go on toursand all these different
countries, I believe BPTTRenegades is the most taught
steel band in the world.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
Oh, they are yeah, so they say I believe so too.
It is an institution, we are awhole, whole institution, yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
So everything that we do, we do it to the best of our
ability to advertise a band,become trendsetters and lead by
example for others to follow.
So me, devon Stewart, coming inas a musical arranger.
I like drama, I like the show,I like to put on a show.
Right, I love to tell the storyof what I'm doing musically
with the arrangement.
So if I have a presentation andan idea in my eye, I throw it

(09:10):
to them and say I like this ornah, this time too loud and
bashy, you know, but being onthe horse and coming on stage is
like yeah, yeah, we are in thequeen spark savannah, and many
people did not know or whoremember, remembered, but that
was the area where they used todo the horse racing back in the
day before it went to Santa.

Speaker 1 (09:31):
Rosa, very symbolic, like funny, you say people might
know because the pan side is soyoung.
It's something I want to talkabout too.
But I saw you at one pointduring the presentation and I'll
tell you we in the standsdidn't see the horse either,
until it come out in the lightBecause we see the presentation.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
It's so focused on the presentation and some and I
mean you must have felt thecrowd went in an uproar even
before, when I came out behindthe north stand with the horse
and I was walking coming to goon the stage, the people on the
drag saw me and it was like Icould imagine.

Speaker 1 (10:01):
I could imagine it was an uproar.
The drag was here first.
Yeah, the drag showed me first.

Speaker 2 (10:04):
And everybody was just in pandemonium.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I was just cool and stablebecause the noise at the point
in time, the horse hearing it.

Speaker 1 (10:14):
Of course.

Speaker 2 (10:16):
I had to steady myself and make sure that,
because you know the phone's out.
Of course, everything, and once, if Duvon and I was on the fall
off, they catch it the next day.
Is that mean?
Is that mean?
I had to steady myself and makesure that I was on the horse
properly, and I was well guidedby the guys who was really
taking care of me.
Of course, the presentation waswonderful.

Speaker 1 (10:36):
It was great.
The next part of it time Iwould say was the?
Um.
When people hear nlcb now theythink playway and lotto and them
games and I see you bring oneof them all long time but it
used to be luxury.

Speaker 2 (10:49):
Well, again we wanted the that was a mastermind idea
for mr colin graves.
I must say I see, I see, and hewanted to make people to
understand, bring back thememories, the connection of
where we used to do before inour in our leisure time and our
downtime buying lottery tickets,and that was the machine that

(11:10):
you used to use and stuff likethat, you know, and the one on
the side we were at the casinowhere you have the lucky sevens
and stuff like that and we bringthe borough keys on and then we
bring the real horse on rightit's like this.
is sure, these are things thatwe bet on and things we used to
play on, so bet me thatRenegades ain't going to do
these things.

Speaker 1 (11:29):
But we did it Well.
I see your update.
I was marking your status overthe weekend.
You had some finals over theweekend.
Who's your side?
Arsenal's your side.
Who's your squad in it?
You want to go there, man, Justasking.

Speaker 2 (11:44):
Only had a rough weekend.
I'm a big Manchester United fan.
Oh, you're a new fan.
I'm a new fan.

Speaker 1 (11:49):
Even before Dwight York was there.
I would imagine.

Speaker 2 (11:54):
I was there.
I was supporting the team backin the days with Eric Cantona
and stuff like that.
Oh from early days, yeah, fromearly days.
I'm only 49 years young, so Iknow more football.
And after Dwight Dweck came onthe scene and then class of 1992
came on the scene, yeah, it'snot the same now.
Not the same now.
Well, that is transition andthat is change.
But we got to take relax, youknow.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
That's how it is.

Speaker 2 (12:18):
That's how it is going because BPTT Reneg 80s
into the 90s.
We were the only band to winthree straight consecutive
panoramas back in that era underthe legendary great Dr Jeff
Samaru, and after that it tookus something like around 21
years to get back on top.
So Manchester United, ifthey're going through the BP
renegade syndrome they have achance.

Speaker 1 (12:38):
They have a chance without asking, like sports and
sports fans sometimes and Pan isso similar the fan of a
renegade man is a renegade manfor life, and he gave children
to be renegade men too.
Yes, how does it feel Becauseyou come second this year?
I did not see Exodus.
I came later and I didn't seeExodus.

Speaker 2 (12:55):
Congratulations to BJ Marcel Insu, ahmed Khan Khodis
and all the players in thenational team for the man.
Congratulations to them.

Speaker 1 (13:03):
Is it the same as a sports fan when you feel?

Speaker 2 (13:05):
that when you feel, second, yeah, because, um well,
I've been to the UK and I'vebeen seeing going to games and
see how passionate thesesupporters and fans are of their
team it could be premiershipteam, first division team.
Second, they are passionate,serious To the point that you

(13:27):
literally see people crying, youliterally see people fighting
after a game, you literally seepeople arguing behind and
everybody have their fanatics oftheir team.
And with Trinidad and Tobago insteel plant the same happens.
But we never had the pointwhere somebody got killed behind
it or when it was so somebodygot.
You know, sometimes fight takeplace, yeah, yeah, yeah, of

(13:50):
course, cross talk, argumentsand the bantering taking place,
you know.
So every, every band have itsfleet of supporters that goes
die hard supporting their band.
And where the location, thegeographical location of where
Renegades is in the eastern sideof Port of Spain, we have the
Harp, we have the Shafford Court, we have the Baseline Street,
we have this Arm Quarry Street.

(14:10):
So those individuals that livearound the area eat, breathe
sleep Renegades, Right, Rightthrough.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
So the disappointment for players, Rangers fans,
right through.
So the disappointment forplayers or rangers fans.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
everybody is the same , is the same is the same
everybody want to win, everybodywant to come out and be
successful, everybody want towake up that next morning,
carnival, sunday morning, or, infirst place, there's renegades
or, or exodus, or desperados, or.
All sides, every band havetheir big feet of supporters and
they, they are passionate.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
Passionate about it, of course, like I saw.
Saw when I was noticing all theother bands push and went off
on the western side and it wasso symbolic that Renegades went
back.
It was almost like they wentback in the direction they were
heading back.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
We were the last band performing and the location of
our party and we were justwilling.
Right for us to take theopposite route.

Speaker 1 (15:00):
So in that last note play, have yourself done as
winning.

Speaker 2 (15:03):
I was confident.
I was really, really confidentof the performance that we gave
on final night and the playersgave it their best.
We gave it our all.
We gave it our all.
But at the end of the day issomething I want to make
everybody understand In Pan, thejudges' decision is final and
when God say yes, no man couldsay no.

(15:25):
And all these things werecreated in such a way that this
whole space that we in in acompetitive realm is controlled
by God.
Whatever results is being givento you, respect it as it is,
and that is what we did.
You never heard about the, the,the, the backlash and
conversations or talk, or therevelry of fighting and argument

(15:47):
and exchanging banter words ofderogatory and remarks to our
peers.
What we did as a unit, weaccepted the results and we
congratulated the winner and wecongratulated everybody within
the Steelpan fraternity forputting on this show, Steelpan
Panorama, so the world could seethat we are striving and we are

(16:08):
going forward.
So come next year you're goingto see some new additions or
some new ideas come into play,because the demographics of
arrangers is changing.
We're not having Dr Jit Samuelsgone and Ken Professor
Finlayson gone, and they havelaid the foundation for us.
The young generation that isnow here, which is the guys like
Kersh Ramsey congratulations tohim and winning the Cats and

(16:32):
Jammers in the medium categoryCame first with the TNTEC
Eastside Very, very upcoming,promising young arranger OJ
Richards, Cian Gomez, ArdenHubbard, Marlon White, Colin
Harewood, Andrew White out ofthe USA, and these guys are very
well put together to the pointnow, knowing now that we are in

(16:54):
a zone to make the nextgeneration know that we are here
to take the mantle and bring itto them.
But we have to be very cordial,very disciplined, very focused
and have a mindset to treat theinstrument in a way that this is
our gift from God.
So let me take it and spreadthat love across the board so
everybody can have that onenessgoing forward.

Speaker 1 (17:13):
It makes sense I want to talk to you about before I
go back to your history.
I want to talk to you aboutthat discipline, because going
back to that panier, like somany things you said, sound like
the role of a leader, becauseyou have a role to play.
When you go back to the pannier, everybody energy high you feel
like you win.
I'm sure you had to address theplayers and the fans when you
get back to the pannier.
I've been looking at manyvideos of you addressing the

(17:34):
people in that pannier.
Has it always been the casethat the arranger is a musical
director but also a leader ofmen and women?

Speaker 2 (17:45):
I knew what I wanted to be in this life.
That was given from God to bethis person to lead, to give
directions, to give ideas, butyet still listen the same way in
return.
And I was so, so blessed to getthe opportunity from the BPptt

(18:06):
renegades to stand in front ofthe band as that individual to
lead the band.
Normally you will find someband may have the captain do it,
some band may have thepresident of the organization do
it, somebody may have uh, someband may have uh, a senior role
model in the band doing it.
But I was given the opportunityto stand in front of the band
every single night, talk withthem, deal with them, because I

(18:28):
am I am their go-to individualfor inspiration, so it's not
necessarily the arranger whodoes that with everybody.
Well, not necessarily.
Sometimes it may be on thedominant side, but it is what it
is.
But for me, at BPTT Renegades,when I stand in front of the
band, the level of respect anddiscipline that I get from every

(18:49):
single individual on a nightlybasis is well, well, well
respected.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, well, wellrespected across the board,
because you come in the panyardwith the mission to do our best
to feel happy and to do our bestto feel happy and to do what we
ought to do from day one.
And, with that being said anddone, when I come to the pannier
and I knock that pan and westart a talk and we start a

(19:12):
report and stuff like that I nowtake into consideration.
I have over 150 people in thepannier that I deal with.
They have their day-to-daylives dealing with.
They have their eight to fourdealing with.
Some may have a rough day, somemay have a rough day, some may
have a great day.
So I now see them as my loyalsupporters, fans, friends,
brothers, sisters, mothersinside of there.

(19:35):
So I now come to how your daywas.
Just show them thatresponsibility, that you care
about them and once you givethat personality, genuine
personality to them, that youcare about them.
And once you give thatpersonality, genuine personality
to them, that you care aboutthem, the respect grows more and
more and more every singlenight, because a player who
might come in the band for thefirst time may never was in an
environment where the arrangerwill come up to them hi, how you

(19:57):
going?
Everything cool there,everything nice.
How was it at work today?
You find it strange why youasked me this.
You know it's because I care,because when I, when I, when I
knock that pan on everybodybehind the instrument, I want to
create happy music foreverybody to play.
I want to make that music comeso unificated and come together
as one.
It's just like how I feellife's supposed to be, like how

(20:20):
government's supposed to runtheir countries.
Where in the world you couldfind 120 people playing music
for eight to 10 minutes togetherin unity and love?
Why can't the world be?

Speaker 1 (20:33):
like this.
Yeah, it's a good point.
And you see, the eight to 10minutes is such a funny thing in
music.
Like, when do you start thework to get to that eight to 10
minutes that you do on stage?

Speaker 2 (20:44):
At home.
Yeah, process, do on stage athome.
Yeah, processing the music athome.
Whatever song we're doing, ifit's beth me, um, I, I got the,
the raw material of the songfrom from marsha montano.
I actually stems.
I listen to this song over andover and over and over and I go
through the song, detail, chordchanges, chord graph, movements,
and and I build my, my creativeideas and and how I want to

(21:05):
take the song from one point tothe next point, but yet still
have the mindset of creatingthat frenzy for people to love
what they're playing.
So I operate on a basis where Irise every morning at 3 to 2 am
Right, every morning at 3.30 amRight, and I get behind my

(21:28):
quiet mental happy place and Ilisten to the music in my mind
and I hum, I sing, I even tap myfingers for rhythmic patterns
to put in the song, andsometimes I even get my phone
and I will show a little exampleof it.
I'll show a little example ofit.

(21:50):
What happens is like sometimes,when I'm home and I'm just
there and I'm looking to get apart out and I'll be like this.
That's just one instance.

Speaker 1 (22:08):
I know where.

