Steel Expressions Orchestra

Steel Expressions pays tribute to
Herman E. Collins
April 13,1937 to May 15, 2003

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steel Expressions remembers one of its members, Herman E. Collins.

For over fifty years, Herman enjoyed playing pan and he was able to master all the instruments, but he enjoyed playing the double seconds most. As a solo artist, Herman's versatility on the seconds stunned audiences, as he was able to play any genre of music requested.

Over the course of his career as a panman, Herman played for a number of pansides in Trinidad & Tobago, such as Casablanca, Sun Valley and Highlanders. In addition, he was part of the Trinidad & Tobago National Steel Orchestra, the first panside to tour abroad.

Herman spoke to us of musicians he played alongside in his younger days. Well-known musicians such as Spree Simon, Bertie Marshall, Ray Holman, and Len 'Boogsie' Sharpe who stood on a milkcrate to watch Herman play. Herman's pan talent placed him second one year in the Pan Festival competition.

Since moving to Canada, Herman not only played pan with a number of steelbands over the years, but he also used the time to hone his skills as a pan tuner. He tuned pans for our band, Steel Expressions Orchestra, Caribe Steel Orchestra based in Regina, and he would often travel to Minneapolis to tune pans there.

In the end, Herman was in the midst of demonstrating the art of playing the steel pans to school children in a small town in northwestern Manitoba. He was doing what he loved right to the end.

Steel Expressions would like to extend our prayers and deepest sympathy to the family of Herman Collins.

Herman, you were our friend and brother and we miss you terribly. Keep playing the "sweet pan" with the pan fraternity in heaven.

 

 

 

Herman Collins with National Steelband of Trinidad & Tobago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trinidad and Tobago Steel Band returns from 1964 tour -

From (L to R) Back row - Lennox Glean (Wonderland), Kelvin Hart (City Syncopators), Herman Collins (Sun Valley), Osmond Charles (Savoys), Hugh Borde (Tripoli), Emmanuel “Jack” Riley (Invaders), Steve Regis (Sun Downers), Rudolph Johnson (Fascinators), Morrison Romeo (Starlift - Tobago)

Front row (R to L) - Elton John (City Symphony), Kenneth Bennett (San Juan All Stars), Clifford Alexis (Stereophonics), Vincent Hernandez (Satisfiers), Desmond Hernandez (Melodiscs), Randolph St Louis (Renegades)

Missing from picture: Junior Pouchet (Silver Stars), Errol Zephrine (Starlift), Lennox “Bobby” Mohammed (Cavaliers), David Williams, Winston Mc Clean (Metronomes), Glenford Sobers (Crosswinds), Norbert Augustine (Wonderland Symphony), David Samuel (Prodigals), Herbert Benjamin (Casbah - Tobago) and George “Sonny” Goddard, Leader and Manager of the National Steelband.

Information from Clifford Alexis and the publication ‘Forty Years in The Steelbands 1939-1979’ by George “Sonny” Goddard.

Image courtesy of When Steel Talks
http://www.panonthenet.com/history/timeline/clifford-alexis-national-steelband-1964.htm.

Video
National Steelband of Trinidad & Tobago at the MRA conference centre at Mackinac Island USA in 1964.

https://vimeo.com/159761622

Courtesy of IOFC: Steelband Variety from IofC Film Archives