Often, when we hear a song, the first thing that comes to mind is who’s the artiste?
One must always remember that in order to create a song, there needs to be a vocalist (artiste), the writer and the producer.
For the past few years our ears have been delighted by the infectious sounds from a veteran pan player. He has produced some of the biggest hits for St. Lucia’s carnival. His résumé boasts a host of impressive productions, including the Road March-winning HURT IT by JMouse, as well as MADD TING and INDIAN GIRL by Ricky T. Added to that, he was the producer behind Ricky T’s Mega hit THREE PEAT back in 2011.
Meet Aimran Simmons affectionately known as PanmanAimran of Marchand, the mastermind producer behind those hits and many more. Aimran founded Studio No Xcitement five years ago. The studio is situated at Entrepot and has welcomed the likes of Soca King Ricky T, Ambi, J Mouse, and most recently, Mongstar. We sat down with Aimran at our offices to get an insight into his rise to fame to become one of St. Lucia’s biggest and most talented musician/ music producers.
How did you get into producing music?
There was a point where pan was dormant for two years. There was nothing for me to do. I was always building beats and doing stuff, so I decided to get into it.
Which producers inspire you?
Everybody! I listen to 758, Leebo, Dutch, Vibez the Trinis and what they do. My style comes from me having a steel pan background.
What was the first track that you produced?
‘Ok There’ by Ricky T was the first track that I released. ‘Cyah Stop It’ by Ricky T was the first song that I ever produced.
How did that come about?
I knew Ricky T from childhood. We basically grew up in Black Mallet together. He was doing well and then there was his fallout with 758. I figured that since he was no longer with them, I should see if he would come over so that I could do a song for him. He was very receptive and excited about it. The song was written to highlight what he was going through with his former production house at the time. He really wanted to go down that road. He was very impressed with the structure of the song itself. That was back in 2010.
Did you win any titles with ‘Cyah Stop It’?
We won Caribbean Soca Monarch that year. The following year we released ‘Mad Ting,’ which won the road march and the Power Soca title. In the Groovy category, we had ‘Indian Girl,’ which won the title for that category. As a new producer, it was a great feeling. It made me feel like there was so much more to accomplish. It made me believe in myself more.
Did you continue to produce more after those three titles?
The following year I produced for Ricky T again. We released ‘Everything’ for Power Soca. He placed third that year. We also had a song called ‘What’s Causing That’ and ‘Madness’.
Tell us more about your steel pan background.
I started back in 1994 when I joined the Diamond Steel Pan Orchestra. I moved up the ranks from being just a stage-side player (playing with 11 guys at hotels etc.) to becoming the musical director. As the musical director, I was responsible for all arrangements. I was a part of the orchestra for over 17 years. In 2009 and 2010 there was no Panorama. That is when I decided to do something else, which was soca production. Pan will always have my heart. Pan comes first. It puts the food on my table. Soca is a hobby. It is something that I do when I feel like it.
Tell us about the other artistes whose music you’ve produced.
Normally, what I would do is choose an artiste and invest everything into them. Ricky T and I had that going from 2010 to 2012. We decided to part ways in 2013. I took a break. I didn’t do any music. In 2014 I came back stronger than ever with Ambi. We had a pretty good year, placing second in both the Groovy and Power Soca Monarch categories. That year I also won the road march title with J Mouse for the song ‘Hurt It.’
Who is your main source of business inspiration?
In steel pan, I look up to Allison Marquis and other Trinidadians such as Boogsie Sharpe, Jit Samaroo and Clive Bradley. Those are the guys who inspire me as a musical arranger for steel pan. When it comes to soca, everybody inspires me. I respect all the Producers work, whether it is 758, Leebo, Vibez or Dutch. I listen and I always try to do better than what they do.
What is your biggest challenge in the music business?
I think my biggest challenge is dealing with artistes, and honesty in terms of our arrangements and being rightfully compensated for all the hard work that it takes to be a producer. I do the music but I’m really trying to get good at mixing and mastering. That is where my focus is now, so that I can become better at it.
You’ve won all those titles but what is your biggest achievement thus far?
For pan, being able to dominate the scene as an arranger, and being able to win titles back to back. Also, being out for a year, and coming back and winning the Panorama title just to prove that it was not a fluke, it’s really my talent; and that I can win the Panorama title without hesitation. As a young arranger, a lot of people doubted my ability to win the title. I proved them wrong.
It was a tough period when the owner and arranger of Diamond Steel passed on the Baton. My first two years at the senior level, I lost. I was under a lot of pressure, with people saying that the owner needs to come back and do the music because he gave a little boy to do it, and now the band is losing. Winning the senior Panorama title for the first time in 2005, when everybody thought I couldn’t do it, is my biggest achievement.
For soca, it would have to be in 2011 when I was new to the game, not knowing anything about it, and having the most popular artiste, Ricky T in my corner achieving a three-peat in that year. Just being so young and fresh in the business and beating all the big names who were dominating the industry was really the highlight of my soca career.
Who taught you how to arrange music?
Nobody taught me how to arrange. I started arranging by listening and being inspired by other arrangers and what they do. It’s a thing where you have to use what’s inside of you. You cannot really sit with someone and have them tell you what to do. It’s more or less being involved in it and then getting an understanding of what it means to put on an arrangement for Panorama. In that way you can move forward and do it yourself. It is practical. Being able to arrange a verse and chorus of a single song is a start. Then, you can take it from there when you understand the criteria for Panorama.
What advice would you give to upcoming pan players and producers who probably never tried it before?
To steel pan players I would say believe in yourself. If you believe you can do it, you can do it. Get more involved in steel pan. Take a trip to Trinidad if you can and get major experience. Play with the big bands and get a feel of what it’s like to play with 120 players in one band. Put yourself out there to gain the experience. It will not all happen in St. Lucia. You need to get the experience where it is happening on a bigger scale. Practice a lot. Don’t give up.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Having a better studio, doing more music and grooming young and upcoming artistes so that they can develop soca music in St. Lucia.