Speaker 2 (22:09):
I'm living.
There are other people livingaround the neighbourhood so I
have special sticks that I useon the pan and I keep it quiet
so I alone could have it done.
And next one I just do is likethis one.
Here is another version of itwe are.

(22:33):
So when I get this nice littleline and phrase now I document
it on my phone, gotcha, and Iget all these ideas and I gross
them up and I put them together.
Then I go onto my computer andI put them in music notation
form.
I use an electronic steel panwhich was invented by Mr Salmon
Cupid, and I have a computersoftware where every time you

(22:57):
touch that note the note goesautomatically onto the screen,
so it's scoring.
It's scoring automatically Onetime as you touch and you punch
and you play.
And I have young upcomingindividuals in the steel plant
fraternity that wants to learn.
How does Duvon Stewart do it?
Of course, of course.
And they want to come and seethe tour process and how he does
come up with these ideas.

(23:18):
So all these little things, Ijust show you and I show them it
.
It just show you and I showedhim it.
It was like, wow, yeah, I couldimagine.
This is, this is like you know,and this, that, this, this, this
journey and being on that levelreally started with a guy
called Dante Panton.
Um, he is now the arranger forPruman Saliv and he wanted to
see back in the day how I wasarranging.
And I came by him and I saw thestudio and say, okay, well,

(23:41):
have an e, e-prime, let meconnect these two things.
And we, if we start to makethese ideas, come simple, you
know, across the ideas, I, I putthe ideas on the plan, he
transcribed it and documentedand everything was just working
hand in hand.
So so, being in that space andin that creative space in the
morning at 3 am grossing all theideas and grossing all that,
that, that thing, you know, it'smind-blowing for me to see how

(24:04):
I could create all this musicwithin that eight minutes.

Speaker 1 (24:08):
Of course.
So if we finish Panorama acouple of weeks ago, when are
you process starting for 2026?

Speaker 2 (24:17):
For Renegades.
Yeah Well, renegades is a band.
We play the music of the year.
There was only one year wedidn't play the music of the
year.
There was only one year wedidn't play the music of the
year.
The song that came out was 19,sorry, 2023.
Right when we did Black manFeeling to Party, the song was
already unknown, so I know thesong was there already.
Sometimes Calypso brings outsongs so like, for instance, you
know, two weeks before threeweeks before a song now drop.

(24:43):
So it depends, it don't bedifficult.
That is where the challengecomes in to see the creative
gift that this individual haveto do, the masterminding of
putting the music together.
Again, it was done back in theearlys thanks to Anthony
Williams, dr Ray Holman,herschel Pluckray, dr Leon

(25:05):
Smooth Edwards.
These guys did it and theyshowed us the way how it was
done back in their day.
So it was just like theirblueprint and their template
that they placed on the tablefor us.
But now we are living in adifferent way where the
technology comes in.
We didn't have technology backin the day and everybody was
doing by like Dr Jetson, dr LenBoogzy Sharp.
He will come in the party andthen just say the call notes A,

(25:27):
b, c, d, f and what's it?
As you play this, you play that, you play this.
Now everybody's like yeah, youcan score out each section.
It's coaching music properlyand I don't know if anybody
really thinking that deep now.

Speaker 1 (25:39):
Yeah, of course you know what next are we going to
do next with paranormal musicarrangement and stuff like that.
You know, but you are the helmof it, you are in the heart of
it, so that those changes, likeI saw you doing the score, I was
amazed when I saw it.
I was a little junior musicianif I like to play music myself
and when I saw it I said, butwait again, it scored out.

(25:59):
One time I remember seeing aninterview with Pelham Goddard
and Clive Bradley and Bradleywas talking about the difference
between him and Pelham.
He said you see all that sortof thing Pelham doing with music
and explaining notes.
He said I don't know how toread no music.
He said what I come in here todo is just what you show me on
your phone.
Bradley said he would dream upthe melodies almost and the
different sections and the parts.

(26:20):
And he said when I go in thepanyard and I tell you that.
He said if only I drill that.
He said when I come back Ican't remember what I do.

Speaker 2 (26:27):
And he never used to play piano.
No, clyde Bradley, yeah, heused to come in the panyard with
a keyboard, sit, orchestrate inhis mind right on the spot and
let everything flow.
It flowed from there.
It flowed from there.

Speaker 1 (26:39):
So I want to get back to you, because this is a
different era of the pan, whereyou classically trained in music
.
Where did music start for youin life?
You mentioned Dwight.
You were a Tobago, a wee boytoo, right.
What part of Tobago?
Scarborough, scarborough, boy,long St George.
So who are you going to?
A little boy in Scarborough.
Where did the music start?

Speaker 2 (26:57):
for you.
Well, my mom and my dad used toplay pan.
I see my dad was the vicecaptain of Trinidad and Tobago
All-Stars and my mom was just anormal pan player.
She was a big quadrophonicUnderstood, and they took me to
the pan yard a couple of times.
I saw it, love it, and that washistory, yeah.
And then, after I joined theTrinidad and Tobago All-Stars,
the orchestra, the band, andthen I came about a woman by the

(27:19):
name of Mrs G says GwynethArmstrong.
She was the principal for theTobago Bishops High School Right
and also a music teacher, andshe was given the opportunity to
come to work for the band.
At that point in time I had noidea about bass, clef, treble,
clef, quad chart.
Minimum semi-breed.

Speaker 1 (27:39):
That's our next language.

Speaker 2 (27:40):
That's our different language, you know.
So when she came onto the scene.
So when she came onto the sceneshe was like we had a guest.
Well, what are we going to do?
She normally runs a music classin Tobago and the instrument of
choice that she was teachingthe music was a piano and it
didn't really sit well with me.
I just like pan, I just wantedto play pan, I just wanted to be

(28:05):
around with pan.
But I said, well, in order tomarriage the theory with the
practical, using the instrumentpiano, I said let me give it a
go, but yet still, pan is themain thing and that's what I'm
saying.
So, back from the early days,you know, back in 1984, 1985,
when I started as a kid, that iswhere the attention and focus
was given to me and full supportfrom my parents and family and

(28:28):
members of Trinidad and Trinidadand Tobago All-Stars and, by
extension, in 1986, when I camefirst for 12 and under Tobago
knew about 12 and under.

Speaker 1 (28:37):
People remember that boy.
Yeah, man.

Speaker 2 (28:38):
That is why I'm late grade Hazel Ward.

Speaker 1 (28:41):
Redman, of course, of course.

Speaker 2 (28:42):
Maurice on piano and I Hazel Ward Redman and Maurice
on piano, and I had my share ofvictory so you're winning since
back then, 86 years 1986 I won12-1 and that was the birth of
Duvon Stewart on the localentertainment scene imagine that
being part of numerous eventsin Tobago.
When the Tobago HeritageFestival was now starting.

(29:07):
I was part of that um playingin all kind of different
functions and stuff like that,and the tobago trinitalk
all-stars youth band was startedat that point in time and then
I got the opportunity to jointhe band right and to be amongst
other young youths in tobago totravel to trinidad to perform
for festival at the gmp complexcompeting against big schools

(29:28):
that have big school-runprograms like the St Augustine,
the El Dorado, the Wood Trin,the Sandy Grandi Ballin, sandy
Grandi Pleasantville.
And I came about meetingdifferent individuals like Liam
Teague and Sian Gomez andChantal Esdell and Darren
Shepard, and then we started togrow from there.

(29:48):
We took part in a soloistcompetition there and then it
was like a very, very, very,very challenging thing Back in
the day, dave Alcock, this nextlady, sharon Pitt they were
commentating and they wereannouncers for the event and,
coming from Chuntuk, tobagoYouth Steel Orchestra, duvon

(30:11):
Stewart doing Sonata in C byMozart, and we had to come
through the tunnel, walk ontothe Jean Pierre Complex netball
court, solo meal, solo meal andeverybody clapping from wall to
wall to wall to wall If you seea little chubby boy throwing the
air.
Papi, you talk about butterfliesand my stomach was full filled

(30:36):
with butterflies Scared.
And when the announcement wasmade, you get on the podium and
you look in front of you and yousee five adjudicators just
looking at you like this, andyou hear ping.
It's time to start.
But the audience was so quiet.
The only thing that you saw atthat point in time was the cars
that was driving on the floorshow between Diggle Mountain and

(30:58):
Port of Seed.
I was scared to death but Igave it my all.
I gave it my all.
I give it my all.
I came fifth that year and withthat now I got the invitation
to be a part of DMO Coronagades.

Speaker 1 (31:10):
I see.

Speaker 2 (31:11):
Through Jit Samaru, seeing me as a performer.
Oh really, from then, from then, wow, calling back my music
teacher in Tobago.
She want to, he want to getinvolved with this kid.
What could I do to get him so?
When she this was?
At what age?
That was age nine, nine, ten,that's 86, 97.
Yeah 86, 97.
So around that time now I wasdoing my music by Mrs Gwyneth

(31:35):
Armstrong, playing my piano,doing my grades, learning my
things and stuff like that andshe heard the news, she got the
news.
But it was a challengetransferring the news yeah,
because my dad is a big Patellifan and my mother is a big
Desperados fan.

Speaker 1 (31:55):
And they were like renegades.

Speaker 2 (31:57):
Imagine that they were like renegades Enemies
Nothing more than any people.
So it was kind of tough for meat that point in time, but I
didn't know nothing.

Speaker 1 (32:07):
I just loved Pan liked Pan.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
Imagine that the news came.
I don't know what was thedecision or the process in
making this decision, what theygave to me, but I believe it was
tension, mm-hmm.
It was daddy like it all.
I believe it was tension,mm-hmm, because daddy like it
all stars mommy like it.
She armed us.
So it was me in the house onSaturday night for Panorama, and

(32:30):
it was so, luckily, that it was1987 and I heard this band
playing Pan in A minor MmArranged by Chet Samuels Right,
and I said yo, that's my band,that is my man.
At the same time, too, theChicago Bulls was on a dynasty
run.

(32:51):
Yeah, that was a special era Aspecial era, you know, and
Gatorade had an advertisementlike like Mike, gotta be like
Mike, everybody want to be likeMike.
So, like me, I want to be likeJet, want to be like Jet, I just
want to be like Jet.
I want to be like Jet, I justwant to be like Jet.
So I was like following thisman for not knowing that every
performance I do was like anadvertisement for the next one.

(33:11):
I get a call Duvon, we want tobuy Renegades.
And I made my way with a heavy,heavy sacrifice on my parents.
It's for him.
Let's do this for him.
Let me put we all the resourcesall.
We support who for we like onthe side.
Let me support we boy.
You know what I'm saying,traveling down to Trinidad every

(33:34):
Friday on the Geltend.

Speaker 1 (33:36):
So them days you move , you're home and you're coming
down.

Speaker 2 (33:38):
I was going to school .
Still, I was going toScarborough RSC school, I went
to Scarborough Junior SecondarySchool and thanks to the
principals of these institutionsthat I went to Mr Edwards,
congratulations and thanksbecause, come on, if I wasn't
granted the time on that Fridayevening to leave school at half
day, to go home to get myselfready to catch that boat for 2pm

(34:02):
to make my way down to Trinidadevery Friday just to be up
close and personal with Dr JitSamarov.
It was, or is, one of the mostpriceless situations that I have
ever encountered in my life.
And being around thatindividual, the process of

(34:22):
getting there, the sacrificethat my parents made to get me
there, thanks to the phone call,and I just started to build
with that heavy confidence,knowing that the sacrifice that
my parents are doing for me, forme to be at this point, is a
lifelong lesson that I will tellanybody in this place right now
in this world right now.
Always share respect for yourparents, of course, because you

(34:43):
don't know what they're thinkingto make that next hurdle be a
prosperous and a grand one foryou.
And they did it for me.
And here I am, you know, 41years in the business.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
When you say you're 49 and you're in the business 41
years, it's an impressive thing.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (35:02):
I was just destined for greatness at that young age,
you know, and I thank everybodyaround the globe for showing
that love and support, you know.
But at the same time too, I hadwas to go through my fair share
of disappointments.
Of course.
These hurdles and stuff likethat was like life-changing

(35:27):
scenarios for me to evaluate ifI want to be on the bright side,
if I want to be on the darkside.
I saw it all living on NelsonStreet, going to school in UE,
seeing people get killed seeingdrugs, seeing guns.

