"Rope"

CLIFFORD   ALFRED DATE OF BIRTH: November 4, 1946 PLACE OF BIRTH: Laventille, Trinidad EDUCATION: ...... STEELBANDS: Highlanders Dessperadoes SPECIALTIES: Tuner Player Arranger Ambasaador CAREER:                                 Alfred grew up on Old St. Joseph Road in Lavantille, Trinidad; the road was later changed to Bertie Marshall Boulevard. He became known as "Rope" because of his skinny size and began playing pan in 1966 with the Highlanders Steelband. In the early-1970s, he started an apprenticeship tuning the steelpan under the master tuner Lincoln Noel. This experience also provided an opportunity for him to interact with and study master tuners Bertie Marshall and Tony Slater. In 1973, he migrated to Venezuela where he further developed his skills as a tuner of great merit, by tuning pans of different styles of other tuners who had passed through Venezuela and left their pans there. Some of the bands he tuned for in Venezuela were Demon Steel Orchestra, Sensacion Steel Band, Jose Felix Steel Band. After nine years in Venezuela, he returned to Trinidad in 1982 to work with tuners Tony Slater and Bertie Marshall, and later joined Rudolph Charles tuning pans for the Dessperadoes Steelband. He succeeded Anthony Williams as research officer at the Trinidad & Tobago Ministry of Culture. Alfred arranged music for several steelbands including Exodus, Merry Tones, Birdsong, Chordettes, Xpress 21, Deltones, and Glissando Steel Orchestra (UK). In 1990, Alfred invented "Protec" to protect the top surface of steelpans. AWARD: 1990 - Rudolph Charles Pan Innovation Award (for inventing "Protec") DIED: December 2, 2020 Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit