Anthony Williams - Honoree 2001

The history of Trinidad and Tobago is brimming with people who have dedicated their lives to the enrichment of others and are remembered only as as their funeral dirage plays solemnly on. Thereafter their contributions fade into the recesses of the minds of their contemporaries and remain undiscovered by the generations that follow.

When one sees the feet of Mr. Anthony Williams occasionally pounding the streets of St. James, one remembers the mind and hands that fashioned indisputably one of the finest Steel Orchestras ever to perform for audiences anywhere. While the accomplishments of the Pan Am North Stars are recorded for posterity, Mr .Williams' contributions to the band in particular and the steelband movement in general remain the knowledge of a too limited knew.

Some Accomplishments
Tony, or 'Skip' as he is affectionately called, was one of that rare breed of complete panmen. He tuned the pans, built the stands on which they stood, arranged the music that provided those enchanting sounds and generally looked after every detail of the band's activities.

In the area of tuning, Tony introduced the Spider Web Pan. This design produced very rich and distinct tones; a feat which top tuners in the country now acknowledge was a great achievement. With this design, he arranged the notes in 'fourths' and 'fifths', the standard of the First Pan, otherwise known as the Tenor, today. Tony also introduced the double cello and a double strumming pan that was unique to Pan Am North Stars.

In other areas too, Slip's firsts are legendary. Understanding the difficulty of holding certain pans around the neck, Tony's band was the first to put their pans on wheels. He went even further in that he was the first to put pans on stands. These two accomplishments were steelband's quantum leap, for they were in large measure responsible for broadening the range of pans, and consequently music on the streets for Carnival.

When one considers that Mr. Anthony Williams' formal musical training consists of no more than six months of music lessons, the only label that seems fitting for this man is that of 'genius'. Tony first wrote a composition exclusively for the steelband as early as 1956. He was do do the same again in 1964, with the now famous 'Pan Down Fifth Avenue'. Skip was among the first to master classics on pan and he bares his soul in his glorious interpretation of North Stars signature pieces, 'Voices of Spring' and the beloved 'Poets and Peasants'.

Introducing the big band sound in Trinidad and Tobago's music festival, North Stars, under the leadership of Anthony Williams, becomes the first band to win the title two years in a row. The band also won the first and Second Panorama titles and won third place the following year. Several times the steelband was awarded 'Best Beating Band On The Road' and was the 'Triple Crown Winner' in 1964. In the process, the band became the first to introduce the change key in the competition. Tony also traveled with the first steelband to leave Trinidad and Tobago's shores on a tour of Europe. There is more, but the point is made.

History is such that it places at our disposal the accumulated knowledge of toilers, past and present. This enables us to move forward in the succeeding ages. Tony stood on the able shoulders of Sonny Roach and as any Master would want, the student bettered him. Clearly, there are many other people who through different endeavors have brought honour and glory to St. James and by extension the country. However, in choosing this living legend, the St. James Community Improvement Committee (St. James CIC) has chosen to recognize in Anthony Williams, the embodiment of Discipline, Dedication, Innovation and Excellence. In HONORING Mr. Williams, the people of St. James are HONORING themselves.