Speaker 1 (35:35):
So, how you reach from to living on Nelson Street.

Speaker 2 (35:37):
I had a scholarship to go to the UE to do a
three-year course under thecreative art network thanks to
Mr Roald Gibbons and Ms AlisonSeapold for granting that
scholarship to me.
And I had no extended family inTrinidad per se, because when I
came to Trinidad to play withAmokorinigas in the earlys I
used to live on the boat and thetesting.

(35:59):
That's one of the boats thatused to passenger back and forth
.
Why I had an uncle who was thechef on the boat.
That's one of the boats thatused to passenger back and forth
.
Why I had an uncle who was thechef on the boat.
he had a cabin and I just usedto stay on the cabin stay on the
cabin on a weekend and I makemy way up to the to Renegades
and Shafford Quarter byCharlotte Street and I got the

(36:19):
scholarship and I had a friendliving on Nelson Street, got the
apartment, going to school, andit was like a life-changing
scenario for me.
You know, and what age were youat that time?
I was like about 16, 17.

Speaker 1 (36:33):
Wow, yeah, 16, 17, you know, you're a fast, you
know.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
Yeah.
Different to Scarborough right,it was scary.
But one thing I knew at thepoint in time mind your business
, go in, come out.
Because at that point in timemy mom migrated to the US.
Because I didn't come from arich family, I didn't come from
a family that was wealthy withmoney, but I came from a family

(36:58):
that was wealthy with love andsupport.
So for me, living in the areait was just a sacrifice at the
point in time.
As Bojo Bandon say, one daythings will get better, of
course.
Do it.
Do it.
Do it for the love of where Iam and supporting and respecting
the sacrifice that was madeback in the day by my parents.
You know.

Speaker 1 (37:20):
It's such a different thing.
When you I saw the documentary,you were talking about that
before we started, maria Nunes,and who was the person that said
Mark Luquan.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
Right now he's not doing too well.
He has a brain cancer, I see.

Speaker 1 (37:32):
And I'm impressed with him and his family.

Speaker 2 (37:35):
He has been very, very, very instrumental in
having this documentary puttogether and it was by accident
also to this happening.
Really, yeah, covid came aroundEverybody home documentary put
together, and it was by accidentalso to this happening.
Really, yeah, covid came around, everybody home, nothing to do,
and I was just doing someonline facebook steel pan
podcast, I see and I started aprogram called pan chronicles,

(37:59):
gotcha, and by doing panchronicles, everybody was home
and not doing nothing.
So I was just doing somethingfor the form of entertainment,
not knowing the impact that itwas creating.
Every Sunday evening, betweenfive and seven, everybody in the
Steel Pan fertility was lockedon to Duvon Stewart's Facebook
page waiting to see what he wasdoing.

(38:20):
So I had the opportunity tointerview Andy Norellorell,
andrew white, len booksy, sharpum, ray holman, um uh um, people
from from france, laura sangi,matthew borg, um from london and
the dolly dixon.
I was just talking to theseindividuals having their story
out and everybody was talkingabout the journey and their life

(38:41):
and stuff and stuff like that.
And mark lucan was looking atmy program every every Sunday
and he made a call to me, saidDuvon, when we hear about your
story?
I said, well, who going tointerview me.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
He said all right, you can put this in motion.

Speaker 2 (38:54):
And he came on my me during the COVID and we sat for
like about four hours justtalking not knowing he was
documenting me at any point intime, recording me and say well,
duvon, next year you're gonnado man behind the music, duvon
Stewart, everything came to life.

Speaker 1 (39:12):
Well, it's a powerful documentary.
I encourage everybody to checkit out.
I have to go and see interviewswith these, these men too.
You know I mean because I wastelling you before we started
that I find documenting to be anissue.
Let me tell you how bad it isright.
I went Fatimo, okay, and mySpanish teacher was Ray Holman,
and I did not know he wasanything to do with pan.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
I just know him as a Spanish teacher Very very good,
because as you get older, he'slike, yeah, of course, of course
Very intelligent individualListen he's a mess.
He's a mess.
His story had to be.
Same guy, Mark Lukeman, did adocumentary on Dr Ray Holman.
Important work yeah important,important work and the things
that was done at thatdocumentary.

(39:51):
It touched me to the point thatwhat I am doing in the steel
pound world now it's worthcontinuing.

Speaker 1 (39:58):
What I'm doing to encourage others to be on the
part of where I am Well, I'llsay this right when you talk
about coming at 16, 17 years oldand going to move to Nelson
Street if I remove the nameDevon Stewart, and I just tell
you a random child, the oddsthat anybody would give that
little boy in that space.
But it tells us a story becauseyou went there without purpose.

(40:19):
So when I looked at MarkLukeman in the documentary and I
heard it, I saw when you'rewalking the pannier and I saw
you greet almost not almost noteverybody.
I can't imagine how long it'stake you to get to something.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
Something like about 15, 20 minutes, something like
about 15 minutes before Istarted doing anything, because
I get you know, when thedocumentary was released, you
know everybody was like you makeme cry and people was like I
watched it like a series ofepisodes and just trying to find
out the passionate feeling thatyou bring to the game which is

(40:53):
Duvon Stewart, and coming totell the story of how this one
indie video changed my life andmy whole concept in doing my
music and making my music feellike it's going to touch you
whenever it comes to the Paniardand people from Japan, from
Australia, from South Africathis year they came to the
Paniard just to see me.
So when I come to the Paniard Itry as much as possible to

(41:18):
greet everybody who wants tomeet me.
At the point in time the bandunderstands yeah, that is Duvon
Stewart.
We give them that respect, wegive them that play, we give
them that space.
Meet the people, talk with thepeople, but yet still remain
humble and focus on what'shappening and it didn't just
happen overnight just like that.
My path to success was never asmooth path.
I had my ups and downs.

(41:39):
I did wrong things.
I did wrong things, I did badthings, I was a gambler, I was a
smoker, I used to do everythingand I could feel comfortable to
say these things to everybody.
I know fakery to the pointwhere, if I'm genuine to my
growth and be who I am, stevieWonder is my living legend and
my idol going forward.
He never see nothing.
He never see nothing to thepoint, but he's doing great

(42:00):
music.
He's doing great things.
I might see these things.
He's blind, but he's powerfulto make people see what he's
singing and what he's saying.
So I take all these traits andI bring it to my game, bring it
to my A game and bring it to mymindset, bring it to my thought
process and I bring it to musicand everybody's just
understanding what I'm doing.
So everybody just come to say,well, let me meet him.

Speaker 1 (42:19):
Yeah of.

Speaker 2 (42:20):
I feel happy, I feel that I'm worthy of continuing
doing what I'm doing, and it'snot for money, it's just for the
love and the gift that God hasblessed me with, to continue
that legacy and when, as onebright morning, when my time is
over, I will fly away and thelegacy and the stories of Duvon
Stewart will be lived on forever.

Speaker 1 (42:40):
Yeah, I want to ask you about that because now I've
seen over the last and I startedmy podcast during COVID too you
know you're home.
You need an outlet, right,covid boy, covid, isn't it
amazing how some things can be ablessing?
It was a blessing from thebeginning.

Speaker 2 (42:52):
Black Adam said it, you know, yeah, it was a
blessing, yeah, a blessing formany people For sure for sure.

Speaker 1 (42:57):
So when I first started recording and stuff, I
saw things starting to change,I'm sure with work of many, many
people who came before.
But I started to drive.
I used to drop my son to schoolin San Fernando and one day
when I drive there I see thename of the street changed to
Bobby Bahamut street.
And then I see same thing withJit Samaru and you're seeing
more and more people beingetched into the legacy of
Trinidad.

(43:18):
You see in yourself, one day youunderstand that they're going
to be Where's Duvon Street orSavannah, or Park or Stature.
You see it now coming, it'sthere already.

Speaker 2 (43:27):
It's there already.
I am not.
It may sound kind of harsh, butI am receiving my flowers while
I breathe fresh air becauseI've gotten the gift from God to
do what I am destined to do.
I am not saying that I amworthy of a street named after

(43:51):
me, a building named after me, aroom named after me, what I
solely believe in.
If it's the powers that may besee it fits to be done, I'll
accept it.
If it doesn't happen, I stillaccept the gift that I got from
God, knowing that the blessingsthat he gave me my contribution

(44:12):
has affected and make everybodyfeel comfortable, knowing that
we could see somebody that wecould go to and speak to and
have a conversation with.
That is my blessing, gratified,victory, feeling.
It wasn't Neiman's street.
After Duvon's story they saywell, yes, hooray, hooray, or a

(44:35):
highway after him and stuff likethat.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
In return.

Speaker 2 (44:38):
What do you get back for it?
Yeah, I suppose it's just close, but what?
I suppose it's just close, butwhat do you get back from
spreading the knowledge of yourtalent at?
God bless you.
It's like the movie Gremlinyour wet gizmo, yeah, multiply,
multiply your wetter.
Next one more come.
Sure, your wet, more, more come.

(44:59):
And that's what I want to becontinue going forward until my,
my departure on planet.

Speaker 1 (45:07):
Earth comes.
Yeah, you see, that thing aboutlegacy right, and I like, I
like your analogy with thegremlin because again, that 17
year old boy put into thatenvironment in Nelson Street, I
wonder sometimes if youunderstand the impact you're
having on changing the odds ofmany 17 year olds who get put in

(45:27):
them situations just by doingwhat you love and being who you
are.
You know, because that that tome, that's one of the legacies I
feel not being talked aboutenough the fact that you've
instilled that disciplinethrough your leadership and your
talent and your gift and yourhard work, to have a bunch of
youth 150 say you know, yeah,there's 150 people who have
purpose and have something tolook forward to, and a year like
this might have disappointment,but now they have yet next year
to come back.

(45:47):
And, suma, when you talk aboutsuccess, I don't know anybody
who's successful.
You talk about Jordan, you talkabout Dwight York.

Speaker 2 (45:54):
It's really hard, it's really hard, the road bumpy
, yo.
Let me share something.
Man, everybody will not likeyou, but, you see, being
successful, it makes themiserable activate to the point
to say what they want to say, toderail you, to see what you
will do.
But I had a steady course ofindividuals around me supporting

(46:15):
me, which was the people in thesteel plant fertility, who saw
the gift, who saw the greatnessto say well, we're going to
support Duvon.
Let me give you a story.
Who saw the greatness to saywell, we're going to support
Duvon?
Let me give you a story.
In 2016, I was weighing 440pounds.
Wow, I was big, big, big, big,big, big.

(46:39):
I went on a journey, on aweight loss journey.
It didn't go well, right, Iwent to New York in April in
2016, and I made up my mind thatI'm going to do a procedure to
get the weight off.
Sure, I told six individualsMm-hmm.
The manager of Ebony, billLaPierre Jr, my mom, my dad, uh,

(47:04):
roger Dowers and CandaceAndrews-Bloobin Fair enough.
There were only six people thatknew that I went into a surgery
.
Mm-hmm.
Candice Andrews-Bloobin Fairenough, one of the six people
that knew that I went into asurgery in.
Mexico, tijuana, september the6th, and my life changed
drastically when all the weightleft me in like about 12 months.
I lost like about 240 pounds inabout 12 months and nobody saw

(47:30):
Duvon Stewart in the publicspace for close to a year.
But I was alive.
I was there.
The six people know that I'malive making communication In
2017, I went back to RenegadeSpaniard.
Nobody knew what Duvon Stewartwas doing, but the captain was
in the circle and saying I'm thearranger to send the music,

(47:54):
because we always had dialogue.
She didn't see me Okay, got you.
So I was in the panyard aroundeverybody and nobody recognized
who I was.
Wow, wow, wow.
So when she said the arrangeris going to send the music, and
everybody, you know, somebodysaid when the arranger, come in
and I walk.
And I went to the center andeverybody was in awe, the jaw,

(48:18):
jumped the face.
It was in shock to see that isDuvon Stewart Now weighing like
about 210, 220,.
You know and I told him a storyI did a gastric sleeve surgery
in mexico where they did akeyhole insertion and they cut
my stomach right.

