Circular No 1031

 

Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 8 September 2021. No. 1031

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Dear Friends,

The second issue of September.

Owen Serrette

I am including these because I am sure some of you would like to know the grouped comments and maybe would like to join some of them.

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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Abbey School (Mt. St. Benedict) Steelband in 1951

Posted by Jerry Bain on December 7, 2012 at 8:31am in News, 1951

                   MOUNT MARINERS STEEL BAND

While we were maturing academically and spiritually, we were also, at the same time, evolving culturally.

The Abbey School boasted the very first School-based steelband in Trinidad and Tobago.

According to David de Castro (a.k.a. “Calypso Bandit”), Mt. St. Benedict’s Abbey School was the first college to have its own steelband, long before St. Mary’s College, long before all others.

It was in 1949 that the “Mount Mariners” was born, only to die in 1953.

The make-up of the band was as follows:

First pan:             Lawrence McCauley, Delano de Castro

Second pan:       David de Castro

Guitar Pan:          Colin Phillips, Trevor Matthews

Base Pan:           Peter Dos Santos, Rodney de Pass

DuDup Pan:        Michel Nassief

Maracas and Iron:        Stanley Ferguson

David says, “Stanley Ferguson was our conductor when we did shoes for the parents on Parents’ Night”.

We were not allowed to go into town for Carnival, so at Carnival time we would beat our steel drums while walking around the school.

The last year we had Dom Basil Matthews waving the flag. . . what a night!

Our favourite songs were:

“Mambo Jambo”,

“Peanut Vendor” (by Peres Prado),

“In a Calabash”,

“The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Note: After graduating from MSB, Dave de Castro migrated to Canada, where he became a calypsonians by the name of the “Calypso Bandit”.

He was instrumental in introducing calypso to Canada, and was actually crowned the Calypso King of Ontario (or was it Canada? – Please advise, Dave).

He is today (2012) still active in the world of calypso, and now lives in Florida.

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Reply by Kim Johnson on December 7, 2012

It's not often that a piece of pan history blows me away, but this one definitely has. Wow.

I didn't know that, even though I did think Dom Basil was very far-thinking.

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Reply by Ian Franklin on December 7, 2012

Thanks Mr. Bain. Is there any way we can get in touch with Mr. De Castro.

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Reply by Jerry Bain on December 11, 2012

Hi Ian, David's e-mail address is, calypsobandit@live.com  

I'm sure that he would love to hear from you guys.

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Reply by Gerard A Jardine on July 23, 2013

Dave is also on facebook....lives in Clearwater Florida....

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Reply by Ian Jones on December 7, 2012

We learn something new every day.

Thank you. Jerry! calypsobandit@live.com should get you to Dave.

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Reply by Salah Wilson on December 7, 2012

I wish to confirm what Jerry Bain has stated as a matter of fact Bandit (David DeCastro) has written a book about life on the mount during his time and it also has pictures of the band.

I purchased a copy from him. ...

Kim I thought you were aware of this you also Ian ...but I guess you live and learn.

My deep interest in this is because I also attended this school from 1963 -1970 and in 1983 (Rebecca Desperadoes) .

I took a Steelpan program to the Mount which lasted only a short time because the School shut its doors in 1984.

I returned to Canada in 1984 but just before the school closed my friend Jimi Phillip went on a tour to Canada with the Steelband that we started.

I will get in touch with Bandit and inform him of this.

What is also important and historic is the fact that this happened so very early in the Pan world 1949....but you need to get the story from Bandit how he got the Pans...for those of you who could remember ..The Abbey School Mt. St. Benedict was an affluent Boarding School.

A lot of Venezuelans attended this school.

We all (old Boys) Alumnus stay in touch online we have our own website and are continuously in discussion...so this will transfer to our site...but the credit is for David De Castro aka "Calypso Bandit" ...regards

Salah

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Reply by Tony Blackman on December 7, 2012

We’re probably the same age Salah, I was born in 1951 went to QRC Jan 1963 played B and A Colts football on that scenic pitch on the mount, LOL, we were way better than the Abbey school, but they were hard to beat at home...interestingly though,

Ellie Manette gave Scofield Pilgrim [deceased] a musician/Latin/English master, pans from Shell Invaders in 1964, we had a band under his tutelage, but he was a jazz musician, so we were taught to read and play calypso jazz music as young boys in the 60's. 

