Dariem is flying high with his voice and pan

He has to be very talented to do both, play pan and sing at the same time and at that age,” Joslynne Sealey said in admiration of the 12-year-old pan and voice talent of Dariem Charles. “Playing pan and using it to accompany your voice is a very difficult feat especially at age 12 because that’s the age when the voice breaks. He (Dariem) must still have the treble.”

Whether he does or not Dariem has had his fill at perhaps one of his biggest billings to date — the opening act of “Icons In Concert” last evening, at Jean Pierre Complex in celebration of our country’s 41st Independence anniversary. Yes, Dariem rubbed shoulders with some of calypso’s greats including Calypso King and Queen of the World, The Mighty Sparrow and Calypso Rose. Dariem was spotted by “Icons In Concert” organisers after his impressive soca performance accompanied by the pan. He appeared alongside Young Marcel at Mas Camp Pub’s “Bridging De Gap” mini concert earlier this month. The duo performed songs like Roger George’s “These are the Days” and Calypso Kerr’s (his manager Carlston Kerr) “Party with Pan”. “The mini concert was about bringing the young and the old together, giving youths an alternative to violence by getting involved in singing calypso and soca,” said Dariem. Dariem, a form two student of El Dorado Secondary Comprehensive School and resident of Sangre Grande can sing all styles — reggae, soca, calypso, R&B— and play pan simultaneously. He’s a one-man show. It’s not the norm and certainly not an act practised by professional pannists, locally.

According to Sealey, “usually one or the other will suffer,” one’s efficiency on the pan or vocals. “Singing is a combination of breathing and phrasing, and then with the pan it’s concentrating on playing different notes and these notes aren’t marked out on the pan. This is what you see with performers like Barry Manilow who sings while on the piano but then the microphone is close to his lips. Unlike Dariem, he has to look down at his notes which could compromise his vocals and it is technically difficult to do that well.” Dariem sang a different tune. For him, he said, it wasn’t difficult. How so? When his mother, gospel singer/ assistant manager Patsi De Vignes Charles, drafted him to accompany her on stage at a Mother’s Day concert in Cumana, Dariem began picturing himself as a performer. At Toco Season’s talent show a few years later, while a student of Cumana Anglican, Dariem placed fourth in the calypso competition. But it was at the age of nine, while resident in Cumana that Dariem discovered his talent. “I used to go across to the area where the Toco band was and play around with the pan. Then one day Natasha Hislop (neighbour) saw me and decided to teach me how to play and she gave me half of “Amazing Grace” to learn on the pan. “Then I got a pan borrowed from the band and almost everyday I would go across and practice the song. When my mother saw me singing the song and playing the notes on the pan together she said, ‘yuh know what, ah want yuh to do that everytime you play.’ Ah say this is ah next pressure on meh head now...to sing and play the pan!” Dariem told People. He was given some assistance by the “neighbourhood musician” and friend of the family Dexter “Tac Tac.” He was also taken under the wings of music instructor Merle Albino-De Coteau.

When the villagers numbering just over 100 responded with a standing ovation after Dariem’s first performance as a panman/vocalist at Miss Seasonet Fashion Show/Tocohe he said, “I was encouraged. They told me well done, keep it up!” he said. Subsequently, he copped best calypso singer and best all-round performer at Twelve and Under talent show in the two years he competed. He was now given the impetus to excel in his field. Last year, Dariem won several trophies which included Best East Zone, Best 8-11, Best Social Commentary, Best Primary School performer and Best All-rounder with his rendition “Do Your Best” composed by Calypso Kerr, his manager. Added to that, Dariem has been booked for performances at numerous weddings and graduation ceremonies. Currently, he’s being trained under music teacher Evril Monsegue, who opted to give Dariem free lessons in music theory after seeing the youth in action. Dariem has had to catch up on some school work during the July/August vacation since his performances have at times robbed him of classes during the term. Though he gets to play video games — particularly Play Station and any Mario Brothers game, “Silent Bomber” and Spider Man on Game Boy — on the weekends, he’s not totally pleased about spending his holidays studying. However, he said: “I’m still encouraged to achieve my goals.” He wants to be a pilot, so that “when I’m not singing I’m flying and when I’m not flying I’m singing.”