Newsletter
for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 15 of September 2021. No. 1032
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Dear Friends,
The
third issue of September.
The second on Owen Serrette my classmate
during my journey at Mount Saint Benedict. Class 1960.
For the first reportage, see issue No.
1031
You must notice that the photos are about
UNKNOWNS, do not let google find out that you do not exist. Let us know the
missing names.
If you would like to collaborate, at the
end of this issue, you will find the instructions to where to send your
writings and also, important to send funds, I know your limitations.
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Celebrating an outcast
by Peter Ray Blood
Mon Sep 19 2016
Born in East Dry
River, Port-of-Spain in 1940, Owen Serrette's family moved to Morvant when he
was just one year old, a move that eventually saw him become a bona fide
Harmonites Steel Orchestra member, a steelband he still faithfully serves.
Serrette did return to his birthplace as a child, at 10 Bonaparte Lane, Basilon
Street, to attend Rosary Boys' RC School.
It was during his return as a primary school student that
Serrette first got involved with the steelband. At the age of ten he played
with City Syncopators for the Carnival of 1950. At that time, calypsonians and
steelbandsmen were considered "outcasts" as eulogised in Sparrow's
calypso Outcast with the famous lyrics: "If yuh sister talk to a steelbandman,
yuh family want to break she hand, put she out, outcast."
Said Serrette: "Because I was living in Basilon Street
and attending Rosary Boys, I was attracted to City Syncopators."
Serrette's family was a very religious one so it is no
surprise that his mother, on learning of his involvement in pan, broke down in
tears. She refused to believe that her dearly beloved boy child was seen
"beating pan" on the road, believing that he was associating with
"bad johns" and "jamettes" who formed part of the steelband
fraternity. Ironically, it was okay for Serrette's elder brothers to "beat
pan," but not little Owen, who she saw as becoming a priest.
Indeed, Serrette's venture into the world of pan was cut
short when he enrolled at the seminary at Mt St Benedict. But, though ensconced
in the hallowed halls of the seminary, he managed to frequent the panyard of
Flamingoes Steel Orchestra, located in "the Village" on St John's
Road, the roadway to the Mount.
Upon departing the Mount, Serrette rejoined the Teenage
Serenaders steelband in his then hometown of Morvant.
As its name suggests, this was an aggregation of young
panmen who did not qualify to play with the loftily perched and legendary
Ebonites Steel Orchestra.
Natural progression followed and Serrette eventually became
a member of the renowned Ebonites outfit as a tenor player, his instrument of
choice. This was a dream come true and at the time Ebonites, of Roses from the
South fame, was known as "the dance band of the sixties."
In 1966, Serrette was lured away from Ebonites to
Harmonites Steel Orchestra by its first captain Winston "Skull"
Flemming and arranger Knolly Bobb. From that fateful move, in addition to being
a stalwart playing member, Serrette served Harmonites in several capacities,
inclusive of becoming an executive member, being appointed captain in 1980-90,
and as manager from 1990-94.
Serrette represented this Morvant steelband, and by
extension T&T as a cultural ambassador, with pride and distinction,
performing regionally in Barbados, Suriname and the Cayman Islands, and
internationally in places like New York, Atlanta, Switzerland, Spain, England
and Brasil.
There is some historical significance to when Harmonites
toured New York, then sponsored by Solo Beverages, in 1979, as Serrette is the
only member of the contingent to voluntarily return to Trinidad.
Solo Harmonites, described by Serrette as "the beacon
of Morvant," has won the National Panorama title on four occasions with
some creative and unique arrangements by Earl Rodney.
Proud of his band achievements, Serrette said: "My
favourite pan arranger is Earl Rodney. I honestly believe that Earl was way
before his time, especially with his arrangements of stage-side music. Jit
Samaroo, Renegades' arranger, confirmed that to me."
In 1994, a core of Harmonites players, led by Serrette and
Lloyd Manswell, severed ties with the legendary steelband, taking with them the
prized Solo Beverages sponsorship to form Solo Pan Knights Steel Orchestra.
With Pan Knights he toured Nigeria, Colombia, London and
returned to the Cayman Islands. The two Morvant pan giants reunited in 2000 but
the relationship again irretrievably disintegrated in 2013.
In the steelband world, Serrette is widely respected as a
leader, so it came as no surprise when he was elected as the assistant
secretary of the now defunct National Association of T&T Steelbandsmen
(NATTS).
When NATTS dissolved and Pan Trinbago formed, Serrette
served as Education Officer of the new organisation in 1982-'88. He
subsequently succeeded president Arnim Smith upon his demise, many of the
opinion that Serrette was handpicked by Smith to be a successor.
Indeed, Smith was Serrette's role model in pan. He said:
"My favourite president was Arnim Smith. I believe that not too much
credit is given to him. Because of his street (common), and not necessarily
(book) sense, he was able to carry the movement to a point which made my reign
as president the success I believe it was."
Serrette, his quiet demeanour in stark contrast to the
robust attitude of previous steelband organisation leaders like Smith and
George Goddard, had a very successful tenure as Pan Trinbago president. In
1992, it was his recommendation to the Patrick Manning administration, that led
to pan being declared "the national instrument of T&T."