(48:38):
90 of my stomach is gone and myintake of food is not like how
it was before.
I have a lot of restrictions norice, no flour, no red meat, no
processed food, no stuff likethat.
What do I eat?
I eat a lot of restrictions norice, no flour, no red meat, no
processed food, no stuff likethat.
What do I eat?
I eat a lot of salads, a lot ofsoups.
You know I eat chicken, but inmoderation, and stuff like that.

(48:59):
And when the players and themsaw me, couple of them was in
tears, you know.
I said yo don't cry.
I did this for you all.
I did this for you all.
I did this for you all becauseI was living a life of obesity.
I could have killed myself dueto obesity.
But God, a divine intervention,came into my life to do this

(49:21):
for Steel Pan, to do it for myband, bbtt Renegades.
Do it for Pan Ellers at thepoint in time, because I was
working for them, and by thatbeing said and done, the public
was.
Do it for pan elders at thepoint in time, because I was
working for them, and by thatbeing said and done, the public
was gathering in the pan here,days after, weeks after, but we
ain't seen Duvon.
We ain't seen Duvon, huh.
So somebody like they make outDuvon and say look, duvon, right

(49:42):
in front of you, get skinny boyknow when the seer lose all her
weight in that short space oftime they know how to answer
You're AIDS boy, you're dyingboy.
The players was like yo stopthat shit, stop that the man do

(50:02):
a gastric surgery.
And with that, when I saw thelevel of defense that I have
within the, within the BPTTRenegades, family players
supported because everybody knewthe story afterwards but the
person who's who's coming in forthe first time looking for they

(50:23):
ain't know, but they ain'tasking a question.
But they quick to chastise andsay and everybody in the band
held it down for me.
Yo stop that shit, stop eventhinking about saying it.
The boy don't have no AIDS.
You know what I'm saying?
He do a surgery.
He do it for we.
And look which body he's.
Right now, 2016, he could notwalk up and down on his stage.
He was like a big mannequin.

(50:43):
Now he running in front of thestage, he jumping up and doing
everything.
Everybody say Duvon cocky andDuvon show off.
But I love myself.

Speaker 1 (50:50):
Of course you must.
I love, from where I came fromto where I am, to riding a horse
on the stage, to be riding ahorse.
You couldn't do that.

Speaker 2 (50:55):
Because 4-4, do you feel?
Ash going to take me on top.

Speaker 1 (51:01):
Ash under pressure, ash under pressure.

Speaker 2 (51:05):
Ash will have turned to dust.
Ash will.

Speaker 1 (51:09):
So it's so nice to see.

Speaker 2 (51:10):
Ash had somebody else 80 pounds, riding him nice and
comfortable.

Speaker 1 (51:15):
I like that.

Speaker 2 (51:22):
But, the story is the bottom line of the story is
that not everybody will lovewhat you're doing Once they have
a support crew that support andlove your transition from where
you're going to where you arenow and going forward.
Presently, that love is sounificated, spreading through
the band, spreading through thecommunity spreading through this
fraternity locally, regionallyand internationally.
I feel blessed knowing that Iam in a fraternity where I am

(51:44):
loved.
I don't even care about whohate me.
I understand you could saywhatever you want to say you
could cast derogatory remarksand statements about me, I don't
care.
Yeah, you have your back,because at the end of the day,
you're on a plane flying fromTrinidad to New York and the
pilot make a little bad fly.
You're going to tell the pilotanything?
Yeah, you're just sitting thereand take your ride.
It's true, but anytime I saysomething wrong or look quick to

(52:06):
go on the social media andchastise them.
That's why I'm not on Facebook,no more.
Oh no, I'm not on the sociallife because, the things that
people do to disrespect peoplein the creative space, but they
don't know deep down inside.
We're doing it for you.

Speaker 1 (52:19):
In the creative space is the engine behind the
country.
I don't think people acceptthat they.
That's why it's so importantfor me to talk about this, the
idea of leadership, like Iremember some years ago maybe
and we'll talk about the storybehind here for love, as well,
as your first large band winyeah, I remember.

Speaker 2 (52:37):
I might be with you.

Speaker 1 (52:40):
But when, um, when I saw the socials, it was going
around with people waving fromShepard court, you know waving
from all the windows above.
You know waving from all thewindows above you know it's such
a special thing.

Speaker 2 (52:51):
That is love Papi.
That is love, it's love.
It's love Sheffield.
That is love Mm-hmm.
That is priceless love that.

Speaker 1 (52:57):
Mm-hmm, and especially because there's areas
in the country that they askthe average person.
They're frightened to go.
They're, they want to livethere.
You put that on a resume.
You can't get it work.
You're immediately screened outand when you see things like
that, it's such a special, aspecial thing, and you are the
heart of it.
So you're going from 2016,.

(53:19):
You lost all the way.

Speaker 2 (53:20):
a different person is in front of them and you have a
love is what 2017?

Speaker 1 (53:23):
18.

Speaker 2 (53:24):
18.
Gotcha and that transition bythat time, you know the
confidence level of me being.
I love who I was before.
No, but health wise, I wasn'tdoing good.
So now that was granted thatlease on life to take care of
your health and let us continueto manifest and mature your gift

(53:48):
with the band.
Going forward and that is where2018, 2017 came around was like
the recalibration process, youknow, recalibrating the mindset,
recalibrating the ideology,recalibrating the thought
process, going forward and Ijust want to stick a pin on that
deal.
Traveling the world reallyhelped me.
Traveling the world and meetingdifferent musicians in respect

(54:10):
to different genres anddiscipline that they do their
music, as God said.
One good thing about musicbecause I see Bob Marley as that
vessel through talking from God, you know, is the universal
language to humanity on earth.
People could talk five, eight,ten different languages.

(54:32):
You could talk that to them.
They may not understand, butonce you speak music to people,
they understand, they appreciateit from where it comes from to
where it's supposed to go.
So me going to France andmeeting guys like Mario Canache
from Magnique, richard Bonnerfrom Cameroon, salif Kater,
miriam Mokiba, ibrahim Maloufand all these individuals that I

(54:55):
had the opportunity to bearound in France.
It really put me in a space ofhumility to accept what they do
with their music and me comingback to Trinidad and fusionizing
whatever knowledge I get fromthem, put it on the instrument
and create that Duvon Stewartsong and style.
That's where one of thetransition changes in the music
for Duvon Stewart, taking itfrom where it is back in the day

(55:17):
to now.
I got the mindset to remainhumble, throw all egos aside and
absorb gifts from God in thehuman form, who has placed it
onto other people.
And being that year for lovestory, from God in the human
form who has placed it ontoother people yeah, and being
that year for love story.
It changed my whole conceptabout doing music.

(55:37):
That's where the slogan came inmaking people see, making
people feel and leaving thatlasting impression for when you
come the next year.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (55:50):
So the health transform, yeah, so the health
transform you, the traveltransform you and then,
unfortunately, it's tragedy thatreally transform you tragedy,
yeah, yeah, you said, forinstance, you're always
fascinated by that like, howdoes a ranger decide what song
to play?
And you tell me have yourprocess three o'clock in the
morning.
But but this one was different,right this one year for love
came from the loss of a friend.

Speaker 2 (56:08):
Yeah, loss of a friend, A loss of a friend that,
um, I really miss up to thisday, you know, and everything
happens in God's time, you know,cause I don't know what would
have happened if he was alivetoday, if I would have happened

(56:29):
if he was alive today, If Iwould have been that person with
that voice to say what I wantto do with music.
But everything happens in God'swork, god's way, you know, and
Die here for Love was a truestory arrangement that I never
really witnessed when he gotkilled, but I felt it in story.

(56:50):
Arrangement that I never reallywitnessed when he got killed,
but I felt it and I heard theshots, which matter was, you
know, and seeing him in a poolof blood being riddled with 11
shots on that Sunday afternoonby an individual who didn't even

(57:12):
know who he killed, becauseWayne Allen was an innocent
individual that showed love andrespect to everybody in the
community in Nelson Street.
But I was still living inNelson Street in 2000, 2016, 17.
And when he passed and he wasburied, I was broke mentally to

(57:38):
the point that I didn't knowwhat song to play for renegades.
I don't know what song to thinkabout for renegades.
But, um voice came on the sceneand he had his um party in
Anchorage and, being in thatdull state of mind, from the
11th to December till the 24thor 22nd I went down to the

(58:00):
Anchorage, saw the party and Iheard the song.
The song wasn't really on mymind, I just saw the everybody
in a frenzy jumping up on a fireand flame chores and stuff like
that.
I I just saw everybody in afrenzy jumping up on a fire.
I got burned there, man, flamechores and stuff like that.
I said, well, let me go back onYouTube and listen and hear
what the song was like.
When I took the time to analyzethe song musically, it's nice.

(58:21):
Then I started to analyze thesong lyrically.
I put it on again.
That was Wayne, yeah, and thatfeeling came right back.
This song is for renegades.
This song is for renegades torelieve myself and to say thanks
to him for what he has done forme in my life, not knowing that

(58:45):
this was the transformation inthe duvon stewart song duvon
stewart, duvon Stewart, flavorin being one of the trendsetters
in the cave in arranging andmany people may say you know,
everybody have the opinions,which I totally respect.
You know, duvon is one of yourgreatest Panama arrangements and
for me, you know I'm living, Iwill continue to do what I have

(59:07):
to do, but competition doesn'tdefy or make me who I am and I'm
just here to bring acontribution to the end of the
game.
Of course, and that year forlove story, it was a story that
I brought from being personallyaffected by losing Wayne Allen
as a friend and bringing it tothe pannier and bringing it to
that end that geographicallocation, which was in the

(59:30):
eastern side of Port of Spain,which is so heavily dominated,
front page news who get killed,who get shot, who get stabbed,
who get robbed, who get snatched, some kind of foreign
negativity that was there italways.
And a lot of people came in thepannier to hear what the band

(59:50):
was playing and that is whattransformed me to bring a
microphone and a speaker in thepannier to tell the story about
the loved ones that was gone andthe ones that live and that was
affected by the loved ones thattouched their life so the
people in the pannier at thetime would have known you lost a

(01:00:11):
friend so closely yeah theyknew Because every time I come
in the panyard I told them thissong is for Wayne you know, and
he was around the panyard Beforeback in the day.
Wayne was a big face to supporther.
I see, I convert him to arenegade.
That's what I'm saying.
You know what I'm sayingconvert him to a renegade that's
true.
Friendship, that's true he comein his pantyhose and he get his

(01:00:33):
t-shirt.
You know he see me, he come inline with me and show his
support.
You know, because every morningwe used to wake up I had my
birds at the time and he he comeout on the corner Queen and
Nelson Street and he greeteverybody, good morning.
He used to sit morning.
He was sitting down and talkingto me about life and how things
was with him when he was livingin the US.
He get deported and he said boyDuvon, you's a big one.
You know you got to be a bigone.

(01:00:54):
You know I do it to make themistakes I make.
You know I rob people.
You know I smoke cocaine, Isell cocaine, I do all the drugs
and stuff I know have and mashup the world.
Imagine that.
And when that was said to mefrom him it was like an

(01:01:15):
extension of somebody shouldlove and support you, because
that was said in the earlys withmy parents.
That was said early by my peers,my friends and things like that
.
But when he said that hesolidified that whole statement
to me on the Nelson Street, Isaid yo.
You received it, just do it likeNike, just do it, just do it.
And everything that's unfoldedto see that greatness.
And I believe again, it waslike a divine intervention that

(01:01:38):
came from God to have thisperson be the human form vessel,
to come to tell me God, tellhim to tell me to do them thing.
Be yourself, just go, do, dothem thing.
Yeah, be yourself, just go andshow your gift, what God blessed
me with.
But he was a human form of theuniverse and then, after, while
God said, his life was taken theway to connect me in a more

(01:02:01):
peaceful place, to give music,to make people understand where
I am going with my craft yeah,so what is it like telling that
story in the pan?

Speaker 1 (01:02:08):
emotionally, emotionally, we even start that
I am good with my craft.
Yeah, so what is it liketelling that story in Nippon?

Speaker 2 (01:02:10):
emotionally, emotionally.
We even started that story.
It was.
It was heartbreaking, man, thattime's like while doing music
in Nippon.
I had it.
I would come in Nippon at like9 o'clock and they might be
running apart and boom, it hitme and I'd disappear and going
home.

