The Professor Of Pan
Ken Philmore is from the island of Trinidad and Tobago, birthplace of the musical instrument, the steel-drum (a.k.a. steel pan). “Professor” is one of the top steel-drum soloists in the world. His fascination with the steel pan began when he was only four years old.
In 1974, at age of fifteen,
he joined the Hatters Steel Orchestra with the intention of developing his
skills as a player. On one of
his early visits, a member jokingly remarked “who is this young kid with
these old fashioned glasses?”, referring to his bone rimmed spectacles, “he
looks more like a ‘professor’ than a pan player”.
This is an alias which Ken proudly carries today and aptly suits this
experienced, gifted musician. In his
first year with Hatters, he was selected to tour Minneapolis,
U.S.A.
.....read more about the professor
Antigua Observer: Regional musician wow crowd at Jazz Festival
HEARTBEAT OF T&T
Steelpans (also known as steeldrums or pans, and sometimes collectively
with musicians as a steelband) is a musical instrument and a form of
music originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called
pannists.
The pan is a pitched percussion instrument, tuned chromatically from a
55 gallon drum of the type that stores oil. In fact, drum refers to the
steel drum containers from which the pans are made; the steel drum is
correctly called a steelpan or pan as it falls into the idiophone family
of instruments, and is not technically regarded as a drum or
membranophone.
The steel pan evolved out of earlier musical practices of Trinidad's
Afro-descendants. Drumming was used as a form of communication among the
enslaved Africans and was subsequently outlawed by the British colonial
government in 1883.
Everyone listens.
