Global Grooves - Creating Carnival, Trinidad and Tobago 2014
In December 2014, a group of nine musicians, dancers and visual artists from Global Grooves took part in a two-week R&D visit to Trinidad. The team worked with local arts organisation Arts-In-Action and the University of the West Indies to explore new partnerships, research Trinidadian carnival and plan future projects. Below are some blogs from members of the team about the trip.
Visit to City Sun Valley Pan Yard, Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Wednesday 3rd December 2014
''We arrived after a long drive (delayed by several enormous trees from a landslide) and piled out of the taxi, desperate to breathe the air and feel the heat again after a longer-than-anticipated stretch of air con and 80s ballads! A 30 second walk down a backstreet saw us arrive to yellow, rusted gates with metal rays welded together to enclose this sunshine space. We were greeted by a friendly welcoming air, despite us obviously standing out like a sore thumb.
The music leader Dane and manager Gerard welcomed us with their smiles and kind words, it was clear that there was a spark starting to smoulder between the two groups; can they see some potential in us? How often do they receive visitors to their yard? The young pan players stood patiently, managing their fidgets well during the adults’ welcome exchange.
When the pans struck up, it immediately shot into our feet, our hearts, and made our muscles twitch into dance. I felt England melting off my skin, my shoulders drop, and a smile start to emerge. As a musician, I realised just how rare it is to hear a genuine group truly grooving, not speeding, not rushing, everyone moving together like a warm wave, washing over everyone and bringing us together in the swell. It was difficult to stand opposite the group and just watch; there was a need to be amongst them and watch their rolling notes, see their fingers mastering their small rubberised mallets, and feeling the beat in the air as it vibrated into us.
Dane invited us to join the group and very soon we were finding C, D, E, F, and G, trying out chords and rolling notes. I actually found it quite demanding keeping my elbows IN, after several gestures and physical prods from the boss! He commanded a respect that took very little enforcement for make the young players settle while they waited for us new folk to pick us the basics of the craft they are becoming so expert in.
Questions about the instruments kept popping up for me; do you make your own?; what are these metal discs at the back?; can I try? There were visible links between the sartenes I play in Cuban Mozambique and these sturdy aged metal discs from old tyres. I made sure to arrive and leave the sessions with a firm hand shake, taking away a tangible feeling of experience and wisdom from weathered mocha hands''.
Holly Prest, Artistic Director, Global Grooves