“A Better Tomorrow: Kareem Brown” — a steelpan web documentary series
Last October (2021), Mark Loquan Music premiered a new six-part steelpan web documentary series, focussed on talented pannist, arranger, captain, and community advocate Kareem Brown.
A couple months into the onset of the Covid pandemic in 2020, Loquan was inspired to write a new song called “A Better Tomorrow” — which was released earlier this year as a music video.
He says: “it was in the midst of Covid, there was George Floyd, things were happening in Sea Lots, there was a lot of chaos worldwide. The genesis of the song was about how to still continue to be positive by lifting up yourself and lifting up others to create a better tomorrow.”
The song then evolved into the idea of creating a documentary on pannist/arranger/composer Kareem Brown, who Loquan has worked closely with for many years. “Our journeys have been intertwined since we played together in Skiffle Bunch in the World Steelband Festival in 2000, to Pan in Education and the Music Literacy Trust, to scoring my compositions,” says Loquan. I’ve seen Kareem grow. His story is worth telling. It’s a perfect example of how you can overcome challenges to create better for yourself, and for others. I wanted to tell the story of someone I admire in the pan world because that’s where I’m focussed.”
The six-part documentary series was produced and directed by Maria Nunes for Loquan. Nunes, who is well known for her cultural heritage documentation, has been photographing steel pan for the past 15 years and welcomed the opportunity to work on this video project. Like Loquan, she also has a personal connection to Kareem Brown.
“I first got to know Kareem when we both went to China in 2013 for a major folk arts festival there,” Nunes remembers. “He was — and still is — Captain of the National Steel Symphony Orchestra (NSSO), and they were part of the delegation. I was the official photographer. I got to see first hand what a gifted player he is, and also what an under-appreciated gem the NSSO is. After that, I always looked forward to seeing him and photographing him and his wife Avis at Panorama time. They do such important work together. I’ve been quietly following his career, so I didn’t hesitate when Mark approached me.”
The documentary series tells the story of Kareem’s journey from growing up opposite Highlanders panyard in Success, Laventille under the influence of Bertie Marshall and other legends from the area, to his present day life as a full-time musician, and the role he plays in the community of Success where he continues to live and work with Highlanders and Unistars Steel Orchestras.
Each episode is 10-12 minutes long, and all six episodes are available to stream on Loquan’s YouTube channel.