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Let us celebrate Clive Bradley who gave us great
music for Panorama
It is not often that a country produces so many geniuses in
so short a time period. Since Trinbago achieved its political
independence from England in 1962, many of its citizens have
excelled in the arts with one of its controversial sons V.S. Naipaul
receiving the Nobel Prize for literature. But Trinbago also gave the
world its musical geniuses. One of them was Clive Bradley. This year
labor day I saw Clive in the Pantonic Steel Orchestra panyard in
Brooklyn. We talked about the steelpan and where it was going in the
21st century. Clive expressed some ideas that he had been
toying with but said that he was reluctant to implement because the
steelbands first priority is winning the national Panorama in
Trinbago and that sometimes caused distractions. One of his main
concerns was that the soca material with which he had to work was
not up to the standard like the music of former years. But, he was
confident that the two steelbands for which he was arranging,
Pantonic and D’Radoes, were going to be strong contenders in the
Brooklyn Panorama.
I first met Clive at the Port of Spain Town Hall in Trinidad at the
weekend show called Sunday Serenade. At that time Clive was playing
bass in Felix Roach jazz trio. He belonged to a group of musicians
who called themselves Beatniks. Clive was not yet in the pan world.
He was in the jazz world which later extended to combos world of the
1960s becoming the arranger for the Esquires Combo band. Apart from
playing music Clive taught mathematics at his alma mater Fatima
College, one of Trinbago’s most prestigious colleges. Later he
taught at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Trinbago’s
highest institute of learning. I believe his role as a math teacher
provided him with the intricate knowledge of the music world because
of the mathematical connection to music. Clive was a great teacher
and his students loved him. Clive had a way with students that
encouraged them to learn. I once watched him teaching a pan
arrangement to a group of teenagers. He was patient and caring. He
never raised his voice. Clive could get kids to play whatever
arrangement he chose while others may have a hard time doing so.
Clive could take an unknown steelband and make them a Panorama
winner as he did with the Nu Tones Steelband 1998 with David
Rudder’s tune High Mas.
I was privileged to know Clive and his second wife (now ex) Ann, who
was a good friend of mine before she married Clive, and his two
beautiful children. I sincerely express my condolences to them.
Clive Bradley, in my opinion, is the greatest pan arranger of the 20th
century. Clive made his name as the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra
chief resident arranger since the 1960s. Except for the break when
he left to arrange for other steelbands, namely Nu Tones and
Deltones, Clive has guided Desperadoes to many Panorma wins with his
latest win Oba’s Pictures on my wall in 2000. Of all the tunes Clive
arranged for Desperadoes perhaps the most fitting is the tune “The
Greatest” on the now famous silver album. As I listen recently to
the words of the song I really believe that it fits Clive because he
is the greatest of all pan arrangers. Let’s take a walk down Clive’s
memory lane and his pan achievements. His most recent achievement in
the panworld was his winning the first and second place in the
Brooklyn Panorama with the two Brooklyn steelbands Pantonic and
D’Radoes for which he arranged. This remarkable achievement made him
the only pan arranger to date to have the two steelbands (Pantonic
Steel Orchestra and D”Radoes Steel Orchestra) for which he arranged
win first and second place respectively in the same Panorama, 2005
New York. Also, he is the only arranger who achieved a triple win
(1998, 1999 and 2000) with two different steelbands, namely two with
Desperadoes Steel Orchestra and one with Nu Tones Steel Orchestra. Added
to that achievement, his arrangement of Toco Band for Nu Tones
brought them the third place position in the national Panorama of
that year.
As we celebrate Clive’s life his pan legacy will always be
associated with the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra. The people of
Trinbago will miss him. But, it is the people of Laventille who will
surely mourn Clive Bradley because it was through his genius that he
brought their community steelband fame and success with his pan
arrangements. I believe that the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra will
pull out all their inner strengths and replace Clive. With Clive
they built an institution of which they can be proud and his passing
will only be a transition to greater heights. As we celebrate
Clive’s passing I call on Pantrinbago not to let his memory die by
naming the Panorama first prize trophy “The Clive Bradley Arranger's
Trophy” for best arranger because it is the arrangements that allow
steelbands to claim that treasured prize. What better way to
celebrate one of our geniuses!
Farewell Clive! I will continue to play your music, especially in
November to tell you and the world how special you are.
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