RAY FUNK and ANDREW MARTIN
Pan pioneer the late Dr Clifford Alexis will be the subject of a special tribute at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The tribute will feature a special memorial concert in honour of the influential tuner, pannist, composer, arranger and educator. It will showcase a steelband comprising former students, bandmates, and friends and will be held on November 12.
Pannists from across the globe, including Antigua and Barbuda, Canada, Jamaica, Japan, Trinidad and Tobago and the US, are scheduled to play in the memorial steelband. Many of them were former students of Alexis at Northern Illinois University (NIU) where Alexis co-led the steelband programme from 1985-2016.
[caption id="attachment_981363" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Yuko Asada of Northern Illinois University is one of the organisers of the tribute to the late pan pioneer Dr Cliff Alexis.
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The tribute is being organised by Yuko Asada of NIU and Dr Elizabeth DeLamater, an NIU graduate who has taught at UWI and other institutions, including the University of Wisconsin, – Oshkosh. Asada took over the master tuner’s role as instrument technician for the NIU steelband programme on Alexis’a retirement in 2016. Asada also leads the NIU community steelband and was recently featured in the Women in Pan film series created and produced by Mark Loquan and Maria Nunes.
Several notable TT NIU graduates will be travelling to PASIC to perform in the tribune concert for their former teacher, including Dr Mia Gormandy-Benjamin, Akua Leith, Seion Gomez and Barry Mannette.
Gormandy-Benjamin says the educational focus of the Percussive Arts Society is the perfect backdrop.
“PASIC is a prime space to honour the great Dr Clifford Alexis,” she said. “Given the historical significance of his work and his legacy that has continued to live on, I am honoured to be part of the celebration of his life and contributions to steelpan.
“The stage will be a representation of what was, what is, and what will be in the world of steelpan, all in the name of Dr Cliff Alexis.”
In addition to those travelling from TT, several TT nationals now teaching in the US will also participate, including Josanne Francis, Kenneth Joseph, Jason Woodley, Joshua Bedeau and Daron Roberts.
Besides his work at NIU, Alexis also worked closely for decades with seminal American-based pan programmes like Dr Eugene Novotney’s at Humboldt State University in California and Dr Larry Snider’s at the University of Akron, Ohio. Both will be attending the tribute to their late friend and colleague.
Novotney noted: "Truthfully, the Humboldt Calypso Band owes its entire existence to Clifford Alexis. Cliff was the inspiration for the band, made all of the original instruments for the group, and was our first ever guest artist, way back in 1987.
[caption id="attachment_981360" align="alignnone" width="768"] Cliff Alexis playing in the
