-Celebrated pannist still entertaining in his golden years

TERRENCE Benjamin has been immersed in music since his boyhood days. He had a deep yearning to become an icon; a name people would remember. And, as he matured, he worked tirelessly towards achieving that goal.
Today, the 75-year-old is a gifted musician and a solo steel pannist, performing at social events and other functions where his melodious music soothes the soul, and provides therapeutic comfort.

Known as “Sir Benjamin”, he is well-regarded among his peers, and cherished by the students he taught as a certified music teacher at five different secondary schools. His unconventional style of teaching music has made him a favourite among teenagers and youths, catering to all types of learners.

The musician told Pepperpot Magazine that his journey with the steel pan began in 1968 in Albouystown, Georgetown, with the Fascinators Steel Band, which comprised 15 members.
He recounted that the group was often hired to perform, and at the time, steelpan music was highly sought after. He loved every aspect of being a pannist.
With more than 56 years as a pannist, Benjamin says it feels like it was just yesterday that he began.

As a solo pannist, he operates his own small business, Sound of Music (SOM) Entertainment, which he established in 2014. His setup includes a laptop loaded with karaoke tracks, which he uses to play the double tenor steel pan, and also record music at intervals.

The idea for SOM Entertainment came to him while watching television. He saw a similar concept and thought, “Why not?” He soon gathered the equipment he needed to start his one-person band, and from then on, there was no stopping him.

Benjamin, a resident of Eccles, East Bank Demerara, shared that his laptop holds a wide variety of music, though he has been unable to source Indian tracks locally despite his best efforts.
A certified music teacher, Benjamin can both write and play music. He taught music at Bishop’s High School for 15 years, and was a member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Steel Band for 10 years. Music, he says, is his life, and everything revolves around it.

Although retired from formal teaching, Benjamin continues self-teaching during his practice sessions at home.
Reflecting on his boyhood dream of becoming a solo pannist, he expressed immense happiness at its realisation. “As a pannist, one can only get better; there’s no such thing as worse,” he said.
He enjoys being in demand at social events, and takes great pride in setting the tone for special occasions. “Playing music for people to enjoy, to lighten the mood, and set the tone for the occasion is what I look forward to,” Benjamin told Pepperpot Magazine.

His next performance will be at a 50th Birthday celebration, where he anticipates requests for soft, soothing music.

THE CULTURAL LEGACY OF STEELPAN
Steel pan music, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1930s, is played on the steel pan, a percussion instrument initially crafted from household items like buckets and old oil drums. By 1945, the first chromatic 14-note steel pan was developed. This versatile instrument is central to genres of music such as Calypso and Soca, but also features in Classical and Pop music covers. Celebrated through annual competitions like Panorama since the 1960s, the steel pan and its players, known as pannists, gained further recognition when the United Nations declared August 11 as World Steelpan Day in 2023, and Trinidad and Tobago officially designated it their national instrument in 2024. (Source: Wikipedia)