(01:02:30):
And they might be running apartand boom, it hit me and I
disappeared.
I'd gone home crying, crying,crying and the practice went on
and everybody understood whatwas going on, you know, and the
passion and the expression everyplayer had behind their music
to perform their music.
The heart and soul was put intoperforming that music.

(01:02:54):
So when we came to perform thatmusic on the 7th of January, it
was fearless, it was withconfidence.
We're doing this and we'resupporting Duvon on his journey.
You never know, some playermight lose an aunt or uncle or
brother or sister that getrobbed and shot.
And they played with that samepassion too.
And the leadership in front ofthe band, by me standing up in

(01:03:21):
that painful moment, gained morerespect from everybody at that
point in time.
Even breaking down in thepainful moment.
Yeah, yeah, they call, the onein your home is safe.
All right, cool, we'll see youtomorrow.
Then ask that question afterGotcha.
Gotcha, I will come in thepanyard.
And I just try not to run thatline, that statement, that
phrase, again, because I wasbeing so expressive in putting

(01:03:45):
gunshots relating the 11 shotsthat he got, and there was a
part of the song that I did, anexcerpt of Black Starlin Fire Go
, burn them, fire, burn them,jono.
This is my time for burning.
The person that killed Waynewas in hell, so I was burning it
up now to see the man.

(01:04:06):
It wasn't easy.
It wasn't easy.
It wasn't easy, charlie, itwasn't easy it wasn't easy at
all, but I overcame the pain andthe players brought joy to my
heart.
I can imagine the communitybrought joy to my heart and
support to me, and then again,too, the victory in 2018 just
was overwhelming.

Speaker 1 (01:04:26):
Well, it's something I want to add to what you're
saying, because you said whenyou do the surgery and somebody
comes to talk some shit, it wasoverwhelming.
Well, it's something I want toadd to what you're saying,
because you said when you do thesurgery and think somebody come
to talk some shit, the panniercome and they embrace you and
they say hey, don't say thatabout the man.
It's not that you see it as thesame embracing when you lost
your friend, or they embrace youand bring that title for you
and for him.

Speaker 2 (01:04:45):
There was no ifs, no buts, no maybes about the level
of love that was given to me atthat point in time, and I thank
them because I'm a very strongspiritual person that prays
every day.
I thank God for life.
It shows.
When I'm on the stage with theband, I make the sign of the

(01:05:06):
cross and I say thank you Father, thank you Jesus.
How it's a beast to be, but Ido this in your name and I'd be
grateful and thankful for it.
You know, competition doesn'tdefy who I am.
It doesn't make or break me orwho I am.
It just makes me to the pointof my contribution to the
fertility.
Again, one bright morning, whenmy time is over, I will fly

(01:05:28):
away, but my legacy will be hereto stay forever and ever.

Speaker 1 (01:05:32):
Yeah, that's for sure , Because it's such a to talk
about his song.
Right, A few different things.
I want to talk about that songhere for love, Because I heard
you say in the documentary aswell, the lyrical content of the
song is so poignant to where ithad gone through In terms of
somebody losing their lifestupidly, the person who would
take his life.
You say you saw you live to seehim lose his life, which is in

(01:05:55):
the song.
Yeah, see it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:55):
That's when I saw it.
I saw the guy got killed, theguy who killed Wade Allen.
I saw him when he got killed.
I was on my balcony on theNelson Street riddling gunshots,
because I was living on LowerNelson Street and what separates
the turf war and Nelson Streetis Prince Street.

(01:06:16):
So people from Lower NelsonStreet can't go past Prince
Street, not even me.
And the person that killedWayne it was a person that came
down to make a statement.
Anybody that walking around inthe hood it could have been me.
That Sunday evening I was in thepan, you know, cleaning up and

(01:06:38):
playing cricket and just beingjolly and happy with everybody
being conscious, rolling,rolling down the place, he said.
He said I done nothing but I do.
One voice in my mind I saidhope nobody get pick up place,
he said.
He said I don't know anythingabout Duvon.
In my mind I said I hope nobodydidn't get picked up.
You know, boom, five minutesago, a phone call.
The principal, the PE teacher,roger Martin, called me.

(01:06:59):
Oh, big D, your pad is in apool of blood here.
Boy, wayne McClap, I break down,jump in my car, drive down the
road.
I just seen everybody aroundhim.
I just walk up to him and I waswatching him break down in
tears.
Everybody knew who the man was.
But then again, at that pointin time, living in around that

(01:07:20):
area, if somebody come and saywho killed Wayne boy, the first
answer they gonna give you Idon't know, because nobody don't
want to become involved, buteverybody knew who the man was.
They see the man.
So I was just in the midsthearing that conversation and
you hear all the rhymes.
They say who killed the man?

(01:07:40):
And out of the blues, boom, theturf was still going on.
Everybody wore this this, this,this, this this territorial
rank and fame, and through theguns and stuff like that, he
came down again just to bemiserable and they emptied it
out to them.
Oh, I see it.
And it documented in the song,in the song, yeah, in the

(01:08:01):
arrangement, and the feeling andthe emotions while telling that
story, writing that song.
At that point in time, king wasin that song.
At that point in time, king wasmind-blowing.
It will last forever, it is, itwill.

Speaker 1 (01:08:11):
It is and it will last forever.
Yeah, and it's funny that voicesay in that song too what is a
real bad man?
You're calling yourself a badman.
Yeah, I listen to that song somany times and I hear one of the
things a real bad man is doingis protect the community.
And I wonder if you seeyourself as that real bad man in
that moment too, because youtake something that I think

(01:08:31):
could break people's hearts.
I watched that and I saw you.
I started watching it in thecar and listening to it and I
had to stop.
I said now, boy, I had to goand see this home.
And when I hear you talkingabout this, somebody can't
believe that you're going on astage to put on a performance,
because a lot of people mightwalk away from the 150 people
and say I just can't do it.

(01:08:52):
So what was your emotion likeon this stage that night at that
performance?

Speaker 2 (01:08:58):
The players were with me, the community was with me.
We played band number one andthe portion of individuals that
were supporting the band.
We even saw other band members,other bands coming around,

(01:09:20):
Renegades coming to push theband, but I didn't know if they
knew the story at the point intime or they saw how powerful
the band was executing the music.

Speaker 1 (01:09:30):
And by that means everybody knew you were winning.

Speaker 2 (01:09:31):
Everybody was like, but we felt confident.
When we were in the pan and wewere doing it, we was like yo,
we're going to win this band,we're going to win this.
But when it was made public,when it was made via the YouTube
and stuff like that, everybodyyo Renegades win, renegades win.
And we built on that confidence.
Band number one final night onthe 11th of February, we went to

(01:09:54):
do what we were set out to doand me, knocking that pan, I was
trembling and okay, one miss abeat, one BPM miss it could have
just show everything off,understood, but I was well held
together by the players, thesupport from the community and

(01:10:14):
other steel band members knewwhat story was taking place at
the point in time.
As the band done play, I walkedthe opposite way, went straight
home.
Yeah, I didn't stay, I didn'tstay.
I took my phone off until I washome.
At the point in time and Iheard like two bands saying
we'll have a listen to Panamanow and then, after I take the,

(01:10:39):
I said let me go up in theSavannah and take a lime.
And that's where Dante and Iwas liming in the grandstand and
the results was calling,because at that time, I know,
medium band took place thatnight and the large band took
place that day and Pan Elliscame first in 2018.
I was like, okay, nice, youknow, that was win number five

(01:11:01):
and I felt happy.
I felt happy, you know, but Iwore the big one.

Speaker 1 (01:11:07):
So that was the only win on the night.

Speaker 2 (01:11:08):
No, I won Panama, I won the two Panameras.
That night I won the medium andlarge, you know.
And while the results wascalling out, you know, I was
just getting more emotional,more emotional, more emotional.
I feel like the roof of theSavannah was just opening and
Wayne just telling me go foryour trophy, boy.

(01:11:29):
Tell them criminals to sit downand rock back.
Let them go and look for workbecause they're too damn evil.
Go for your prize.
And the band was declared winner, broken down, emotional, you
know, can imagine a happy relief, that, a moment that I will
never, ever forget in my life,because every Steve Panaranger

(01:11:53):
dream is to win a Panorama as anarranger.
And I had my opportunity at thelarge band category, which is
like the creme de la creme forthe BPTT Renegades, who was in
drought for like over 20, 21years.
And with that victory I cameback down to Charlotte Street.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And with that victory I cameback down to Charlotte Street,
traffic between Oxford and ParkStreet A carriage, a carriage.

(01:12:18):
So when I was visible forpeople to see me, I made the
entrance from the Park Streetentrance, walking up with the
trophy.
Yes, and everybody was likedon't fall, don't fall, don't
fall, no, and everybody was likedon't fall, don't fall, don't
fall.
You know it was.
It was magical man.
Then after took me like about anhour to get in the party.

(01:12:38):
You know, you know people tookthe trophy from me and everybody
was like you know, like youbring back joy to the community
and yeah, and we can tell you,we got to watch over the place
and no more robbing, no morekilling, no more crime happening
in this area.
But, duvall, you's be king here, but you's be king here.
So when you see the garbage bagand the love and the support

(01:12:59):
from the community, it's not forme, it's for what the band
bring to the community.
Yeah, yeah, the energy and lovewhat the band received from
doing the good things for thepeople who live around the area
feel so happy.
So it was there.
It took me like about 20minutes to go behind the band.
I just love it.
Took me about a while to meet,from bringing the trophy to come

(01:13:20):
into the pan and give a victoryspeech.
Many things happened that night.
The next thing that happenedthat night, too, was her parents
.
They weren't staged.
Oh yeah, my all-stars mother.
Yeah, my kiddie mother, sorry,my.

Speaker 1 (01:13:37):
Desperados mother and my all-stars father, yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
The two of them say, well, yo, tonight we is
renegades Just like Wade huh.
Just like Wade.

Speaker 1 (01:13:45):
And I convert them again too, so when.

Speaker 2 (01:13:48):
I can't really repay my parents for the financial,
this whisper that they gave mein my life, but what I could say
to them is that I'm verythankful for the support that I
received from them and everytime that I'm feeling or I am
victorious, in my true likenessand image, with what gift I was
blessed with and they can feelit I feel happy that I have

(01:14:11):
repaid them in such a way thatthey could feel happy and proud.
That is my son, I would imagineany parent yeah because when my
mom in the train I know she'sthe bus in New York, she's
traveling from point A to pointB she'll just be sitting down
there because she I already gavesome real bad last night good,
imagine right, I got a real bad.
But she's sitting down and she'sjust chuckling she's chuckling

(01:14:32):
and saying they don't even know,that is my son but, she ain't
going to look around and tellthem that is my son or not, but
she's feeling happy knowing thatI doing something to make she
happy thousands of miles away,because I gained the sacrifice
that she made for me.
Of course, they didn't comefrom no wealthy family, but I
came from a wealthy family withlove.
So again, the haters are goingto be there.

(01:14:55):
They're going to see the hate.
They're going to always bethere.
But to the haters, all they'redoing is making me more happy.
So continue to hate, godanointed, continue to hate me.
If all of you don't like it,call the police for being
confident and successful andhappy.

Speaker 1 (01:15:12):
Well, yeah, successful for sure, because you
went on to dominate from then.
Yeah, what was your next win?
Big back, because you weretelling me before we started
Tell me your wins in totalbefore we get to big back.

Speaker 2 (01:15:25):
Locally I have 12 single prime, 10 single pan, 10
consecutive 10 consecutive.

Speaker 1 (01:15:34):
That's why the haters hate you keep going.
Now I'll tell you why thehaters small ban.

Speaker 2 (01:15:40):
I got two wins medium ban six consecutive retired
from my category, all with yeahand the victories in that ban
six consecutive retired from thecategory, All with Panellas and
the victories in that categorywas so, so, so memorable to the
point where we had preliminary,semi-final and final and for the

(01:16:02):
six years six by three is 18,no ban in the medium category
defeated Panellas, unrodeotedvictory.
I won every single round everyyear for six years.

Speaker 1 (01:16:17):
Time to retire from that right.

