In the realm of crafting and playing musical instruments, the genius of African centered ideas and inventions are indisputable. That genius is most recently expressed in the invention of the Steel Pan on the island of Trinidad just after the end of the Second World War in the late 1 940's. At the conclusion of this violent confrontation among nations, Trinidad was littered with large fuel oil drums. These steel drums provided, however, the raw material for the invention of the musical instrument known as Pans.

The creation of the instrument involves burning the drum so that it becomes malleable enough to be sunk and then cutting out grooves for tuning musical notes. It is more than fascinating to see and hear how the explosive hammering of the areas between the grooves yield beautifully tuned musical notes that project a rich spectrum of harmonics when they are played. Indeed instruments for the full range of instruments in a symphony orchestra can be produced.

The beauty of the Pan has been described as mystical and hypnotic. Whether it is played as a single instrument or in the massive synergy of a full steel orchestra, the Pan has the ability to attract and captivate the listener. Moreover, this magnetic quality also engenders among certain Pan players a profound commitment to enhance the quality of the instrument.

Garvin Blake embodies this commitment to Pan, which is still in its infancy in terms of refinements in its production and the extent of its musical exposure. While his humility will deny the fact, at age 32 Garvin Blake represents the cutting edge for redefining and enhancing the progress of Pan music. Last year in 1994 at the Panorama Festival attended by more than 6000 Pan aficionados, in Brooklyn New York, Garvin's innovative arrangement of Robert Greenidge's "Fire Coming Down" stunned the audience. His arrangement amounted to a clear claim as winner of the Panorama, but for apparent political reasons he was scored as second place winner. Garvin is undaunted in his determination to "play from the heart" and not to follow the crowd.

Garvin's commitment to Pan has propelled him to achieve a life long dream of recording an album that showcases the Pan as a legitimate instrument. His current album project is entitled Belle Eau Road Blues. He recently stated, "I believe one of the things that has been absent in the history of Pan is that it has not been documented in terms of literature and audio recordings. It is an art form people usually hear at carnival time or Labor Day. There aren't many records. For the most part, when you do hear a recording it is not of the quality that most people would want to hear. In Belle Eau Road Blues, I am trying to document the art form because I think we are at a major crossroad in the history of Pan and now is a good time to have some documentation. Pan is coming of age in that the tuning has come a long way in the past 25 years. It is getting more sophisticated and also the players are advancing their knowledge of music and harmonies. The full potential of the instrument is now beginning to surface. Whereas people looked at the Pan almost as a novelty, something you play around a pool-side and tourists enjoy. People are beginning to open their ears and hear the Pan as a legitimate instrument that makes beautiful music not tourist music - it makes music."