Dear Editor
I am one of those individuals who is a firm believer that a person who has made a name for themselves, in academics, politics, sports or culture, should get their flowers & accolades while they are alive, so that they can enjoy the aroma & beauty of the accolades rather than receiving the praises after the person is no longer with us.
During my travels I have seen several persons along the way who have quietly made a invaluable contribution to the development of our landscape and hence deserve a national recognition but unfortunately, they have been overlooked. In my view, Eustace ” Gatoux ” Harris is one of those persons.
Gatoux who is well known to many has been into steelpan building & tuning from since the early 70’s. He has built & tune pans for many steelbands such as Halcyon Steel Orchestra, Superstars, Geomonites & Harmonites, just to name a few. He has also worked in many schools in the various communities.
Building & tuning a pan is not an easy feat. It is a profession that is not very popular and it requires alot of hard work, great skills & a considerable degree of concentration especially when preparing the pans for a steelband competition.
Although, pan builders are not usually seen on the front line within the music industry, similar to song writers, their talent and skills are crucial components required within the music industry and hence, should never go unnoticed.
For our nation’s 44th anniversary Independence celebration, I am hoping that Eustace Gatoux Harris will get a national award and at the same time be given full recognition from the Cultural Department for all the great works & dedication that he has put into the development of our cultural landscape. He certainly deserves it.
Alex
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