Pan Player, Arranger
Aldwyn Albino, the first child born in the musical family of the Albinos of Success Village, Laventille, was given a well rounded education. He began music with both parents who were musicians in their own right.
At age twelve he took lessons, together with his sister Merle, from the village music teacher Rita Daniel; but he was never satisfied with playing only the five finger exercises and little tunes.
After some doing, he convinced his parents that he wanted a crash course in playing by ear and went to Dawlet Ahyee [ensemble] for about three months. From there it was no turning back. He would play any song he heard on the radio.
He started playing the organ in St Dominic's Church, Morvant, as his sister Merle was playing in the village Church, Corpus Christi, Laventille.
Aldwyn was always restless and went to explore, so he began frequenting steelband yards. He began arranging for City Symphony, where he got the opportunity to arrange his favourite tune Dream of Aldwyn.
At this time; Aldwyn arranged for orchestras such as Norman "Tex" Williams and later, Joe Chet Sampson.
He then turned to transfer his knowledge to the youth. He was organist at the Assumption Church, Maraval, which then led him to form a choir with children from Bossiere RC School.
When he taught at Calvary RC, he got pans from Angostura and had the first school steelband which performed at the Rosary Church in Port of Spain, in November 1968, with selections such as Kyrie Elesion, Sanctus, Agnus Dei and Zacchaeus; with the choir from the same school accompanying their school master.
Aldwyn was the resident pianist for Scouting for Talent for many years and for Ricki Tikki, the children's show, [billed] on Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT).
Aldwyn migrated to Canada where his musical talent was [further] explored. He is organist at the Catholic Church in La Salle and has played at the St Patrick Church in Montreal.
He is a teacher at Laurendean - Danton School and has music classes in keyboard, violin, guitar and Recorder.
Aldwyn Albino, a son of the soil, a pannist of yesterday and one who helps to keep the Trinidad and Tobago culture alive and will even though he is in North America.
© 1997 Gideon Maxime: Pg 188; PAN THROUGH THE YEARS (1952 - 1996)