Speaker 2 (01:16:20):
I step away from the category because there are a lot
of young boys coming up, youngarrangers coming up.

Speaker 1 (01:16:25):
I'm not about me.

Speaker 2 (01:16:26):
Make space for change , make space for growth, make
space for continuity.
Some people for growth.
Make space for continuity.
Some people might say, oh, I'mscared and I'm scared.
No, who scared me?
Freeland?
You know what I'm saying.
I opened the door for others tocome in because if I was there,
still the engine that PanElders was operating on at that
point in time, we wereunstoppable.

(01:16:47):
The chemistry was there, thelove was there, the teamwork
effort was there, going on tolarge.
I have four large bands andevery one of the four large band
victories were pole to polevictories.
Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
All the way through, all theway through, I started with
Renegades in 2012.

(01:17:08):
I came forward all the waythrough.
I started with Renegades in2012.
I came forward 2012, 2013,third, 2014, third, 2015, third,
2016, third, 2017, third.
So they was calling me Duvonnythird, yeah, like King James.
Third.
I said yo, this thing ought tostop.
Jed, this thing ought to stop.
Boy, I sing at the school.
Duvon, the third year.
Duvon, the second year.

(01:17:29):
I say alright plan for them yeah, I come up with my, with my
divine intervention story.
The real, true story.
The year for love, and a newengine was placed in Duvon from
440 to 180 and the mindset nice,the flow.
Nice, the gift.
Nice, the music flow.
Nice, come first.
2019, another memorable year.

(01:17:50):
What was the song then?
In 2019, hook it Me.
Ah, fuck, yeah, that's fam andhappy, right.
And that year now I arrangedfor three bands, right, the
first arranger to win threeconventional panoramas in the
category era.
In the same year I win small,medium and large.
If I had an advantage, Iwouldn't say advantage, I just

(01:18:11):
give for the blessing I get fromGod to do what I do man.
Next thing I make I come in andsay they say I'll cook you in
the food.
No, that is just the level ofconfidence that I have
integrated, but whatever crop ofplayers that I have at my
disposal, I deal with discipline, I deal with transparency.
I deal with discipline, I dealwith transparency, I deal with

(01:18:31):
love and I deal withtogetherness.
When I bring all these thingstogether, I bring my music.
Let's execute and win.
This thing Got you.
You know what I'm saying.
2020, going for the hat trickbecame second Right.
So every time I go to attemptto win a hat trick.
2023, black man Fills the Party.

(01:18:52):
Blow the Park Away DNA.
2024, blow the Park Away.
We're tied with All Stars.
And um 2024, 25, beckner hefell short, became second, but
again memorable performance,memorable performance.
Again, I see my story as a workof art and blessings from God.

Speaker 1 (01:19:16):
And in progress.

Speaker 2 (01:19:17):
Right, Don't say it like it's done Night and done
Because, as ArnoldSchwarzenegger said, I'll be
back.

Speaker 1 (01:19:23):
I'll be back, so has he a plan for next year?

Speaker 2 (01:19:25):
Let me ask you this no plans for next year no plans
yet no plans for next year.

Speaker 1 (01:19:29):
How the pendulum swing Make it happen, but you
said that you tend to want touse a song from this year.
Was it often because there wasa time when you could only play
Panorama songs from the yearthat it was composed right?
Was it often that change youthink it's a good thing?
Change the what.

Speaker 2 (01:19:44):
Now you could use songs from pretty much any year
yeah, but um, I believe, Ibelieve, the, um, the medium
bands could benefit from it inthat point, because the way how
the competition is is laid outthe time when a new song of the
year comes out.
The medium band already startedno control.
The last bands is the latter,the last of the lost.

Speaker 1 (01:20:07):
So you could wait for .
You could wait for it, youcould wait.
I understand.

Speaker 2 (01:20:10):
But medium bands can't wait.
But it may have a song thatreleased early November or early
December that sung.
It nice that the medium bandscan work.
But what happens for thePanamera, now that they get an
opportunity to play songs fromin the past which is a good
thing, but I'm going to say thispublicly this, which is a good

(01:20:31):
thing, but I'm going to say thispublicly this is just my
opinion there are songs thatneed to retire.
Yeah, how much time is it goingto play Johnny Gotcha?
How much time is it going toplay Panini Minor?
I will never play these songsagain.
No, anytime.
I'm doing a medium band and aband back in the day won with
the song.
That song is supposed to be inthe Hall of Fame.

Speaker 1 (01:20:51):
Oh you're saying Kitchener retired the song,
retired the song.
That might be an idea.

Speaker 2 (01:20:54):
Retired the song.
Retired the song becauseremember, in that era, between
the 70s until the mid-90s, whenKitchener was alive, kitchener
music was dominant by far.

Speaker 1 (01:21:06):
By far.

Speaker 2 (01:21:07):
Sparrow music was there.
Then after DeFoste would comeand he seen it was there.
Now and again you might hearsomebody do something else.
But Kitchener music wasdominant.
But it had men like Sugar Alloshad some nice songs and Bali
had some nice songs, mm-hmm andthe Llamo had some nice songs.

Speaker 1 (01:21:32):
Shadow had some nice songs.
It has songs that need toretire, so let me talk about
that now.
The Pan song versus the song,because Hook In Me is not a Pan
song.

Speaker 2 (01:21:38):
I don't mean even something called a Pan song.
You don't think so?

Speaker 1 (01:21:40):
No, but there's this notion that Kitchena Corita
Blanca was a Pan song.

Speaker 2 (01:21:44):
No, do Backpack was a Pan song.
God chill.
No, do Back Back was a Pan song.
Yeah, gotcha, gotcha.

Speaker 1 (01:21:49):
Do they hear me, was a Pan song.
So you're listening to a broadspectrum of music and just like
A broad spectrum, it's notnothing.

Speaker 2 (01:21:54):
Not because they say Pan in A minor is a Pan song.

Speaker 1 (01:21:57):
Or Pan here to stay is a Pan song.

Speaker 2 (01:22:00):
Woman on the bass is a Pan song.
Do Back Back, yes.
Did he talk about Pan on it?
Yeah, yeah, is that a big song?
Yeah, or DNA?
Dna?
It had nothing to do withpanning it.
I didn't know it was made forpanning, but it has some songs.

(01:22:23):
I just want to elaborate on this.
Sure, if I grant many timesPlease To the arrangers that are
coming up now, or to the powersthat be Pantry and Bagel, I
would like them to make a ruleOnce a song has won in any
category or any pass, retire it,retire it.

(01:22:44):
It becomes a point where 2016,three bands could play Johnny.
2017, four more bands playedJohnny.
Yeah, but Sugar Hallows hadsome nice music.
And then, too, something thatwould start back in the past,

(01:23:08):
and we had to thank Dr RayHornman-Frit for us to get back
into composing our own music forthe instrument to play, and
that goes along the line.
We have to marriage the culture, art form in Trinidad together
with the Calypsoians.
Calypsoians now do not sing forPan.

(01:23:29):
They don't sing with Pan inmind.
Bethlehem didn't come from aPanyard concept.
To own way didn't come from apan-yard concept.
To own way didn't come from apan-yard concept.
So we need to take time and getback that craft of what Ray
Honman, dr Ray Honman was sayingback in the day so he's saying

(01:23:51):
marry the arranger with thecalypso, not the composer.
I see that as a way goingforward, because we're selling
the product.
We're selling the product.
We're selling the product.
You know, Of course we'reselling the product and my son
buy us here too.
Again, it has places in theworld that Calypsoians never go.
That steel pan went Very.
Renegades went Hong Kong.

(01:24:14):
Renegades went Jordan.
Who Calypsoians went Jordan?
Yeah, that's not sorry.
Renegades went Saudi Arabia.
Renegades went Russia.
Who calypsoed and went Russia.
If we could have packages ofthe tool, the gift, Trinidad and
Tobago going forward, marriageand these art form, cultural,
creative individuals, thecalypsoedians, we could only

(01:24:35):
benefit.
We could only benefit to growthe things much more better.
Yeah, the only time again.
I'm not against theCalypso-nian.
I respect all of them.
Sure, but at the same time too,Carnival is a product.
We have Calypso, we have Pan.

Speaker 1 (01:24:50):
We have Mars.

Speaker 2 (01:24:50):
That's so much elements here, these things, and
have packages going out tomarket the tool of course.

Speaker 1 (01:24:57):
Well, I think the Calypsonians sees the benefits
of it, because when you go on apanorama night, for instance,
the artists who get played onthe night making the time on a
carnival Saturday night to makesure they're on the stage and
applaud them for that.
Voice Kes Marshall.

Speaker 2 (01:25:12):
Lord Nelson, who, again, you know, whoever
available, because I just lookto go and get them.
Yeah, I just want them to comeand see the Panyard.

Speaker 1 (01:25:20):
Lift the players right.

Speaker 2 (01:25:22):
Yeah, because when Marshall Montana walked in
Renegades Panyard this year,kids was just running to him and
he was so humble to receivethem, hugs, photos, autographs.
He come and talk to the playersand everybody was like we in
martial space, we playing themusic, and he was in the pannier
on a frequent note yeah, coming, supporting, liming, vibing,

(01:25:47):
even on stage with a flag wavingsupporting the band going
forward.
The band came second.
He called D.
We gonna go again.
We gonna go again.

Speaker 1 (01:25:58):
D second he called D we gonna go again.
We gonna go again.
D we gonna go again, and Isupport him on that.

Speaker 2 (01:26:00):
You know, beautiful.
Same thing for voice too.
Voice with with excellence.
You see, the marriage and the,the support voice was along with
Skiffle.
His song was played there too.
He was there, he was supported.
So just give me back thatlittle love and respect and the
same thing that, if we compose asong, just give me that support

(01:26:22):
and the offering.
That is what all we asking for,because all the time we doing
your music, we doing your thing,the next thing we do a song
that we compose for you to sing,some of them say, nah, I ain't
singing that.
That's what you mean.
Yeah, that's what you mean.
Come on, we have a plan.
Let's go both ways.

Speaker 1 (01:26:38):
Let's go both ways.
Let's go both ways.
No, you talk about travel, andeven you talk about Pantide
going to places thatCalypsonians never went, and so
on.
You're telling me thatlecturing is one of the things
you're doing in universities.

Speaker 2 (01:26:51):
Where's the university?
Again, visiting San FranciscoNew River High School, out in
the west coast, San Francisco,Catonsville High School, Florida
Memorial.
Well, I'm based in France, so Iwork out of the University of
Nantes, Gotcha, when I do a lotof masterclasses and lectures

(01:27:13):
and workshops and performancesand where students come to get
their PhD or their certificatein the arts of playing, music
being part of the maleinstrument, and I've been doing
that since 2002, with theinvitation by a guy called Mr
Mokhtari.
He's born in Morocco but livedin France and he's a.

(01:27:38):
He's a musician by professionbut drums, and went to Venezuela
in 1996 with his wife, just avacation and he had some couple
free days.
He came to Trinidad and he sawPan.
He is a Muslim believer, hepractices Muslim faith and he
fell in love with the instrumentthrough the invitation in

(01:27:59):
meeting Mr Mark Guerra, deceasedMark Guerra.
So by connection, he stoleCairo, Tokyo.
He went back to France.
He told the message on thepeople in France that he saw Pan
.
This is something that I wantto bring back here.
He came back in 2000, sorry2000, sorry 1998.
He sorry 2000,.
Sorry 19, 1980, he came backRight and he scooped up some

(01:28:20):
brothers deceased Kenneth Rossand legendary arranger pan man
Tommy Critchlow took them backto France and they took back
some pans and some diagrams andsome things from Cape Tokyo.
So they have a float in France,in Nantes, at the Calypso
Atlantic Steel Band that is thename of the band that they have

(01:28:44):
that have everything thatreplicates what Cab Tokyo has.
So everything is you did itthat?

Speaker 1 (01:28:50):
way, we love the same float.
We love the same float.

Speaker 2 (01:28:52):
Pans were built, pans were made, the program got on
board, grants were given to theband.
Everybody got in tune of seeingthe steel pan.
They started a stage side.
The stage side led on to goingto different parts in Nant.
The advertisement of theinstrument was there.
Trini music was done.
Trini food was implemented.