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Reply by Salah Wilson on December 7, 2012

Yeah Tony

We probably played football against each other cause I was on the soccer team also, the playing field is still good but not like what it used to be including all the other facilities like swimming pool and tennis court ..etc...but this is really one for the history books that Abbey School is probably the first school to have a Steelband ... a school ran by priests in the late 1940's early 50's.....very interesting history for Kim Johnson and Ian Franklyn

Salah

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Reply by Gerard A Jardine on July 23, 2013

St Mary's in Port of Spain had one in 1947

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Reply by Owen Serrette on July 21, 2013

Hi Salah,

Very interesting conversation.

As you know I went to school at the Abbey, Mt. St. Benedict from 1954.

I was unaware at that time that there was in fact a steelband at Abbey School.

You may remember that I used to visit Flamingoes pan yard.

I was involved in the steelband in Mona, Jamaica in 1973/4.

I eventually became President of Pan Trinbago in 1988.

I would e-mail David Decastro to keep up the conversation

Owen Serrette

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Reply by Salah Wilson on July 23, 2013

Good suggestion Owen

I will send a link to David 'Bandit' DeCastro.

After all he is the one responsible for the Pan at the mount and he has an interesting story that also involves Neville Jules

Salah

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Reply by Bertel Gittens on December 7, 2012

WOW! If the Priest could play, who is we!

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Reply by Andre-Roger Dellevi on December 8, 2012

Sometimes, the clergy was close to the ground...  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSoZhWJY6f8

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Reply by Ian Franklin on December 7, 2012

Yes Salah, I was totally ignorant of this.

I will check out his website.

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Reply by Salah Wilson on December 7, 2012

By the way Ian,

I will be coming in for the Panorama prelims, (small band ) ..

God willing for just a few days...to assist my band Flamingoes from the 17th to 21st January...

I need to get one of your books and also Kim Johnson.....you need to hook up with me because it is a busy time and I just cannot stay as I am back in school...but it is also why I need these two books ...so I will need your number

Salah

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Reply by Cynthia Edwards on December 7, 2012

Thanks for that piece of history.

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Reply by Cecil Paul on December 9, 2012

This is important steelband history.

What about Jules Cazabon?

He was a member of the National steelband under George Goddard and was involved in a Steelband at Mount St. Benedict in the 1960's.

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Reply by Salah Wilson on December 10, 2012

Cecil,

Jules Casabon was involved in a Steelband in the village (St. Johns Village).

At that time there were three Steelbands in the village:  1. The original Flamingoes , 2 Volewykers (Jules Casabon band) and 3. another band named Hot Spots. ...

But there is a connection with Mt. St. Benedict in that the 'Parish Priest' of the village (Fr. Gregory) who belonged to Mt St. Benedict was actually the sponsor of the band in providing a place for the band amongst other things.

Salah

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Reply by Cecil Paul on December 10, 2012

Thanks Bro

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Reply by Ferd on December 13, 2012

Geez…

I went to this School as a 'Day Boy; for two years from 1956 ... never once heard anything about a Steelband.

Checking with Brian Waithe to see if he remembers.

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Reply by Owen Serrette on July 21, 2013

Hi Jerry Bain,

Very interesting information. I was a student at Abbey School (in the seminary actually) from 1954.

Before that I played with City Synchopaters, unknown to my mother for obious reasons as I was from Basilon Street and was attending Rosary Boys at the time.

I was unaware that there was in fact a steelband at Abbey School earlier on

You may or may not know that I was President of Pan Trinbago from 1988 to 1998, after Arnim, Smith.

I would contact David DeCastro to keep up the conversation.

Owen Serrette

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Reply by Salah Wilson on July 21, 2013

Hi Owen,

Yes there is quite a few of us of who went to school at the Mount (The Abbey School)/

I was also a student and up to last year I did a gig here with Dave De Castro (Bandit) here in Ontario Canada.

But this History actually puts Pan in the first school (in the world) in Abbey School ...interesting isn't it.

Even Kim Johnson was not aware of it. ...but Bandit has some pictures also

Salah

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Reply by David E Bratt on July 22, 2013

I would really like to see this confirmed, if Owen Serrette does not know this, I find it difficult to believe......

Keep up the conversation fellows and perhaps it will come to a definite conclusion.

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Reply by Jerry Bain on July 26, 2013

How about hearing from the other players in the band....

Lawrence McCauley,

Colin Phillips,

Trevor Matthews,

Peter Dos Santos,

Rodney de Pass,

Michael Nassief,

Stanley Ferguson,

Are any of these guys still around, if so, what do they remember about these times.

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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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Photo:

80LK0001OSE, Owen Serrette

74UN0001OSE, Owen Serrette

75LK6010FBSCOUTS, UNKNOWNS

72LK0112CARNIVAL, UNKNOWNS