We were the only band there with our pans and my snare drum strapped around our necks.”
Justin with Wack CEO Kenny Phillips
These were the words of Justin “Barber” Frederick in an interview last Sunday on WACK Radio 90.1FM during the Pan Diaspora segment of “Pan in Yuh Puefen” with Steve Sealy and Hollis Clifton.
Barber was alluding to a statement made by Herman Betancourt, Single Pan Musician, Photographer and Impresario who went to his home located at 171 Harvest Road, London, UK.
BLUE NOTES STEELBAND
Featuring: Silbert Walker, Pedro Burgess, Arthur Peters, Frederick Delphis, Lloyd Greaves, Alvin Alexander, Justin Frederick aka "Barber", John Belgrave, Irwin Armorer, Ancil Armorer, Wilmot Joseph, Leslie Palmer and Lystra Gibbs.
“Barber” further alluded to Television Journalist, Aman Andrews, who pursued them in a van as they walked up and down Lancaster Road, Ladbroke Grove in 1965. “Nobody, but us participated in this event. The only people we saw were the local residents who opened their doors to see what was going on and those who looked out of their windows to listen to the music”.
Justin – the limbo dancer
It has been a great tribute to the “Bluenotes Steelband” that after forty plus years many people want to remain associated with their history. Our supporters coined the phrase, “Bluenotes Captured London”. Journalist and interested participants continue to write editorials about who we were and what they know about us, the originators of the first carnival in Ladbroke Grove, Today, the original carnival that we started in Ladbroke Grove is now known as the “Notting Hill Carnival”, UK.
Herman Betancourt, some of the original members and I continued the tradition that we started in London in 1965, by playing in the streets of Calais, France in 1966 and Boulogne, France in 1967 for “Bastille Day” with our instruments strapped around our necks.
I joined “Mario and his steelband” in 1967 and performed for the hotels in Barcelona, Spain.
In 1968, I joined the Trinidad Tropicana steel band as their drummer. We performed on tour in Russia as well as East and West Germany.
While in West Germany, we made an album entitled, “The Music of Trinidad”, now a cd that can be purchased on line.
In reference to a question from Clifton as to how he got involved in the Steelband business Barber iterated that it all began in Trinidad, West Indies, in the country where we were born, a place where all of the sounds around you became music and a way of life. Music was the introduction to our future and the inner spirit that we would carry with us around the world for the rest of our lives. Our natural musical drive was the core that produced the penetrating need to capture the sounds we knew and incorporate them into Steelband.
The first Steel Band I was associated with was known as “WONDERLAND”. The name “Wonderland” was soon changed to “HARMONITES” and it became synonymous with the band’s sponsor “SOLO”. “SOLO HARMONITES” went on to become the first Steelband in Trinidad to win four (4) Panoramas within a seven year span and I am proud to note that I, Justin L. Frederick aka “Barber” was their first (1st) captain.
It is important to note that the original musicians of the “BLUE NOTES STEEL BAND” formed in London, England, came from bands that were started and performing in Trinidad, West Indies.
Pelham Goddard, Vincent Lila aka "Hueloy", Justin Frederick aka "Barber", Earl Rodney and Savvy. Arrangers, Composers, Musicians and Friends gather together in solidarity sharing a moment in time.
In 1976, Madison Square Garden, New York City, the “Harmonites” was one of four steelband
opening acts for Mick Jagger and “The Rolling Stones”. I played bongos for the”Harmonites” and I performed as a solo act with Mick Jagger and Billy Preston on stage with Billy playing keyboard and I with my bongos, strapped in the traditional style of pan players, around our necks.
I have had the opportunity to perform for some outstanding occasions such as: the British Film Stars Academy Awards Reception, Barbados Independence at the Lyceum in the Strand. The most rewarding of all occasion was volunteering our performances for the Disabled Children's Homes throughout England.
The CD, “Let's Sing Again” by Jade, was produced, published, all songs composed and arranged by me, except “wwurk”, featuring pannist Earl Brooks: on, "I Remember You/Remember Me".
Barber a former Sergeant in the US army established himself as a renowned “Limbo Dancer” entertaining the Troops on the Base at Fort Lee, Virginia where he would appear every Saturday dancing on the Army Base TV. By then the affable Sergeant – one of Sergeant Murray’s loos jointed cooks - had established the feat of dancing under a ten inch (10’’) high (or is it low?) flaming limbo rod in the final of his act.
Again, when the State of Virginia was testing its first Cable TV Network they requested the Army to send Justin to make an appearance on the Show. He also appeared on “Dial for Dollars”, a popular weekly TV Show.
A number of callers phoned in to compliment Barber. These included Alvin Alexander – a former alto player of Blue Notes. Then there was Ian R. Franklin author of the book: “400 Questions & Answers on Pan 1960 to Present.”
An unnamed caller from Pennsylvania expressed high praise for the show and was elated having learnt to play pan with Harmonites.
Tune in to Pan Diaspora on the last Sunday of each month from 3 – 4 PM on WACK Radio 90.1 FM
Hollis Clifton
Pan Diaspora Visionary
