HAMEED SHAQQ

Steel Pan Educational Entertainment Development

(SPEED)

Hameed Shaqq a.k.a The Pan Piper, a innovative, versatile, talented steel pan musician

and composer whose repertoire includes jazz, blues, classical, pop, calypso, along with

liturgical music. Hameed works primarily as a solo pan artist, often backed up by his

own drum machine and bass programming, and MIDI tracks. As well, his group The Pan

Piperz Ensemble incorporates a variety of string, wind, and percussion instruments.

Shaqq came to Canada from Trinidad and Tobago in 1978, where he was trained by steel

pan veterans and played in numerous bands,including the award-winning Harmonites,

Silver Stars, and Invaders. Four time champions Harmonites toured Europe thrilling

audiences at events as the World Fair in Zürich to the Music Festival of Spain. As a

Solo Performer, Hameed toured various Caribbean Countries including Barbados and

Dominican Republic. Also performed, representing Canada , with Ontario All Stars

Steelband at 2004 and 2005 Chinese New Year International Parade in Hong Kong.

Hameed has produced three Recordings; One a cassette “Life on the Line” (2) Cd's

Planet Pan a 16 Track recordings with hits by Bob Marley, the Beatles, Eagles, Zeppelin,

Charlie Parker, Mozart and more. Also a live recording, Pan for the People which was

recorded live by CBC Radio Global Village.

The universal appeal of Hameed Shaqq's steel pan music is evident in the wide variety

of clientèles, apart from the Beaches Jazz Festival, includes the NBA, where Hameed

was featured as a solo on the American anthem and along with Pan fantasy performed

the Canadian anthem, a first for Steel Pan in any major league sporting event in Canada.

Hameed is no stranger to the media and has made movies, radio and television

appearances on pro grammes such as Breakfast TV, Much Music, Fairchild TV,

Christine Crushing Cooking Show (Food Network), the Garden Show, Canada Am

(CTV), CBC Radio (Metro Morning). Movie appearances includes Down Came a Black

Bird staring Raul Julia and Venesa Redgrave, Bleachers Bum with Mike Myers and the

Knight's of South Bronx staring Ted Danson.

My Experience working in schools

Over the past 20years I have focused my Steel Pan playing expertise almost

exclusively towards educational entertainment development and within the

school system. I currently work as an accredited volunteer,Steel Pan musician and facilitator at Correctional Secondary Schools including both Sprucedale Secondary in the city of Simcoe and Blue Water in Goderich. Although, these schools are housed within the Correction services. The learners in the Steel Pan program, they are part of the Ontario high school system with their relevant school boards. Moreover,from 1995 to 2006, I worked as a Steel pan Instructor at Dovercourt, Rose, Nelson Mandela and Regal Road Public schools within the Toronto district school Board also at Dunranking Public in the Peel Board. The ages of the learners in all mentioned facilities range from Senior Kindergarten to Grade 12.