“We are the champions!”
Head of Charlie Boys Tassa Group, Hemant Nanan shared these words with great pride during an interview with Kitcharee last Thursday.
The Clarke Road outfit, Penal, stopped all comers during their successful defense of their Tassarama National title last Saturday, at the Fun Splash Water Park, Ring Road M2, Debe.
Although sweet, the victory did not come easily, Nanan said. His band, which also includes his brother, Neil Nanan, Rajendra Ramlogan, Deolal Baboolal, Ivan Sahatie and Vedraj Samroo, worked overtime to strengthen their sound in the weeks leading up to the competition.
“Being champion was not easy. It took a lot of preparation, planning, practice and sacrifice to get us where we are. It is the journey we went through, hoping to one day reach the highest degree of success. We have participated in many competitions, but the National Tassarama is the one with the most prestige,” said Nanan.
Staged by the Tassa Association of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT), Tassarama is to the tassa drum what Panorama is to the pan. It is every tassa player’s dream to lift the coveted title.
Charlie Boys tasted victory for the first time on the virtual stage of the 2021 competition, winning with a record 186 points. Nanan said the margin of victory alerted his players to the significant advantage of their reputed rhythmic chemistry.
“This really gave us the impetus to maintain our performances and continue to improve our capabilities with innovation. Coming into this year’s competition, we did the same kind of preparation and planning. We knew we had to maintain our drumming style and even did more work to improve our performance. Winning this race back to back is an overwhelming feeling. We are really grateful to know that the kind of efforts we put in really paid off,” said Nanan.
A family tradition
The Nanan brothers first hit a tassa drum in their Penale family home before their tenth birthday. Watching older family members play in the family band created a deep fascination with drumming, Nanan recalls.
“My brother and I were both fascinated by the sound of drums and eager to learn.
“Coming from a family of talented musicians, we already had exposure to the sounds of music,” he explained.
Charlie Boys was formed while the Nanans were still in primary school, a year after learning the instrument. But the group was discontinued when the boys were encouraged to focus on their studies.
“That didn’t stop me and my brother as we joined other groups and continued to learn the different hands/beats and everything there was to know about tassa. Over the years, we still had the desire to promote our roots. After placing with these other groups in various competitions, we decided it was time to continue our original name,” he said.
Nanan and his brother called in some original band members and added some new hands to make it all happen.
“Our desire was to show what we can do with our talents by pushing our limits by entering competitions. Our goal was to be as pure and unique as possible in our drums. Having all the experience we have gained over the years, we knew what to do and what not to do on stage”, he recalls.
Much more than hitting the goatskin
Playing Tassa is a complicated art that goes beyond keeping a beat, Nanan said. Groups rehearse for hours to perfect different hands or beats and nail the smooth taals—the transitions to other rhythms.
“Every hand played normally carries a meaning or purpose behind it, so we find ourselves moving to beats. Hands known as nagara and dingolay always bring a festive feeling and encourage body movement to the beat.
“What makes the band come together is playing in unison and also making sure the timing is done. Taals add to the pleasure of listening to the hands and this adds to the main rhythm.”
Becoming a master tassa player takes years of dedication to one’s drum, Nanan said.
“It takes real skill and years of learning to master the art form. Practice is the key and learning from generations will keep this tradition from strength to strength,” he noted.
Nanan praised TATT’s decision to move the Tassarama competition from Independence time to Carnival, saying the new place on the calendar will generate new interest in drumming.
“Transferring this event to the carnival period will definitely cause an impact with the festivities.
Tassa is already used in carnival events, and even bands use it as part of the main carnival parades. Having competition between the usual carnival events will add extra interest,” he said.
The move, however, also means that the Charlie Boys’ reign will be a short six months this time around as they will have to defend the title in February.
“The Charlie Boys team is ready. We plan to take our battery as far as we can, not only at the racing level, but at different stages. Whether we decide to compete or not, or whether we win/lose or draw, Charlie Boys will continue its work promoting this culture.”
