National Carnival Commission chairman Kenny de Silva describes the passing of prolific pan arranger Clive Bradley as a sad day for T&T. Bradley, who was admitted to Port-of-Spain General Hospital on Wednesday, died of a stroke. He was pan arranger for Witco Desperadoes.
Bradley’s death came hot on the heels of former national extempo monarch Leroy Birch, aka “Big B,” who died on Friday. “Today’s a sad day for Trinidad and Tobago. We have lost one of the country’s best pan arrangers. "He was an icon...a legend in his own right.
“I can tell you that Bradley’s passing has hit me like a ton of bricks, because I wasn’t aware that he was hospitalised a few days ago.” De Silva said he found out about Bradley’s ailing health on Friday evening, and had planned to visit him yesterday. “Then I heard that he was gone early this morning.”
De Silva said he knew that Bradley would be sadly missed by the pan fraternity, because of his invaluable contribution, skills and talent demonstrated to the pan movement over the years. “I knew Bradley for many years. He taught one of my sons at Fatima College.”
The NCC chairman said Bradley was considered not only a brilliant and superb pan arranger, but also an educationist who was humble, down to earth and had a bubbly personality. De Silva said Bradley arranged pan like no other. “His arranging was different. He had a unique style that made local and foreign pan lovers rise to their feet when Despers played at the Queen’s Park Savannah for Panorama. "His work always stood out.”
CALYPSONIAN Winston ”Defosto” Scarborough feels that Clive Bradley’s death will affect next year’s Panorama competition. Panorama will have less impact with the absence of Bradley, he said. “There’s no doubt about it. Bradley had a way of bringing a unique style and flair to the competition year in, year out.
"He was a musical genius which the pan fraternity will surely miss.”
Defosto said Bradley lived his life to the fullest. “Like everyone else, he had his ups and downs, but he brought a lot of joy in the hearts of pan fanatics all over the world. A legend is gone.”
