I was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. My older brother, my cousin and I were raised by our grandmother. She found out about a youth club we could all go to every Saturday. The Port-of-Spain police set up the youth club in Laventille and held activities such as Football, Crafts, Steel pans, Trumpet etc, for young people aged between 5 and 24 to show their talents. The Police Youth Club was the first place I started playing the Steel pan instrument from the age of eight. I really didnt like playing the steel pans at first and I would have preferred to climb mango trees or play football. But because my grandmother was working on a Saturday, and as I was the youngest, I had no choice but to do the steel pans my brother and cousin were doing.My school, Success RC, heard that I was learning to play the steel pans and asked me to perform in a school concert. Thats when I became more interested in the instrument and performing in front of an audience as I was quite shocked that anyone would ask. I practiced very hard for that big day. I realised that what you put in is what you get out and it was great hearing all the good remarks after the concert and everyone asking where they can learn too.During my time at the Youth Club, I was also able to play with Potential Symphony and Blue Diamonds Steel Orchestras at the Trinidad and Tobago National Steel Band Panorama competition. The Youth Club also competed in many school festivals until we were victorious at the School Steel Band Music Festival in 1991. In that same year, at the age of thirteen, I played with the infamous Renegades Steel Orchestra at the T&T National Steel band Panorama competition. They attained second place playing Rant and Rave. I continued to play with Renegades for the following seven years.After returning home from touring in 1998, I travelled to England with some members of Solo Pan Knights, after the bands manager, Owen Serrette, invited me to join as the bands arranger and drummer. We played with Ebony Steel Band for the Notting Hill Panorama and won the competition. I was a member of the band for six years during which I was one of their house arrangers. Also, I entered numerous soloist competitions all with my own compositions and I placed either 1st or 2nd in each of them. These competitions were held in Trinidad and in England.I travelled with Ebony extensively during this time and in 2002 was given the opportunity to arrange parts of the panorama tune. This was a big break for me to progress musically and to show what I am capable of. Also in 2002, I started my own group called Caribbean Steel International which consists of a 3 or 4 piece steel band. We perform at corporate events, wedding receptions, birthday parties and the like, and we are one of the resident Steel bands at the Holiday Inn Kensington, Caribbean Experience Evening.For the past few years Ive been a visiting tutor for the CoMusica Project and the Weekend School at the Sage Gateshead, Newcastle, UK. And I continue to teach the Steel pan instrument in several London schools. Recently, Ive had the opportunity to work with Stardust Steel Band and arrange their piece for Notting Hill Panorama Competition 2005 and 2006, with which they placed second both times. Those I have worked with in Newcastle joined Stardust for 2005's and 2006's Panorama Competition.My plans for the future are to release a Classic and Jazz album and to continue to share my talent and knowledge.
