Clive Bradley (musician)


Clive Bradley was a known arranger of steelpan music.

Person

Bradley grew up in Diego Martin, Trinidad, where he attended elementary school. He then went to Fatima College. He did not play steelpan himself, but in 1968 he was asked by Mr. Rudolph "Charlo" Charles, manager of the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra from Laventille to try his arranging talents for the band. Besides Mr. Bradley's 6 panorama arranging victories with Desperadoes, he led them to wins at Pan Fiesta in 2003 & 2005, and Pan in the 21st Century in 2005. Mr. Bradley is the only arranger to place 3 different steel orchestras in the top-three at panorama in 3 different decades. Desperadoes 1st in 1977, Pandemonium 2nd in 1988 and Nutones 3rd in 1999.
In 1973, Bradley founded an advertisement agency together with historian Gérard Besson. Bradley also was a teacher of mathematics at Fatima College and later on at the University of West Indies.
Clive Bradley also arranged for a number of steelbands from New York City.
In 1999, he arranged the same song for two different competitions and steelbands and won the Panorama title both in Port-of-Spain and New York. He repeated the same in the year 2000, won the Panorama title in Trinidad and came second in New York.

Panorama

Panorama in Trinidad

Bradley won the Panorama competition in Trinidad seven times, six times with Desperadoes.
YearSongComposerSteelband
1970"Margie"Lord KitchenerDesperadoes Steel Orchestra
1976"Pan in Harmony"Lord KitchenerDesperadoes Steel Orchestra
1977"Crawford"Lord KitchenerDesperadoes Steel Orchestra
1983"Rebecca"Blue BoyDesperadoes Steel Orchestra

Panorama in New York

Over the years, Bradley took part with three steelbands in the New York Panorama, held during the West Indian Carnival Day. He won the competition ten times with two different groups:
YearSongComposerSteelband
1982"Jenny"NelsonMetro Steel Orchestra
1987"Say Say"BaronMetro Steel Orchestra
1990"Tell Me Why"BaronMetro Steel Orchestra
1991"This Melody Sweet"BaronMetro Steel Orchestra
1992"Dingolay"ShadowMetro Steel Orchestra
1999"In My House"Emmanuel SynettePantonic Steel Orchestra
2001"Stranger"ShadowPantonic Steel Orchestra
2002"Ben Lion"Andre TankerPantonic Steel Orchestra
2003"Trini to the Bone"David RudderPantonic Steel Orchestra
2005"Action"Emmanuel SynettePantonic Steel Orchestra