Paula Lindo – Our histories, stories, present, future.

The Mannette Academy of Music’s third annual show, Showcase!, will take place on June 23 at the Kaiso Blues Cafe. The funds raised from the event will go towards purchasing instruments for use by students of the Academy.

Director Barry Mannette said he formed the academy in 2017 for two main reasons. The first was “to keep the Mannette legacy alive in T&T and eventually internationally. My uncle, Ellie Mannette, and my father, Vernon “Birdie” Mannette, founded the Invaders Steel Orchestra and Ellie went on to become the father of the modern steelpan with his innovations and developments. Vernon stayed in Trinidad and tuned for several bands up until his death in 1999.”

The second reason, he said, is to create musically literate musicians. “I strongly believe that while we learn our music here the traditional way, by rote, learning to read a music score is definitely a plus and makes a pannist from valuable. Our mission is “creating music literate pannists. It’s important for several reasons that people should learn music. It helps with brain development, playing music increases discipline, playing music in a group setting increases social skills, it even helps persons with disabilites in many instances.”

Mannette has a Bachelors of Musical Arts from the University of the West Indies and a Masters in Music Performance from the Northern Illinois University. He has arranged and directed bands as well as performed as a soloist across the globe, in Canada, USA, South America, Japan and the Caribbean. He arranged for the South East Steel Orchestra for St. Vincent Panorama from 2013 to 2016 and took the band to third place three times and second place once. He is currently Music Director of the BP Renegades Pan Institute and, most recently, arranged for the Bishop Anstey High School Steel Orchestra for the 2019 Junior Panorama competition, where the band placed third.

Mannette said students of the Academy have been remarkably successful at Steelpan Exams through UWI and Music Theory exams through the Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music in London. “The academy can boast of a 100% success rate at Steelpan Exams and an almost perfect record with Music Theory exams. After being formed for just a few months, the academy took part in the prestigious T&T Music Festival 2018 and was able to win the second place in the Steelpan Ensemble Open Category.”

The concert will showcase artistes performing a wide range of music, including some pieces composed by the artists themselves. The music will range from Jazz to Soca, Calypso to Spiritual, R&B to Reggae and everything in between.

Perfomers will include guitarist Kemi Ible, vocalists Louise Clarke, Chinaka Pierre and Renuka “Ms. Renuka” Mahabir of Dil E Nadan, singer Nia Lynch from Bishop Anstey High School, members of the Bishop Anstey High School Steel ensemble  and pannists Emmanuel Joseph, who is Captain of the Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra, and Mannette himself. Mannette said “This year the concert will be another special one as the guests have all been taught by me in one way or another. None of the current students of the academy will be performing. The students at the academy range from eight years old to teenagers and their concert will be towards the end of the year.”

Advanced Tickets are $120 and $150 at the door. Door prizes will be given out on the night courtesy Meg’s Jewelry Creations. For more information and tickets call/message 678-0505 or email mannetteacademyofmusic@gmail.com