New York - It is only April but already for 2006, three of New York's noted steelpan orchestras were out in full form last Saturday evening at the second Sesame Flyers Music Extravaganza.  Present  were Women In Steel, Sonatas Steel Orchestra and Sesame Flyers Steel orchestra, among a host of cultural, dance and music acts.

The Bildersee Beacon Steel Orchestra opened up the program under the co-ordination of Tessa Jones.  Each band - from Bildersee to Sesame Flyers who closed the show - was enthusiastically welcomed, and warmly applauded after their performances, by fellow students, family members and well-wishers who made up the audience.  Not to be outdone were the dancers - Bildersee Beacon Calypso Babies and Bildersee Beacon Belle Dancers,  accompanied by African Drumming, and Winthrop Advance African Dance members.

Bildersee Beacon Calypso Babies

Special guests included the Antilles Connection quartet, accompanied for a couple of their numbers by renowned pannists Nicholas Mohan and Freddy Harris, III.  During the evening there were also solo performances by both Uri Narinesingh and Harris, III.

This is Sesame's second Beacon music production; the first was in 2004 and held at the same location.  Both events were put together and coordinated for DVD productions.  The first critically-acclaimed DVD from 2004 is available, with the resultant product from Saturday April 22 due out later this year.

Saturday's music extravaganza was held in the auditorium of Brooklyn's Bildersee Beacon IS 68 Junior High School on 82nd Street, and was free and open to the public.  The Bildersee Beacon program is overseen by the executive director of Sesame Flyers Inc., Curtis Nelson, who delivered closing remarks at the end of the show.  The Sesame Flyers Organization can be contacted at 1 (718) 693-0500.  Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra can be contacted directly at 1 (718) 756-6319, and also via the organization's number.