Invaders Panyard

Although Carnival peaks with the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (which is when people are wearing costumes and dancing through the streets) - it is already Carnival season when it comes to music.

Last week we headed to the Invaders panyard - a co-worker's brother is the manager of this steel pan band. On most any evening you can drive around Port of Spain and hear music coming from panyards. These are empty lots filled with instruments and everyone is busy rehearsing for the annual competition "Panorama". The newspapers are currently filled with angry editorials about evenly split between criticism that steel bands have become too obsessed with the competition and criticism against the Ministry of Culture who has cut the payment to steel band players from 1000 TT (about $160 US) to 800 TT in a cost cutting move.

The great thing about the panyards is that you are welcome to hang out and listen to the rehearsals. Take a look at the video below- you can see that Invader's youngest pannist is 10 years old - their oldest members have been playing with the band for 50 years.





Invaders' arranger (the person who turns music into a pan orchestra arrangement) is from New York but comes down each year to help them arrange their Panorama entry. Just like all Carnival costumes need to be new each year - all Panorama songs need to be new each year. Thankfully, during the rehearsal the band also played one of my favorite old Trini Calypso numbers called Lorraine, which is the story of a Trini guy living in New York who is cold and missing Trinidad. It is also the theme song of Caribbean Airlines, Invaders' sponsor.


LORRAINE LYRICS (song by Explainer)
Taxi, Taxi
Airport Kennedy

[Verse 1]
Lorraine, you better wake up
Ah need ah jet plane to take me non-stop
Ah cyah stay in New York City
When there is sunshine and pan in my country
Lions is de place with de jammin'
With Kaly-Ann and Charlie's Roots clashin'
Everyone happy partyin'
And I'm freezin' in Brooklin, Darlin'

[Chorus]
Lorraine doh cry ah leavin
Ah cyah miss dis jammin
With all dem steel band beatin
And woman background shakin
If de bug bite yuh baby
Then you could come and join me
Inside Catelli steelband
Jammin wit some man woman

[Verse 2]
Lorraine, girl take it easy
I don't mean to hurt you baby
The coldness makin me shiver
And back home, it hot like fire
That is why I say de next jet plane
Must take me to Port-of-Spain
Where all my fans are waiting
Preparing for J'Ouvert Morning, Darlin'

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Babe, my mind is made up
Airport Kennedy will be my next stop
Doh cry and try to convince me
Because meh suitcase done pack already
And if you start feelin lonely
And mas fever vibrating yuh body
Just make ah quick reservation
And touch down in de land of steelband, woman

[Chorus]

[break]
Doh cry homey
Yuh go see meh Ash Wednesday

[Chorus] (repeat til end)