Obe Quarless
Seattle, WA
Obe Quarless
Seattle, WA
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest in Tacoma, Washington, I am a dynamic entertainer and steel pan musician who brings a breadth of musical talent and experience to every performance. I first was introduced to the steel pan as a young child from his father who is also a musician and is from the native country of the steel pan, Trinidad & Tobago. My affinity for music came from growing up in the shadow of his father’s calypso band “The Islanders” and playing music with his 3 younger brothers and father together. “The Islanders” have been actively performing in the Greater Seattle area for over 25 years.
Aside from learning and performing music with his father, my musical training at home was complimented with my schooling beginning in elementary school singing in choirs and playing the trumpet. I continued brass studies on trumpet, tuba, and French horn through high school performing in various wind bands and jazz ensembles. In high school he also received several state accolades for his steel pan performances at the Washington state solo & ensemble competition.
My expertise is in calypso and soca music from Trinidad & Tobago. However I also show my versatility on steel pan by drawing upon my diverse musical backgrounds to create new and exciting music. My musical influences include Calypso, Afro-Brazilian, Hip-Hop, Rap, Jazz improvisation, Funk and R&B
As a classically trained musician, I hold a Bachelor of Arts degree in percussion studies from Whitworth University and am currently pursuing a Master of Music degree in steel pan performance from Northern Illinois University. I have studied percussion and steel pan with Paul Raymond, Liam Teague, Cliff Alexis, and Greg Beyer. I also have shared the stage with internationally recognized pannists and percussionists Andy Narell, Victor Provost, Gary Gibson, Omar Al Musfi, and also with the Grammy Award-Winning the Rebirth Brass Band.