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Pianist / Composer / Extempo Kaiso Jazz Pioneer

by Peter Ray Blood

Clive “Zanda” Alexander, pioneer of extempo/kaiso jazz music is largely a self-taught composer/improvisor, pianist who has gained recognition at home, in the Caribbean and internationally. As a child of Siparia, Zanda can be considered a music prodigy, always creating something or the other as well. He started making music on self-made cardboard, miniature bongos at age ten beating out calypso rhythms, scatting and composing lines on top of the rhythms. At age 15, Zanda began classical piano lessons with Sybil Joseph in Siparia. After a couple of lessons, up to grade one, he started extemporising on the piano, incorporating some of what was learnt with his own tunes. Joseph gave up on him and left him alone to do so.

At the age of 20 he migrated to England primarily to pursue studies in architecture because the future in music was considered not lucrative. But music was always in his head and because of the nature of architecture, being considered “frozen music,” he was able to study and combine both disciplines successfully.

It was during his stay in England that Zanda had his earliest encounters with live and direct Jazz music. Impressed by how much music a jazz trio could generate, he seriously immersed himself into the genre of jazz and subsequently commenced intense private lessons with well-known British Composer Michael Grant.

Soon after this he formed his own combo experimenting with fusing calypso elements with Jazz which in Zanda’s perception were musical siblings. Successfully pursuing his academics as an architect and playing music at nights. The Dez Alex Combo, as his group was called, performed regularly at the London Pigalle night club doing curtain calls for such acts as Shirley Bassey, Matt Monroe and Sammy Davis Jnr.

On his return to Trinidad, the Zanda Gayap Extempo/Kaiso Jazz Workshop was established, in association with the Queen’s Royal College (QRC) Jazz workshop under the direction of school teacher, musician Schofield Pilgrim, researching and experimenting with the concept of Extempo/Kaiso Jazz which he continued to pioneer up to this day. This marriage was the nucleus for this unique genre of music spawning outstanding musicians like Michael Georges, Michael “Toby” Tobas, Beverly “Muthadi” Thomas, Luther Francois, Michael Boothman, Rafael Robertson, Ron Reid, Etienne Charles and Wayne “Barney” Bonaparte.

Zanda said: “I was saddened not just by Schofield’s death but also when he died there was no music created by him to be played either on the radio or at his funeral. At the time, I thought we must begin to document the music we create. It is why I decided to document all my music for the benefit of future generations.” He explained: “I have been documenting my Kaiso Jazz compositions for the purpose of leaving behind a legacy for my children and the community at large. When I pass on I hope to also control the music from my grave. The classical composers did this and that is why they are still alive through their music.”

In closing, there is no question that Zanda is a national treasure and musical ambassador for the Caribbean, when asked what exactly is Kaiso Jazz, Zanda replied: “for me Kaiso Jazz is the creative hybrid product deep rooted in our ancestral consciousness of the drum, the riddim of life, and our multi cultural heritage.”

Clive ”Zanda” Alexander passed away on January 6th 2022 at the Port of Spain General Hospital from complications associated with diabetes, he was 82.

Read full Article at:
https://www.guardian.co.tt/article-6.2.359946.f0fbff5f51