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Robert Greenidge, the internationally acclaimed steelpan virtuoso, arranger and composer whose artistry helped elevate Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument to global recognition, died today after a prolonged illness. He was 76.
For more than half a century, Greenidge stood as one of the steelpan’s most influential ambassadors—an artiste whose technical brilliance, musical imagination and versatility connected panyards with prestigious concert halls, recording studios and festival stages.
Born on April 28, 1950, in Success Village, Laventille, Greenidge grew up in a working-class community where pan, Carnival and cultural resilience formed the fabric of daily life. He was introduced to the instrument at the age of eight under the guidance of his uncle, Carl Greenidge, and started an informal apprenticeship in the Savoy Steel Orchestra before joining Desperadoes Steel Orchestra in his late teens.
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