LOUIS   PATRICK   ARNOLD
DATE OF BIRTH: ......
PLACE OF BIRTH: ..., Tobago
EDUCATION:
  • St. Mary's College, Port of Spain
  • Manhattan College, New Yoprk, USA
  • University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
    • STEELBANDS:
  • Our Boys
  • Casablanca
  • Invaders
    • SPECIALTIES:
  • Tuner
  • Player
  • Admistrator
    • CAREER:                                        Growing up in Tobago, Arnold began playing the steelpan with the Symphony Stars Steelband at the young age of twelve and, very soon after, was playing with the band at hotels and other venues in Tobago. Following a dispute, he was expelled from Symphony along with Lennard Nelson, Neville Defreitas, Ronald Campbell, Cecil Louis, and Earnest Lyons. With the money received by some of the expelled members from Symphony, three oil drums were purchased for the formation of a new steelband. Arnold was elected as the captain of the new steelband and he chose the name "Our Boys" while he was attending St. Mary's College in Trinidad and came upon the name in a magazine. Attending high school in Trinidad, Arnold played pan with the Casablanca Steelband where he became interested in tuning pans after observing the work of band members Oscar Pyle and Patsy Haynes. He later moved over to the Invaders Steelband where he was able to learn the art of pan-tuning by watching Ellie Mammette and Emmanuel Riley work.

                                                   As the popularity of Our Boys grew, so did the pan-playing skills of Arnold. In 1962, the band was a finalist in the Steelband Music Festival which was held at Queen's Hall in Port of Spain and Arnold was also a finalist as a soloist at the same event. In the early-1960s, Arnold travelled to Washington, DC, with the intention of attending Howard University but, lacking the required finances, returned to Tobago shortly thereafter. In 1965, he returned to the USA to attend Manhattan College in New York where he met Clifford Alexis who introduced him to the Sunjets Steelband. He later got involved tuning pans with Ellie Mannette who had left Trinidad to pursue his long career of tuning pans in the USA. While in New York, Arnold taught inner-city kids to play pan as part of a program to keep them off the streets. He later moved to Canada and attended the University of Toronto. While in Toronto, he played with the Steltones Steelband which was made up of Tobagonians including Earl Wong, Ken Thomas, Ken Jones, and Larry Sardinah. Arnold went on to serve as President of Pan Trinbago and as a Senator in the 2nd Republican Parliament of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
    AWARD:
    • 2011 - Trinidad & Tobago Chaconia Medal Gold (for long and meritorious service to the country)
    Compiled by Ronald C. Emrit