About
Meet Temitayo Cassandra Ken-Afolabi who started playing pan in 2006 (tenor pan) with Croydon Steel Orchestra and has continued playing. Temitayo has been a member of Croydon Steel Orchestra since 2008.
Temitayo has arranged CSO’s UK Junior Panorama 2015 tune, 'Ah Feeling' by Lead Pipe & Saddis for Croydon Steel Orchestra with Jody Humphries. CSO placed third in that competition. She went on to musically arranged their UK Junior Panorama 2016 rendition of 'Cheers to Life' by Voice for Croydon Steel Orchestra with Jody Humphries and was successful in achieving third place. Temitayo’s musical journey has also seen her musically arrange some of CSO’s gig tunes which include 'Sorry' by Justin Bieber, 'My House' by Farmer Nappy and number of other tunes with Jody Humphries.
Since 2012 Temitayo has been leading and working with other pannists to deliver summer steelpan workshops for children aged 8 and over. She leads a weekly junior band comprising of children aged 7 and over during the 2015-2016 term time.
Temitayo has performed with CSO on numerous occasions at gigs and other performances (including weddings, parties, carnivals, festivals etc.). Her adroitness with the steelpan instrument has seen her perform at the UK Junior Panorama 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016competitions as a tenor player until 2010 when she changed to double seconds. Her musical journey has seen her perform at the UK National Steel Band Panorama competition from 2010. After a two-year break from this competition she returned in 2012 aand played as a tenor player until 2015. In the 2016 competition she played a double seconds.
Temitayo travelled to the mecca of Steelpan, Trinidad and Tobago, where she played with the Caribbean Airlines Invaders Steel Orchestra in the 2015 at the Trinidad and Tobago National Steelband Panorama Competition. During that same year Temitayo performed as a tenor player at the British Association of Steel bands’ 2015 Pan Explosion competition with the Croydon Steel Orchestra.
Temitayo is the captain of the Croydon Steel Orchestra since 2015. Her musical thirst sees her volunteering in church, leading children in musical activities; organising singing and acting performances.
Temitayo likes arranging other genres of music on the steelpan, in addition to soca. She enjoys singing and has also received the Jack Petchy Award in 2013.
This young and talented musician will be going to study chemical engineering at the University of Leeds this September and hopes to connect with a steel band in Leeds. It is highly likely that the resident steel bands in Leeds will benefit from Temitayo’s musical abilities and will be snapped up quite quickly.
Pan Podium congratulates this young, talented and aspiring steelpan musician for her achievements to date and for the musical thirst that will see her continue to achieve and take the steelpan culture far into the future.
If you would like to contact Temitayo please email her at: tkenafolabi5@gmail.com