What This Pan Book Did For Me –Kamau Odinga

Kim Johnson’s The Illustrated Story of Pan took me away from my reading of Hubert Harrison’s “When Africa Awakes” and ushered me into a solid weekend (April 17-18) of Pan.
Pan Memories, like Sunland, the Tunapuna Steelband with members like “Dalgo,” Silver,” “Joe Dog,” “Monkey,” and “Wolf-Man” were quickly recalled.

Somewhere between eight and ten, some 63 years ago, I can see myself on the Eastern Main Road J’Ouvert Morning in Sunland, and I recall the heavy iron section. I was born in Tunapuna and lived the first 15 years of my life on Balthazar Street, a stone’s throw away from Ramlogan Gas Station, where “Dalgo,” Silver,” and the others washed cars, played cards, and protected their turf. They were known as the Pump Boys.

The memories of Hilltones and Nightingales, two other Tunapuna Steelbands, came more slowly. They were teased out as I got more into the book. Hilltones? Tunapuna Road? Where was this band located? After all, I lived on Tunapuna Road for a time. Then slowly, it started coming to me. Was that the band on Tunapuna Road near Mrs. Nan? Dr. Efebo Wilkinson clarified, “It was opposite Mrs. Nan, near the Ahyoungs.”

Now this Nightingales thing kept bothering me. I could not picture a panside on St. Vincent Street. Okay! The Headleys, I could; they did live on St. Vincent Street. I grew up knowing the younger brothers. I was on Tunapuna Road, one street over. Some believe that Nightingales was in the Headleys’ yard. But, perhaps, it was before my time in 1948 to 1952.

This book made me recall Mrs. Melda, my mother’s friend who every year played mas in town, and “Sailor Morris,” our neighbor who played a sailor in Tunapuna. The Jemmott family, Orville Wright and Desmond Waithe brought back a flood of memories. I know Roy Augustus but was unaware of his significant role in the administrative thrust of the movement by way of Pan Trinbago.

The power plays at work for influence over the Steelband Movement by the P.N.M. and N.J.A.C. were revealing. So too was the African spiritual influence, the role of women in general, and music teachers in particular, on the development of the Steelband.

This book took me to Google and YouTube for a more in-depth awareness and understanding of Bertie Marshall, Ray Holman, Teddy Belgrave, and Ellie Mannette. For me, this weekend was indeed one of “P.A.N.,” supplemented by YouTube. Late into Sunday night, I said, “Look how far we have come, and look how much I am enlightened.”

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Kamau Odinga is a Pan-Africanist Community Organizer based in Hahnville, LA.