Steelband player, educator, arranger, tuner, and builder Clifford Alexis died on January 29, 2019.

Born on January 15, 1937 in Trinidad, Alexis was attracted to the steelbands in his east Port of Spain neighborhood. By age eight Alexis was a regular in the panyards. As a teenager, Alexis joined the Hit Paraders steelband. From Hit Paraders, Alexis moved to the Tripoli steelband and then to what he refers to as his “real education” with Invaders steelband and its many pioneering panmen.

Despite never having formal music lessons, by the early 1950s Alexis started earning a reputation as a great player and arranger. He began arranging for such steelbands as Stereophonics and Joyland Synco who, like Tripoli steelband, recruited him after hearing him play with Invaders.

In 1964 he was selected to join the National Steelband Orchestra of Trinidad and Tobago, which gave Alexis his first taste of foreign travel to the United States, South America, Europe, Africa, and greater Caribbean. In 1965 he moved to New York City and began playing and arranging for the BWIA Sunjets steelband. In 1967 Alexis joined the Tripoli steelband in Montreal for the Expo ’67 World’s Fair and performed with pianist Liberace. Alexis impressed Liberace’s agent, and shortly thereafter he formed the Cliff Alexis Trinidad Troubadours. The agent booked tours throughout the western United States, which lasted until 1972.

In 1972 Alexis moved to Minneapolis. An opportunity presented itself when someone asked Alexis if he could teach steelpan to inner-city kids at St. Paul Central High School. During his tenure at St. Paul, Alexis built a thriving steelband program and received many awards, including the Minnesota Outstanding Black Musician award in 1983 and 1984.

At the time he was hired, the school had no steelpans, so Alexis called upon Patrick Arnold—his longtime musician friend and tuner—to assist. Arnold convinced Alexis that if he wanted drums, he should learn to make them himself. Alexis did just that, becoming one of the leading pan makers of the world. As a player first, he knew exactly what sound he wanted to get from a steelpan, and his abilities and dedication as a craftsman helped him realize the desired sound.

Around 1973, Chief Cal Stewart of the U.S. Navy Steel Band hired Alexis to tune for the band, and Stewart purchased an entire set of instruments. G. Allan O’Connor from Northern Illinois University (NIU) heard the U.S. Navy Steel Band and inquired who had tuned their instruments. Their reply: “Clifford Alexis from St. Paul, Minnesota.” When O’Connor tracked down Alexis several years later, the two men formed an instant friendship. For the next few years the pair drove steelpans back and forth, or meeting halfway, between St. Paul and Chicago.

In 1985, O’Connor put an offer on the table for Alexis: Take a one-year leave of absence from St. Paul and see if you like teaching steelpan at NIU. Once at NIU, Alexis—in addition to building and tuning instruments—taught the NIU Steel Band authentic Trinidadian-style arrangements, worked rehearsals, composed new tunes for the band, and mentored countless steelpan students.

Alexis’s presence at NIU caught the attention physics professor Dr. Thomas Rossing. Alexis and Rossing conducted groundbreaking research into the science of steelpans, authoring many papers and presenting lectures on the metallurgy and acoustical quality of steelpans.

Alexis was also a driving force in fostering a relationship with Lester Trilla, the former owner of a major steel drum manufacturer in Chicago. Alexis and Trilla developed new steel drum technology whereby both ends of the drum could be used instead of just the bottom of the barrel.

Alexis arranged the tunes and played a key role in coordinating (along with Robert Chappell) the first mass steelband concert at PASIC ’87 in St. Louis. Alexis also appeared as a soloist and arranger at PASIC ’94 in Atlanta for a concert in honor of the accomplishments of himself and Ellie Mannette toward the advancement of steelpan in the United States.

For over 40 years, Alexis was a featured guest artist at numerous universities in the United States and abroad. From 1989 through 1995, Alexis was an Artist-in-Residence for the California State University Summer Arts Festival in Arcata, California. He served as a guest clinician and an adjudicator at the annual PANorama Caribbean Festival held in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and was a regular guest speaker at the University of the West Indies Department for Creative and Festival Arts. Alexis also served as an instructor at many summer steelpan building and tuning workshops at the University of Akron, University of Arizona, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, California State University-Humboldt, Birch Creek Music Performance Center, Inc., and Northern Illinois University.

Some of Alexis’s notable achievements include the Trinidad and Tobago Folk Arts Institute Award in 2001 for his contribution to steelpan development and education in the United States. In 2002 Alexis was inducted into the Sunshine Hall of Fame (New York) for lifetime achievements in steelpan. At the World Steelband Music Festival of 2005 held in Madison Square Garden, Alexis was given an award for his outstanding contribution to the development of the steelpan in the United States. In 2006 Alexis was bestowed a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cultural Academy for Excellence (Hyattsville, Maryland) for his dedication to the development of collegiate level steelbands throughout the United States. In 2006 Alexis was award the Panguard Award by the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs in partnership with Pan Trinbago. In 2009 he earned an Outstanding Service Award at NIU, and in 2012 Alexis was nominated for two Emmy Awards (Special Event Coverage and Best Music Composition) for his work in the film Hammer and Steel, which celebrates the University of Akron Steel Band’s 30th anniversary. He was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 2013, he received an honorary doctorate from NIU in 2017, and he was accorded one of his native country’s highest honors, the Chaconia Medal (Silver) in 2018.

His achievements are documented in great detail in the book Celebration in Steel: 40 years of the Northern Illinois University Steel Band by Andrew Martin, Ray Funk, and Jeannine Remy (Spring 2014).

Read Clifford Alexis’ PAS Hall of Fame profile here.