(01:29:15):
Trini culture was implemented.
Mass limbo, tambo-bambo,everything the story of Pan was
like a movie, a video, a play.
Back in the early 2000s, tommyCritchlow fell ill and they
wanted somebody to come.
I was working with La JocataPan around the next semifinals
on Frederick Street, this guywoke up to me.

(01:29:36):
I need to talk to you.
He said do you want to comeFrance for three months to teach
man?
He said, yeah, why jump on aplane, quick, quick, as he would
like me to respond Right there.
I can't talk no French at all.
So, by extension, all theyouths who go into school and

(01:29:56):
receive free education.
You see a into school andreceive free education.
You see a tuition that theyreceive from school, whether it
be maths, english, foreignlanguages, learn it.
Children go to school and learnwell, because you never know,
down in life you're going tocatch real hell.
I catch real hell because Ican't talk no French.
So I'm watching people now.
I thought they were cussing me,you know, I thought they were

(01:30:17):
cussing me.
You know, I thought they werecussing me, boy.
I thought they were cussing meuntil they said no, duvon, we
love you, we love you.
It's a song song All I rememberBonjour Duvon, ça va, ça va toi
, ton qui ça va?
But, inside you're talkingFrench too.
I speak a little French becauseI don't understand what they're

(01:30:38):
saying, but it's been nice.

Speaker 1 (01:30:42):
you know the language change and stuff like that.

Speaker 2 (01:30:43):
It's been nice, you know just mixing the new thing
with the old thing.
Of course, you know.
And everything paid off.
Nice, you know.
So build a program, build aprogram, build a band, until the
association was built to thepoint that there's no
organization.
Association, that isoccupational space for everybody

(01:31:04):
in Calypso Atlantic.
So we have teachers in thereteach pan every day.
Oh nice, From eight till five.

Speaker 1 (01:31:10):
So the children are using this as part of a general
music program.

Speaker 2 (01:31:12):
General music program .
With that happening now thereare schools in the region, in
the Atlantic region of France,that has planned on their
curriculum Right.
So we go around, we sendteachers from the Calypso
Atlantic band to go there toteach pan, you know time
semester and mock tarry.
So I go back every year betweenthe months of April to June

(01:31:36):
July, just between the months ofApril to June July, just to
oversee the program Makes senseand students get their grades,
their PhDs and stuff like that.
But it's not on a competitivebasis.

Speaker 1 (01:31:46):
Yeah it's not the same as here.
It's not the same as here.

Speaker 2 (01:31:49):
They see the tool as a tool like the piano, the
saxophone, the trumpet, makemusic and compete with yourself
in making music and selling yourmusic.
It's advanced, get advanced,because the way how the thing
happen out there is governed byunions.
You know, the music space outthere is protected and run by

(01:32:11):
unions.
Now Understood, because theyhave four seasons.
We could gig in Trinidad fromJanuary to January, you know, I
suppose they have a window, sothey have four seasons.
We could gig in Trinidad fromJanuary to January, you know, I
suppose they have a window, sothey have a window.
They will gig from March toOctober, because when that cold
season nobody can stand upoutside and play.
No pan, you know.
So you laugh.
It's the first thing I tried,not me, not me.

(01:32:34):
I ain't doing that.
They're going to pay me a wholetime.

Speaker 1 (01:32:36):
So you know what my next question gonna be when you
say that, right, depending onthe school curriculum in
Trinidad, where, how close we isto that, is it something we
should have?
Where are we?

Speaker 2 (01:32:47):
we confused, we confused in a confused state.
Everybody who know me for yearsI've been advocating for this.
I've left school in 1992.
I had my junior secondaryschool teaching in Tobago, in
Scarborough Junior SecondaryMusic was on the syllabus, on
the book list and the instrumentof choice that I had was to get

(01:33:11):
to learn to play music was arecorder.

Speaker 1 (01:33:15):
Say it to me sooner.

Speaker 2 (01:33:16):
Say it to me soon.
And still in 2025, it is stilla recorder.
Say it to me sooner, say it tome soon and still in 2025, it is
still a recorder.

Speaker 1 (01:33:23):
Yeah, my son just went in Form 1.
I had to buy a recorder for him.
I was so annoyed.

Speaker 2 (01:33:27):
You're living in a country that you claim to say is
the national instrument.
You put it on your coat of arms.
It's a national instrument.
You put it on a coat of arms,it's a national instrument, but
yet still you have over 500national schools that are
teaching music, but you're usingthe colonialism brothers and
sisters tool.

Speaker 1 (01:33:48):
So let me ask you, because this is where the
resistance has come from.
Right, you pick up aninstrument.
An instrument is something thatI tell my son all the time.
He's playing keyboard and wecome from a parent family, so I
play a little quattro guitar andthings.
But until you do that hundredsof times, your muscles ain't
going to work.
I just keep telling him youhave to treat it like how you
ride a bike.
You have to do it till youcan't forget Facts.
So one of the issues is theysay the recorder is cheap.

(01:34:12):
You can just buy a recorder fora child.
How are we responding to that,the fact that a recorder is a
cheap instrument?
We'll take one or two before wedo two.
I don't make sure.

Speaker 2 (01:34:21):
The pan could be cheap too.
No, the pan could be cheap Oncewe create a market for the mass
production of the instrument tobe for what it is and you have
multiple people be on board.
You occupy a space, a market tocreate new pan tuners, new pan
makers, an industry where thepan could become affordable.

Speaker 1 (01:34:44):
So what he's saying is we have to make it the way we
want it to be.
We have to make it the way wewant it to be Okay.

Speaker 2 (01:34:49):
We have one pan factory in Trinidad and Tobago
that it's called Medco, run bythe Hardcore Brothers alongside
Mr Aqualit.
Their system of having pansmake is they get the drums from
Japan, they ship the drums toTrinidad, they build and make

(01:35:12):
the instruments here in Trinidad.
They ship the pans again out ofTrinidad to Ohio to Chrome,
come back to Trinidad again totune in to make it a final
product.
Japan, trinidad Bill makeTrinidad Ohio Chrome Come back.

(01:35:32):
It was a cost on that.

Speaker 1 (01:35:33):
It must be expensive.
Oh man, no, but you tell me howthey doing it in France again,
you was telling me they maketheir own pans there.

Speaker 2 (01:35:39):
Okay, they make their own pans there.
There are good, good pan makersout in France.
Guys like Laurel Alsange isfrom Guadeloupe.
He go across to France and hemake pans.
There's a guy who was living inthe french region now by name
of darren dyke.

(01:36:00):
They make pans across there andsource and and this might shock
plenty people have you everseen or known about the reverse
version of the pan?
They call it the hung.
No, I didn't see it.
It's a.
It's a.
It's a.
It's a street instrument.
It's a nice percussioninstrument.
They play with the hands.

Speaker 1 (01:36:10):
I think I see it on social media.
People are investing more inthat than steel pan Big time.

Speaker 2 (01:36:22):
We need to implement this music, this instrument, in
all the schools because we havea wealth of knowledge of pan
makers around.
We can make the pans.
We have UTT, we have Custard,we have UE.
We have an influx of studentsgoing into these institutional
spaces to learn music, to learntheory, to learn steel pan thing

(01:36:47):
when they graduated.
And they come out, wherethey're going?
Yeah, yeah you could employ allthese people and put them in
schools and make the thingbecome compulsory.
Take the recorder out of theschools.

Speaker 1 (01:36:59):
Put my left hand in the bottom and no, that's one of
the things that people who areagainst this or who give
resistance to this.
One of the other things theysay is again coincidentally, I
learned to play one song on panin my life.
It's pan in a minor, justcoincidentally right.

Speaker 2 (01:37:13):
Big song.

Speaker 1 (01:37:14):
Of course of course.
Incidentally right, Big song, Ofcourse.
Of course I get you now.
But when you start to learn astring instrument you're going
to have to harden this.
Your fingers are the colors.
There's no way around it.
You've got to go through thepain first To do that.
You've got to love it and Iwould assume that the pan will
have similar stories in terms ofwhat needs to be done to become
good enough to play pan.

(01:37:34):
You're at a basic level, right.
So the resistance people givingus.
They say the recorder easy whenyou put one finger you make a
note.
You put the next finger, youmake a note what do you say to
that?

Speaker 2 (01:37:45):
that's why Panama semi-finals is what it is
everybody come to party and limeand have a good time and not
listen to any valuability thatcomes out of the instrument when
planned claim.
We don't respect it.
We don't respect it like again,they said it's a national
instrument.
What is the charges of defacingthe national flag?

(01:38:08):
What is the charges of defacingor killing the scarlet ibis?
What is the charges of doingthe coca-cola injustice but your
Ibis?
What is the charges of doingthe Coca-Cola injustice when
your name is still found inNational Instrument, where you
know?
I drive around Trinidad andTobago and see the joy drum in
front of all these placescollecting garbage.
What is the charges for that?

Speaker 1 (01:38:30):
Oh Lord, oh man, I'm sorry I asked this question now.
It went worse than I thought alittle while ago.

Speaker 2 (01:38:36):
I just think, deep this thing is in my DNA.
I love pan.
You know I don't like pan.
I love pan.
You know, right Me, I'm new tothis.
Now, I'm true to this Right.
So when you want to name thisthing, the National Instrument
think about what you're doingfirst before making it the
National.

Speaker 1 (01:38:53):
Yeah, man, meet me one time long before the Quota.
Well, at least I know the Quota, I'm just going on.
They had a company namedTrinpad.
You used to print all thecopybooks and a big steel pan on
the front.

Speaker 2 (01:39:02):
They had a big steel pan, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:39:03):
You see big steel pan on the front.
But we learned to record it inschool.
I never liked it.
As somebody who loved music too, I never understood as a child
why I couldn't to school and Iwould say I would say that,
being around Fatima with my songoing there, now I had little
brothers who went presentationas well.
The musicianship in schools isamazing.
The youths now, the kind ofmusic they're playing at a young

(01:39:25):
age it is top notch, yeah.
So I don't understand peoplewho say that because they record
, it easier to learn music.

Speaker 2 (01:39:43):
I don't buying that.
I ain't buying that Wholesale,no retail.
I ain't buying that Wholesale,no retail.
Because if you put 10 youths inthe school system in Jamaica
and you ask them about theirmusical icons, where's their
real name, they will tell youoff the back foot.
You know they love that thing,you know.
Ask a child in Trinidad andTobago who is McCarthy Lewis.
Ask them who is SterlingBettencourt.
McCarthy Lewis is Calypso Rosenobody that don't know we never

(01:40:06):
take time to teach them about wething about we local, what we
local history.
I believe it's a subject Imight be overdoing it, but what
I'm saying by we are the teacherabout what we local history.

Speaker 1 (01:40:17):
But if you're bringing a recording school, but
it's not very, it's not so muchlocal, social.

Speaker 2 (01:40:23):
I don't know, I ain't sure it's how people be just
driving around the streets andseeing everybody getting
advertising, the billboard, theJay-Z's and all this.
Where is Dr Len Bookty Sharp?
Yeah, where is this one or thatone?
Teach the people and them about.
I believe every boy and girl InTrinidad and Tobago Should be

(01:40:46):
able to play National anthem andparty.

Speaker 1 (01:40:48):
Yeah, I believe that Even more than that, a greater
100%, we could create A little10 songs, because when they and
me record it, you know what theyused to tell me poop, poop,
poop, poop, poop, poop, poop,poop, poop.
So if Mary had a little lamb asa standard, why we can't find a
simple calypso or a simplesocal or a relevant calypso?

Speaker 2 (01:41:07):
or socal from this year, of course.

Speaker 1 (01:41:10):
So my response to people who say they record it
too hard, right they also pantoo hard I find maths was hard
but they didn't want to take itoff the curriculum.
Maths hard like it.
So if children go to school tolearn and something difficult,
it's a matriculation system.
You can teach them simpleversions of it until you reach
at maths in form 6.

(01:41:30):
Right, they do it for everyother subject but they don't see
.
I was talking to a scrunterrecently and he said that
anytime you hear that yourschool over, you get a drop from
a motor car, take the number.
He said that being on thecurriculum in Grenada.
Every school child must learn.
Look at that.

