Steelpan Serenades: An Overview of the Trinidadian Classical Fusions by Atiba Chike Williams
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Tichea Ferguson
Central Artist: Atiba Chike Williams
With this playlist, the sounds, talent, and artistry of the English-speaking Caribbean will be highlighted, where we will particularly study Mr. Atiba Chike Williams of Pleasantville, Trinidad. As his name is being heard more throughout the region for his prodigious talents on the steelpan, he is also making a name for himself in the world of music composition. Even though his mother thought him to be possessed when he displayed his musical talents when he was one and a half years old, he has gone on to become quite the accomplished musician. Just like his musical inspirations, Len "Boogsie" Sharpe and Richard Bona, Williams blends the unique melodies from Trinidad's steelpan with the more structure European classical compositions.
First, we will take a look at a piece entitled, Sonata for Piano and Steelpan. Sonata being the classical music term for a piece of music that is played by a piano or an instrument accompanied by a piano. Hence the definition, the performance features a piano and steelpan. Williams plays this piece with an unnamed piano player at a school/college auditorium; this video was recorded live so whatever the musicians say to the audience is not completely clear and somewhat inaudible. However, the music can be heard enough to appreciate the beauty of the musical piece. Throughout this sonata, Williams employs the rolling technique while allowing those particular notes to crescendo in order for the audience to appreciate the beautifully full sound of this instrument.
Next, we have the steelpan solo performed by Williams called Impressioni d' Inghilaterra, which in English means England's Impressions. What was quite interesting at the beginning of this performance, Atiba began the song by hitting the outer part of the steel pan. In my opinion, this sound emulated the sound of a church bell and organ (those that are common to the bells in the Church of England). Also, the rapid section of the piece really shows the artistry and talent that Atiba Williams has, he aptly maintains the notes and the sound made resounds throughout the space where he is performing. It's songs like these that make me want to appreciate classical music more, such as listening to it while studying.
This next performance is of a song with the title BAAP, the Hindi word for father. Mr. Atiba Williams is once again accompanied by the bass guitarist and drummer for this piece. For this song, the bass guitar can be heard more alongside the steel pan melodies. Also, something that is different with this song performance, Atiba actually switches between the steel pans for the song. It still amazes me how he does not mess up a single note and knows exactly when the song requires a different sound. I love the part of the piece when all the musicians play in unison, I think they all blend together well. Atiba's songs and covers are quickly becoming my favorites to listen to.
Here, in this video, is the legendary Len "Boogsie" Sharpe who is one of Williams' biggest musical inspirations. In this video, Sharpe is playing at the Moods of Pan Festival in 2008 in Antigua playing the song Summertime. This jazzy tune has taken on many different sounds by numerous artists since its debut in an opera. This performance, in particular, sounds remarkably similar to Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong's version of the song on August 18th, 1957. Accompanying "Boogsie" with this performance are conga drums, a drum set and keyboard. Sharpe masterfully navigates through this challenging song with ease and even adds scatting to it as well. It really is mesmerizing to watch as he makes the steel pan sound as if it has always been in the original arrangement of the song. I can see why Atiba Williams looks to Mr. Sharpe for musical and compositional inspiration, he truly is a steel pan master!
In this next performance by Williams, he takes on the song, St. Thomas by Sony Rollins who is a famous American tenor saxophonist. Rollins wrote the song after the USVI nursery rhyme "The Lincolnshire Poacher" which he grew up hearing sung by his mother. Atiba has a bass guitarist and drummer with him for this performance.The beginning of this song reminds me a lot of a Bahamian song we know, "Mama Bake Your Johnny Cake, Christmas Comin'". So, the song is very catchy, in my opinion, and gives a real Caribbean sound to this jazz song. Also, there is a section fo the song near the end where Williams playing the steel pan and the drummer have a conversation through the beats, rhythms and harmonies each other instruments produce.
Finally, we will close out the playlist with one of Atiba Williams bets and most impressive cover performances, Giant Steps originally by John Coltrane, American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. This is also the name of his 1960 album, the single of the same name is technically very difficult to perform/replicate for other musicians. Williams, however, casually performs this intricate song as if it's as easy as saying the ABCs and 1,2,3s. It is very evident that with Atiba attempting this difficult music piece, he challenges himself regularly and practices his craft just as often. After hearing this piece played by a steel pan it solidified my belief that Atiba is a musical genius making his mark in the music industry while staying true to his roots as a Trinidadian.
Cunniffe, Thomas. “THE MANY SOUNDS OF ‘SUMMERTIME.’” Jazz History Online, July 2023, jazzhistoryonline.com/the-many-sounds-of-summertime.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “John Coltrane | Biography, Songs, and Albums.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Sept. 2023, www.britannica.com/biography/John-Coltrane.
Gangelhoff, Christine E., and Cathleen P. LeGrand. Tour De Force: A Musical Journey of the Caribbean. 1st ed., Sound Caribbean, 2019.
BBC Music Magazine. “What Is a Sonata? From Definition to Examples, We Dive Into the World of Sonatas.” Classical Music, July 2023, www.classical-music.com/features/musical-terms/what-is-a-sonata.
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