St. John's, Antigua - Always innovative, creative and pioneering - Antigua's Gemonites Steel Orchestra has again set a new pilot in motion for the global steelpan music community to analyze, experiment with, embrace, possibly follow, and implement.   Gospel On Pan night was launched as a permanent and significant segment in the Moods of Pan Festival (MOP).  The annual late fall three-day festival, now in its eighth year, is already a much-respected music staple in the Caribbean, and has now added an attractive new global appealing lead-off component to its already potent line-up.

Indeed, the Moods of Pan Festival has the potential to become a bona-fide triple threat - with each leg of the festival integrated into the overall MOP philosophy -  while retaining independent, but alluring attributes and features that will appeal to a much wider cross-section of music lovers. 

The MOP lineup had already included the extremely popular and often-copied but never duplicated "Five Alive" competition.  This Antiguan live-performance original is in a class by itself as it includes all facets of the performing arts - theatre, drama, acting, comedy, dancing and musical performance with the steelpan family of music instruments.  And, of course, there is always the grand finale (this year called "Another side of Pan") which always showcases the best steelpan music talent and artists in the world, in addition to world-renowned Caribbean performers.

Gospel On Pan Night - Moods of Pan 2006

The "Gospel on Pan" theme provides MOP and participating steel orchestras an opportunity to showcase a different genre of music, as well as permitting them to meet the continuing challenge of increasing their fan base.  This late-fall (the event always starts on the third Friday in November) festival (MOP) - because of its location, time of the year and performance card - has the potential of becoming simply one of the finest annual music events in the Caribbean.

There are many steelbands who have chosen gospel music as their forte.  And there are considerably many others who have gospel music or 'message music' as part of their performance repertoire.  Currently in Antigua & Barbuda, there are more steel orchestras that play, or are associated with, church - than those who play secular music exclusively.  And there are many steelbands that are now part of the music divisions of religious organizations.

It is no secret that gospel music is a far-reaching and lucrative market.  Moreover, gospel music already has a tremendous world-wide fan base.  Many radio stations globally have included gospel music as part of their format.  The popular WLIB, for example, once the New York flagship for continuous Caribbean music has recently changed to a 24-hour gospel format.  One of the main reasons WLIB management presented for the changeover is the existence of a ready-made audience that is interested in this music product.

While there are other music festivals in the region, MOP has carved out its own niche, through its brand of music, commitment to excellence in performance, approach and ability to be fresh and new, while holding fast to and building on, what has worked and has been successful in the past.  The inclusion of "Gospel Night" as part of the MOP festival will pay off huge dividends in the future.  It would not be surprising to see massive turnouts similar to that of the Gospelfest concert has bean so successful in North American, in the near future.

Based on what we experienced at this inaugural event, the principal obstacle Gemonites will face in making this affair as successful as the other two, is getting the word out to the global audience.  The product is there.  Gemonites has it.  And there is an audience.

Click here  for full review of Gospel On Pan