Ace Panist and arranger Robert ’Robbie’ Greenidge feels the national instrument (steelpan) should be in EVERY school in Trinidad and Tobago. He also believes youths in Trinidad and Tobago must learn to read and write music and they should study the instrument.

Interviewed recently by the Express he said: ’Pans are in schools and universities in Europe and the US. Why must we play catch up with our own thing? He asked.

’We have some of the greatest players, arrangers and tuners in the world; we could show them what we are made of.’

Listing some of our greats he continued, ’The late Clive Bradley was the greatest, then there is ’Boogsie’ Sharpe, no one is as good as he is, we also have Ray Holman, Jit Samaroo, Rudy Smith, Beverley Griffith,

’There are so many arrangers and players Professor, Clive, Yohan Popwell, I just can’t name them all.

’Look at what Liam Teague is doing out at Illinois

University. People should be able to get a Doctorate in pan here in Trinidad and Tobago.

’And we must not forget those who came before us. Tony Williams is a man who worked hard on the steelpan he should be rewarded for his efforts in modernising the steelpan.’

Greenidge who was in Trinidad for a few days recently is presently working on a new CD, which he hopes to release next year. He says there will be 14 songs in Jazz and calypso. However, it is a project he intends to take his time on. ’I want the recordings to be perfect.’

Greenidge said people tell him he has a perfect pitch and can pick up musical keys very easily. While here he also picked up several new pans to continue his work spreading the gospel of pan.

His history with Desperadoes is well documented having won Panorama with his own compositions ’Musical Volcano’ (1991) and ’Fire Down Below’ (1994) with some help from SuperBlue. He has arranged for Solo Pan Knights and several bands in the USA.

Speaking about his love for the national instrument and his life and times in the pan world, Greenidge said he believes the saying ’a prophet is without honour in his own land’ aptly applies to him.

He described himself as a proud international product of Laventille who will always be proud of his birthplace.

’I have toured the world and exposed millions of people to the steelpan and I am very happy to be able to push this instrument forward.’

Born in Success Village in Laventille, Greenidge was schooled at Nelson Street Boys’ RC.

’I then moved on into the ’University of Pan’ at the age of eight,’ he says.

Greenidge did not have to go very far to get involved in pan. Savoy Steel Orchestra was located just opposite his parents’ house.

’I was introduced to the drums by my uncle Carl Greenidge who was a member of Savoy Steel Orchestra.

’I was also a part of City Kids from Belmont a band which was run by members of his family, continued Greenidge.

He first played the bass drums then move on to frontline pans.

In 1965 at the age of 15, one of the leading steelbands Desperadoes recruited Greenidge and just one year later, he was on his first tour.

The band represented Trinidad and Tobago in Africa at the First Negro Arts Festival in Dakar, Senegal.

According to Greenidge, ’That was a great experience for such a young player and I followed that up with a tour to Canada at the Montreal Exposition in 1967.

’This was the prelude to an extensive tour to London, Africa and New York in 1968.’

In 1970, Greenidge was chosen to represent Trinidad and Tobago as a soloist and a member of the National Steel Orchestra.

In 1971, he migrated to New York where he learned the art of composing and arranging at the Third Street Musical Conservatory. In December of that year, he made a deal to play and arrange for Los Angeles Music Makers Steel Orchestra in California.

The next two years saw Greenidge touring through California and Nevada and he eventually settled in Los Angeles in 1974. Just one year in California and recording contracts began to flow in.

Reflecting a bit Greenidge said, ’I started working with Earth, Wind and Fire, Ringo Star, John Lennon (his last album), The Beach Boys, Grover Washington Jr, Ralph MacDonald and Harry Neilson.

’I was also involved in Television shows like the Jackson Five Special, Solid Gold, Saturday Night Live, Fall Guy, Dynasty, Arsenio Hall, Fantasy Island, Tonight Show with Johnny Carson now hosted by Jay Leno.’

Grenidge’s music can be heard on commercials for McDonald’s (European Market), 7up, Jus Juice, Corona Beer (together with Taj Majal).’

Trying his best to recall the movies for which he provided soundtrack Greenidge said, ’There were a few, like Speed 1 &2, 48 Hours, Commando, Cool Runnings, Brothers, Champ, Clara’s Heart and more.’

Greednidge continued, ’Being one of the few panists out there I guess I am appreciated more, there are so many of us here in Trinidad.

Continuing his story Greenidge said, ’I returned to Trinidad in 1978 to work with my good friend Rudolph Charles who was at the time leader of Desperadoes.

He also visited Los Angeles and we worked on several projects inventing pans like the Nine Bass, Twelve Bass, Quadraphonic and Harmony and the Rocket pan.

’I must mention our tuner Bertie Marshall; he was of great help to us.

’We also worked on pans that required hand and foot coordination, dexterity and speed. It was three tops for the hands and four bass for the feet. That invention did not go down too well.’

It is quite clear that Greenidge lives a double life, one in Trinidad and Tobago and one in the US. At home in T&T he is a Panorama jumbie because that is what the pan offers and in the US he is on tours with several bands.

His main stay is with the Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefers Band.

Talking about Buffett, Greenidge says, prior to 1985 I had the opportunity to record an album with Jimmy Buffett after which we began touring to promote the music.

’That was the start of my life long relationship with Jimmy Buffett. We play in front of 40,000 people on most of our concerts.

’Whenever I am not touring with Buffett I am making music with Club Trini Band. We have recorded several albums and play for mostly corporate clients such as Honda, Toyota, Insurance Companies and some festivals.

’I also do a gig with Taj Majal International Rhythm Band (Blues). I have a band at Universal in Hollywood.

Greenidge says he works like everybody else, ’I get up and by 8.00 a.m. I am in my studio doing music. I take a break at about 3.00 p.m. and then return to work.

’Music is my life I will make music for free-that’s just how much I love it. It’s not about the money.’

In 1992 and 1995,Greenidge played at the White House for President Bill Clinton’s inauguration and his birthday party.

These are defining moments in his career but he does not see this as the best. He recalls playing ’Breezing’ with George Benson at the St Lucia Jazz Festival as one of the greatest moments in his career.