André Michael Tanker, born on September 25, 1941, in Woodbrook, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, was a musician and composer. He started playing the steelpan at age seven, later transitioning to the guitar and cuatro. In his teens, he formed ensembles with Ray Holman, evolving into André Tanker and the Flamingos, which played at the Trinidad Hilton. Influenced by Cuban percussionist Mongo Santamaría, he blended jazz, Caribbean folk, and African drumming. His compositions included the songs "Sayamanda", "Basement Party", "Morena Osha", "Hosanna Higher", and "Forward Home". In 1973, he collaborated with Mungal Patasar on the soundtrack for the film Bim. He also composed music for theatrical productions, including Derek Walcott's Ti-Jean and His Brothers (1972), Earl Lovelace's The Dragon Can't Dance, and Mustapha Matura's Playboy of the West Indies. He passed away on February 28, 2003.
