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Ebony Steel Band Trust

Ebony Steel Band Trust

Pepe Frances (mbe)

“Have been involved in the steel band art form for over 50 years and i am a member of several steel band associations i am the current president of The British Association of Steel Bands and have been for 30 years plus I am the director of Ebony Steel Band Trust and I have also received the queens award for my voluntary work in the wider community and the mayors award for the voluntary work that I have done in the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea. I have just recently been awarded an MBE by the Queen in the birthday honours list for my work with the Steel Pan Community in the UK and in Europe.
I do talks on the history of the steel band to schools, colleges, corporate events and conferences.”

Ebony Steel Band Trust

‘Halfers’ Hadeed

Annise ‘Halfers’ Hadeed

His musical career spans over 4 decades which started in Invaders Steel Orchestra. He is a leading steelpan player who has distinguished himself as a soloist, composer, international recording artist, freelance session musician and musical director and arranger for various steel orchestras (Trinidad and London).

In 1980, he was a founding member of the London-based Caribbean Jazz fusion group ‘The Breakfast Band’ which included the renowned drummer Richard Bailey. Some of the foremost musicians ‘Halfers’ has played and recorded with include Billy Ocean, the late great Russ Henderson, Clive Zanda, Rudy Smith, Felix Roach, Martiniquan pianist, the late Claude Sommier and Luther Francois, one of the Caribbean’s leading saxophonist and musical director of the West Indies Jazz Band which comprised musicians from the English- and French-speaking islands of the West Indies.

‘Halfers’ has appeared at some of the world’s leading jazz festivals and venues such as Ronnie Scott’s (London), Lionel Hampton Jazz Club (Paris), The New Morning Café (Paris and Geneva), Monmatre jazz club (Denmark), Kuopio Music Festival (Finland), The Berlin Jazz Festival, Jazzance (Central Bank Auditorium, Trinidad), Pan Jazz Festival (Bastille Day Celebrations, Paris), Jazz on the Greens (Trinidad), and Naniki Caribbean Jazz Safari (Barbados), to name a few.

For the Trinidad & Tobago Panorama, ‘Halfers’ has arranged for a number of bands – Kalomo Kings, Solo Harmonites, Phase 2, Skiffle Bunch, Starlift and Merry Tones. In the UK, he has arranged for Ebony Steelband and Metronomes Steel Orchestra and is currently the ‘winningest’ arranger in the history of Notting Hill Carnival with 16 panorama wins, 9 of which were consecutive.

In his field, Anise Hadeed is considered one of the foremost steelpan virtuosos and is held in high regard. His range of music encompasses many genres and Trinidad and Tobago is well represented on the national instrument by this exceptionally talented and gifted Trinidadian.

Creator of the acoustic Boom Box

.. made of plywood and is somewhat like a speaker box since it amplifies the sound of the pan, in this case the seven-bass.

Little did the tuner know that when he migrated to the UK as a teenager from his native Grenada that the steelpan would have enabled him to be a leading steelband icon thanks to Trinidadian Roy Jacobs who invited him to join the Trinidad All Stars from Birmingham.

One thing then led to another that saw him moving from Tropical Harmony Steelband led by Victor Phillip.  His next move was to Melody Makers under the stewardship of Ezekiel ‘Biggs’ Yearwood.  His big transition, however, materialised when he became a facilitator at the Coventry training workshop where he was involved in pan fabricating – sinking, grooving, cutting and burning – with Victor Phillips as head supervisor

Dudley Dickson

The former limbo dancer then grasped the opportunity to move to the city of London in 1982 to train youngsters at the carnival industrial project.  One year later he had completed the prototype for the “collapsible folding stand” which he had initially conceptualised while in Coventry.

This innovator continued his quest for new inventions when he created a ‘collapsible stage’ as a result of an incident with Ebony Steelband at the 2000 World Steelband Music Festival at the Jean Pierre Complex in Trinidad. The stage is so strong that it could accommodate a motor vehicle for display.

Dudley also invented four versions of the collapsible steelpan stands. The one original version was made from tubular steel, a second version also being made from tubular steel by specifically for players in wheel chairs and the final version is made of aluminium and collapses to half its size with the prototype being made for Billy Ocean.

Dudley is also known as a limbo dancer and player of Mas. A long time pan tuner for the Ebony Steel Band

Dudley Dickson

Address: Yaa Centre,
1 Chippenham Mews,
London
W9 2AN
Phone: 020 7266 4354

Ebony Steel Band Trust

Ebony Steel Band

Europe’s leading steel band and one of the first steel bands set up in the UK.

The band was founded in 1969 by a group of dedicated Caribbean and British men and women who shared a love of steel bands and steelpan music and wanted to promote steelpan music across the UK and Europe.

Ebony has won the National Panorama competition at Notting Hill Carnival, for a record 22 times, eleven times in succession!

In 2005 Ebony was awarded the Queen’s Award for serving the community for over 18 years.

Ebony also delivers a variety of artistic activities and a full range of workshops for people of all ages.

Ebony Steel Band

Profile:

London-based steel band founded in 1968 by Trinidadian ex-patriots

Cape James,

Winston Joseph,

Randolph Baptiste,

Earl Lewis

and current Director Pepe Francis.

19 time National Panorama Competition (Notting Hill Carnival) winners – 9 times in succession (both records.)

Burlington Dane School,

Wood Lane,

Shepherds Bush,

White City,

London,

W12

Ebony Steelband Trust, Unit 39, Baseline Business Studios, Whitchurch Road, London, W11 4ATMore 

Sites:

ebony-steelband-trust.co.uk, Facebook

Members:

Earle Lewis, Ethelred James, Hollis Clifton, Ivan Hutchinson (2), Michael Baptiste, Norris “Buzz” Johnson, Randolph Baptiste, Val “Rosco” George, Winston Joseph

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Ebony Steel Band

Ebony Steelband, 

Red Stripe Ebony Steel Band, 

Red Stripe Ebony Steelband,

The, The Ebony Steel Band, 

The Ebony Steel Drum Band, 

The Ebony Steelband, 

The Red Stipe Ebony Steel Band, 

The Red Stripe Ebony Steel Band, 

The Red Stripe Ebony Steelband

Founded in 1969

Ebony Steelband exists to engage children and young people with steelpan music and so develop their creativity, musical ability, social skills and aspirations. It is based in North West London and its catchment area comprises North Kensington, North Westminster and parts of Hammersmith and Brent. Ebony is a registered charity and is incorporated as a company limited by guarantee.   It currently has a board of five trustees and a voluntary operational director.   At present, it has no paid staff other than music tutors, paid at sessional rates.  
Ebony is currently providing 6 steelpan music classes per week at the Yaa Centre as well as twice weekly band practice sessions and occasional workshops and other activities.  
Pupils from the classes are encouraged to join with Ebony Steelband once they are able. There are three sections to the band: Children’s, Youth and Young Adult.   The band gives performances at community events and festivals throughout the year.

ebony steel band