Caribbean Beat — January/February 2017 (#143)

At twenty-five years old, Khari Codrington is the manager
of one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most versatile and
melodic steelpan ensembles. Over the past eighteen
years, the Codrington Pan Family has become synonymous with
excellence and professionalism in music. Whether winning local
music festivals consecutively, performing live before royalty, or
creating history in 2015 as the first musicians to showcase the
steelpan at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas,
the Codrington family’s impact on the steelpan fraternity has been
nothing short of outstanding — especially considering the size of
the ensemble.
It’s a hot and busy day in Port of Spain as I meet Khari. It
is already mid-October, and many of T&T’s steel orchestras
have begun preparing for the musical war ahead. Who will win
the 2017 National Panorama Competition, just a few months
away? “Will it be you?” I ask Khari, after debating with him the
view that having a sponsor makes a significant impact on one’s
standing in the competition. “Who knows,” he chuckles, then
adds, “We’ve made it this far.” It is a stark reality that, in the
midst of all their achievements to date, the Codringtons still
remain an unsponsored band.
While the family’s early years were spent in Tunapuna,
along Trinidad’s East-West Corridor, the Codringtons consider
themselves to be a product of the creative hub of Laventille. “The
steelpan, but plenty of passion and charisma. My mom or dad
would keep the timing for each of us, and that portion of the
pavement would become our stage. Even then, music was not
only what groomed us, but fed us, basically.”
Khari recalls how that pavement spot was where their first
and only corporate sponsor to date, SWMCOL — the Trinidad
and Tobago Solid Waste Management Company — laid eyes
upon them. “It was cruise ship season, so on this particular
day we were really busy. Tourists and Christmas shoppers
were plentiful, but among them stood Ray Brathwaite” —
then SWMCOL’s executive chairman. “Initially, it was he who
approached my dad and asked to have a word with him. Dad
politely acknowledged him, but never did speak with him that
day — he was mindful of the negative comments that some
passers-by would make.” Khari explains: “For what it is worth
today, none of those comments about us being exploited as
children affected us, because we not only enjoyed performing
but also we understood that, as a family, it was necessary to stick
together and use our talents to further ourselves.”
The Codringtons’ dedication and charisma was what caught
the attention of Brathwaite, who supported the expansion of the
band between 2006 and 2009, during his tenure at SWMCOL.
With that additional fiscal support, the Codrington Pan Family
were able to diversify their efforts. For some of the siblings, like
“As children,” says Khari Codrington, “we not only enjoyed
performing but also we understood that, as a family, it was
necessary to stick together”
Hills”, as the area east of downtown Port of Spain is also fondly
known, is a vibrant part of the country’s social and cultural fabric.
For generations, this community has consistently birthed and
inspired icons in the fields of fashion, theatre, dance, literature,
and — most undoubtedly — music. More specifically, you cannot
talk about the hills of Laventille without referring to the origins
and growth of the steelpan — the only musical instrument to have
been invented in the twentieth century, as all Trinidadians know.
Laventille is the home of numerous globally renowned steelbands:
Desperadoes, Highlanders, Blue Diamonds, Tokyo, Sun Valley,
and Laventille Sound Specialists. And last, but certainly not least,
Laventille is also home to this talented group of young men and
women, guided by Khari Codrington.
We have actually chosen the current Desperadoes panyard
on Frederick Street as the location for our interview. Apart
from being accessible, it allows us to enjoy the rehearsal of
the Despers youth band. I ask Khari about the Codrington Pan
Family’s early days as performers. He begins by saying that
music has always been important to him and his siblings.
“When we began in 1999,” he says, “it was our dad together
with mom and the first four children — Kareem, Kaijah, Keisha,
and myself. We would set up lower down on Frederick Street
— in front of Sun Tings Souvenir Shoppe — and take turns at
playing the tenor pan. That is how we started — with only one
brothers Kareem and Kaijah, it meant completing the advanced
steelpan tuning course at the University of Trinidad and Tobago,
and putting those skills and knowledge to use daily. For others,
like Khari and his sister Keisha, it thrust them further into the
practical and academic worlds of teaching as well as arranging
and composing music for the steelpan. One of their most
successful compositions to date saw the band take first place
at the 2013 Pan Is Beautiful competition, seven points ahead
of seasoned competitors like Renegades, Caribbean Airlines
Invaders, and Exodus.
The Codrington Pan Family began competing as a small
conventional band in the National Panorama Competition.
However, the burden of managing an unsponsored steel
orchestra became increasingly heavy, and in 2015 the family
decided to withdraw from the competition and instead assist
other unsponsored steelbands to participate. This provided
the opportunity for Khari and Keisha to broaden their skill
sets as steelpan arrangers. So for the past four years Khari
has been contracted as the musical director and arranger for
the C&B Crowncordians Steel Orchestra from Bon Accord,
Tobago. During that time, the youth-based band made it to the
Panorama semi-finals, and also made significant strides in the
Tobago Panorama competition. Meanwhile, Keisha has served
as the arranger for the Gonzales Sheikers for the past two years.
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