The formation of Panvesco and the introduction of the
Panyard Development Programme stand out as just two of many success stories of
Serrette's stewardship. It was during his tenure at the helm of Pan Trinbago
that the business sector was said to be "most pan friendly," seen as
a declaration of its confidence in the national steelband organisation.
Said Serrette: "Corporate sponsors seemed more
appreciative of work done and partnerships? were developed in hosting events
and providing financial assistance to steelbands."
Programmes initiated under Serrette's stewardship which
provided sponsorship to the steelband fraternity included the National Junior
Panorama and National Junior Steelband Music Festival competitions; Pan on the
Road competitions; Arima Panorama; Carnival Monday Night Steelband Explosion;
Borough of Point Fortin Pan on the Move; Pan Chutney; Pan Ramajay; Hindi
Foundation's Steelband competition; The Panman's Ball; Steelband Week and many
more.
Serrette initiated music literacy for pan musicians at UWI,
no doubt inspired to do so having being a member of the UWI steelband in Mona,
Jamaica in 1973.
He also instituted training in management and
administration for young managers of member steelbands. He insisted, and still
insists, that pan musicians become musically literate and be referred as
"musicians," and not panmen.
In 2014, Serrette was honoured by Morvant's St Dominic's Ex
Pupils and literary and cultural associations for "outstanding
contributions in the field of culture in the Morvant community."
As president of Pan Trinbago, in order to internationalise
the organisation, Serrette established Pan Trinbago chapters in Canada, New
York and Arizona, and formed alliances with Caribbean steelband organisations.
Cultural exchange programmes were also established, with
lasting relationships, whereby local musicians, tuners and arrangers secured
performances and work abroad.
An amazing caveat of Serrette's stint as president is that
he served strictly in a voluntary capacity. "At no time during the years I
spent as president of Pan Trinbago did I receive a salary," he revealed.
Serrette has been a recipient of several awards and honours
from various organisations including the Laventille Steelband Festival
Foundation, the Order of St Clement, the Order of Emancipation, Exodus and Pan
Trinbago.
Serrette is especially pleased with the recognition and
honour bestowed on him by the British Association of Steelbands last December.
Besides pan, he has been a career public servant for 42
years, working in the postal system and in government's organisation and
management division.
He retired from the public service in 2000 as Assistant
Director of the Public Management Consulting Division, in the Ministry of
Public Administration.
Since retiring from the public service, Serrette continues
to serve the national community through the National Carnival Commission (NCC)
where he is currently employed, offering his vast knowledge, skills and
experience gained for over half a century.
Serrette has been married for 49 years and has four
children, all of whom are currently professionals in their own right.
Though now retired, Serrette continues to be a staunch
advocate for the proliferation of the national instrument at home and abroad.
He said: "I believe that the steel pan is 'the
instrument' of the 21st century and, if marketed as, say, the reggae, will
definitely be the instrument of the music world."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZFtsDV8j98
2008
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjQhRCwKK-o
2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0SMXbl_Mi8
2012
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Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>
To: Douglas houk
Nov 24, 2018
Hi, Douglas,
You would not happen to have
a few pictures of yourself, by any chance?
It would be good to get them
into the Circulars.
Best,
Don
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From: Douglas houk
Sent: Friday, November
23, 2018
Well Don
I tried roughnecking and did
not like it but the money was good. I
quit when I had to jump into the freshwater pit to retrieve the crankhandle and
it was 30 degrees outside so that was the end of my career, as far I could see
in the drilling business.
From there I went to see
about a course in Drilling equipment and I was good at it and started my own
Inspection company which I had for a few years until recently.
By the way I learned to
speak Spanish.
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Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>
Sep 19, 2018
Hi, Douglas,
Yes, you have Gordon and me
identified.
I really hope you can get a
platform (not one of those unmanageable South Korean schoolgirl’s Samsung phones)
to prepare a short bio to send to Ladislao so he can put it in the Circulars.
There are plenty of Old Boys
out there that have been wondering if you are alive and well.
So: which schools did you
attend after Mount; which actions in Vietnam were you present at; what happened
to you in Vietnam and after you left; who did you marry (first, second and
third, if necessary); who are the children if any; who did they marry, and how
many grandchildren did they present you with; what have you been doing since
the Navy; which were the oil companies; what oilfields did you work in; when
did you retire; what are you doing since you retired. Things like that.
It would be great to hear
the details.
Best,
Don
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From: Douglas houk
Sent: Wednesday,
September 19, 2018
Well Don,
I do remember you and your
brother Gordon and the nickname box head
Kids will be kids I guess
when I left the Mount I went
to another private school and finished there.
I joined the U S Navy and
went to Vietnam. I was 19 and I thought I was tough Stuff and got taught I was
not but all in all it was a good time for me.
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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com, if you would like to subscribe for a whole year and be in
the circular’s mailing list or if you would like to mention any old boy that
you would like to include, write to me.
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Photos:
75LK0001UNKNOWN
75LK0002UNKNOWNS
85LK0012UNKNOWNS
06LK0012MARCUSGRP,
Miss Kitty Marcus and the group