Speaker 2 (01:41:47):
But I learned that from around.
Look at that, the mostdifficult thing in life is to
breathe fresh air.
Yeah, everything else after isa mindset to make it work.
If you choose not to make itwork, that is your business.
Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
But in France they make it work.
Cannes is on fleek, oh my god.

(01:42:07):
In the US, in the Midwest, inthe West Coast, man like Dr
Eugene Avotni and all these guysacross in the West End, yeah,
west Park Dr Ray Holman was inSeattle, tom Miller in Denver
University these guys have somewicked, wicked programs out

(01:42:28):
there.
Liam Teague is out in NIU andhe's flying the flag nice out
there and representing the artform in such a way.
And a marriage should havetaken place where all these
graduates had come out so by soand UCT and all of them go up in
the NIO and meet Liam of course, important, important.

Speaker 1 (01:42:48):
I have a little brother who's studying in San
Francisco I can't remember thename of the school.
He's doing film scoring as hismajor, yeah, as his major yeah,
and you know when I see hisapproach to music.
He came back recently and hedid a whole a matter of fact,
the beginning of this podcast.
I have two openings.
One is a Panside playing apiece and the next one is a
rhythm section and people mightknow that he went.

(01:43:10):
He came the other day and partof his project for his thesis,
he went Endung, point 14 andrecord your Rhythm Section live.
Okay, so he has a RhythmSection album coming out, an
engine room album, nice, of justRhythm Section, straight Rhythm
.
So I wonder how much sometimes.
I mean he had to leave here.
He born and grew in Sandow,went boys school, went present.
He had to leave here to getthat.
Do you feel you'll live toPan-Widestream accepted in

(01:43:35):
schools?

Speaker 2 (01:43:35):
Yeah, it could happen , you know.

Speaker 1 (01:43:37):
It could happen.

Speaker 2 (01:43:42):
I believe we have a president in the pantry bagel
now that she has a big heart.
It's Ramsey Moore.
Yeah, beverly Ramsey Moore.
Congratulations to her on hernew team.
And she has a big heart to thepoint where it's like picking a
leaf from a tree.
It wouldn't turn brown one time.

(01:44:03):
And one of the things that wehave within ourselves here is
not to take time to see changetake place.
Everybody wants to see thatwith a snap of a finger, her
finger, but they don't know theprocess of where it was before,
when she took it over, to bewhere it is now and where she's
destined to go with it.

(01:44:23):
And it all comes with teamwork,it all comes with understanding
the demographics that comeswith it.
And I believe she's in a spacewhere by individuals to have the
listening ear to take it to adifferent place.
So, the belief in the dream ofwe seeing what was explained by

(01:44:44):
you to see, I believe we couldget a scene yeah, boy.
That would be a beautiful thingto see, it would be a blessing
to see.
Yeah boy, yeah, it's like, youknow, the gardener Eden.
You see a snake crawling andthen biting her body.

Speaker 1 (01:44:56):
If that didn't happen , I can't wait to see it she
doing the work.

Speaker 2 (01:45:03):
Yeah, she doing the work.
Just take your time, she doingthe work.
You don't have to, you don'thave to worry.
You don't have to worry becausejust leave her, let her carry
it.
Good, she got to carry it andbet me, it happened, it happened
well listen, it had no betterplace to wrap up.

Speaker 1 (01:45:17):
Good, he got to carry it and bet me it happened.
It happened.
Well, listen, it's not nobetter place to wrap up than
this.
When I was watching thedocumentary I said but why they
make it part one and part two?
But now I understand why.
Because every question I askyou, I feel like I want to ask
you something more.
If you want part two, you getit.
Well, good, I'm glad to.
They're ready to pull you out.
But listen, this was a greatconversation.

Speaker 2 (01:45:36):
I appreciate you taking the call and coming
through.
This was it's a pleasure.

Speaker 1 (01:45:40):
Pleasure meeting you from seeing you over the years
and something that I want to seewhen you talk about Ms Ramsey
making those changes, I want tosee people like yourself not how
to teach nowhere else.
If you don't want to, youshould be recognized and
teaching in schools throughoutand not just pan on music,
because I feel like themotivation and the inspiration.
That's exactly what I'm saying.

(01:46:00):
You're all doing something withyouth.
I hear the president say thepannier is a place, that it's a
holy place.
Of course, is it the holy place?
It is the holy place.
I wonder if we're taking thatfor granted sometimes.

Speaker 2 (01:46:12):
Criminals don't come inside the pannier.

Speaker 1 (01:46:18):
I at the Paniard or no?
Well, you say, when you win oneof the first things, imagine
that you come back with a trophyand people saying we're done
with crime.

Speaker 2 (01:46:21):
We go protect Hill, and it was done.
It was course.
How many criminal activitieswas recorded around the eastern
side of Port of Spain, where theRenegades Paniard was taken
place.

Speaker 1 (01:46:31):
Well, listen, like you, I lecture part-time time
too, right, and there's a theory.
The whole theorist orpsychologist my name is maslow
talk about the hierarchy andneeds, right.
One thing he's talking about is, at the most basic level of
humans, what we're looking foris food, water, shelter, cloded
pinnacle of human form as far asman look, and so in a
self-actualization.
True, and what I talk aboutevery time I teach, in any

(01:46:54):
course I teach, I talk about thepan, because a man might, might
, you say it, you know, a manmight be grieving, a man might
be hungry, a man might bedealing with relationship
problems, but when they hearbang pa, pa, pa, pa pa, it's
such an important thing Beyondthe recorder and the pan being
in schools, you see, that's whathe's doing, pan.
He's calling youths to order.
That is what's going to savethis country.

(01:47:15):
Many people who are still inthat same city talk as if
everybody's a winner.

Speaker 2 (01:47:18):
Do you feel the president wasn't mindful of what
she said and PresidentChristine Kennedy wasn't mindful
of what?

Speaker 1 (01:47:23):
she said she ain't guessing, she ain't guessing.

Speaker 2 (01:47:25):
Yeah Boy, listen, everybody stop, everybody stop.
And they're listening todirections going forward.
The same youth who they saycan't listen.
The same youth who can't listen.

Speaker 1 (01:47:38):
And who wants this?
And they're unbending the sameyouth.
And you know, when you sayeverybody stop, I want to add to
that because I was talking tosomebody the other day and they
say, when you do that, theplayers stop, I say not the
players, everybody, everybodystop.
I see it in the pan finals thisSaturday night, the night when
you went on the stage and you doa point display, people ball
when you make the sign and youcross the ball.
They don't know what to expectwhen they see you.

(01:48:00):
But when you went to that panyou hit to your kind of, you
almost go to do it and you stop.
And then I see your thing andthen you do it and everybody
stop, they stand, stop, playerstake attention.
So so so, why, why, why?
Would there be anythingdifferent?
What she's saying in terms ofthat model being what save us

(01:48:22):
from what we are in today?
It's a no change, you know.

Speaker 2 (01:48:24):
Prime Minister, president, but how many people
are taking heed to see the modelfrom the steel plant community?

Speaker 1 (01:48:30):
Well, you say Beverly Ramsey, more doing the work.
You tell me.

Speaker 2 (01:48:32):
No, she's doing the work.

Speaker 1 (01:48:34):
I ain't just fabricating now, apart from the
work, is that, yeah, yeah,conversations like these
sensitizing people becauseyouths gravitating towards it?
In other words, I seegovernments many years right
Every time election coming up,election season, you know, and
they build community centers.
And I wonder if sometimes thepeople in power realize that the
Panyard is a community center.

(01:48:55):
It is a community center, sowhy we don't?
Just, I wonder how come wedon't just forget our community
center?
Many of them, they buildcommunity centers and they, they
might, they fade away becausethe best village and them taking
community centers was apowerful tool for keeping us in
gear back in the day.

Speaker 2 (01:49:10):
True, now I see places like maloney, the bill, a
mall or shopping place becausebusiness and commerce, it's
important in any community, butI wonder how come they don't
build them things around thepanyard if you walk into the
Massey Trinidad All-Starspanyard, it's not just a panyard
, it's like a mall, it's ashopping centre, it's a place to
release and enjoy yourself.

(01:49:31):
Just an animated statement.
You're on the eastern side ofPort of Spain, something
happening.
Just an animated statement.
You're on the eastern side ofPort of Spain, something
happening, and you're around apannier and you're looking for
safety.
The first place.
People just look to see whatthe pannier is.
Serious, come on.
Who does that?
Get it?
Nobody coming inside of there.

(01:49:51):
Safety, they're not coming inthere.
They're not coming in thepannier and disrespect that holy
place.
They're not coming in there.
They're not coming in thepanier, holy grail.
They don't disrespect that holyplace.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
They're not coming in thatspace to disrespect that place.

Speaker 1 (01:50:05):
Boy listen.
The more you talk, the more Iwant to talk, Because I grew up
in St Jim.

Speaker 2 (01:50:08):
If you want part two, 763, help, we're going to do it
?

Speaker 1 (01:50:10):
763 help.
Where are we going to get theIn?
763 Help, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (01:50:14):
That's a number.
Yeah, I didn't even check that.

Speaker 1 (01:50:17):
No, check it.
763, help.
But listen, you talk about holyplace and it takes me right
back to a boy in St James,because when I grew up in St
James, the panyard was that, butalso, you see, the Hussayad.
Yeah, yeah, the Hussayad wasthat.

Speaker 2 (01:50:28):
It's a holy place it, thankful and grateful, knowing
that the instrument that we play, that was granted as a gift
from God, came from God, youknow, for us to know that he did
this to save us also, you know.
But we ain't thinking that bigbecause they see it as we can

(01:50:52):
just play it and, after it done,it's a place of healing, it's a
place of happiness.
It's a place of healing, it's aplace of happiness, it's a
place of comfort, it's a placeto bring love, unity amongst any
creed and race in the world,from country to post, from north

(01:51:13):
, south, east, west.
Yeah, yeah, they come right inthe pannayard.
How many people has had theopportunity to go into Marshall
Bontano rehearsal space?
Yeah, imagine that.
Nobody.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:51:26):
Close to that lock.
When you're outside, stay out.

Speaker 2 (01:51:29):
Who does go and see Kesper perform and rehearse?
Nobody.
The pannier is the only spacethat everybody does walk into
free to see entertainmentbetween 8 pm and 2 am, sometimes
3 am.

Speaker 1 (01:51:45):
Sometimes seven nights a week.

Speaker 2 (01:51:47):
Seven nights a week, and you're telling me that place
is now a holy place.
Yeah, so you're telling me thepresident of Trinidad and Tobago
, madam Christine Kangaloo,wasn't mindful about what she
was saying.
Of course, but many people inTrinidad and Tobago were
Christine Kangaloo, yeah, wasn'tmindful About what she was
saying Of course, but manypeople In Trinidad and Tobago
Taking heed Of what she wassaying.

Speaker 1 (01:52:03):
Yeah, we had to Pay attention to her.
We had to pay attention.

Speaker 2 (01:52:05):
It's like when Remember when we were In primary
school, we used to line up Inthe workplace Of course, hands
up, hands up, out, out and put,pop your hand now yeah, but
listen, the one that talks amillion.

Speaker 1 (01:52:17):
You in control of that, that version of hands up
and out.
You controlling that with yourdrumstick every year.
Thanks very much man.

Speaker 2 (01:52:23):
I appreciate that.
Another place.

Speaker 1 (01:52:24):
I want to close on where I always listen to Blakey
Singacalypso, named SteelbandClash.
Right, he talk about fight andback and all in, and it's
amazing to see that what wasknown in the steel band movement
for if Exodus and this one meetup or if it's to whatever it's
have apartheid, we see Tokyocoming down beating slow on the
box of Renegades and fight that.

(01:52:46):
That going to be the thing thatbring us back United and not
Trinidad and Tobago that we loveand know.
So I want to thank you verymuch, brother, not just for
coming here today but for doingeverything you're doing.

Speaker 2 (01:53:00):
It's, brother, not just for coming here today, but
for doing everything you'redoing.
It's important.

Speaker 1 (01:53:02):
I appreciate everything you do.
Thanks very much, man.
Thanks a million.
Now I understand, um, Iunderstand your specifics what
you drink to a diet restrictiondon't tell them I'll be drinking
water Outro Music.

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Episode 223 | Duvone Stewart

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Episode 223 | Duvone Stewart