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New York: Fashionably - or frustratingly, depending on
your point of view - late, D’Radoes Steel
Orchestra kicked off their annual band launch in
high musical style last Sunday evening around
9:30 p.m. The DJ on hand had kept the
music vibes flowing as a build-up to the steel
orchestras’ upcoming performances, with the
Rhythm Massive nearby following and punctuating
almost every pulse of the music.
D’Radoes
Steel
Orchestra
open
their
band
launch
For those on hand for yet another
evening of great steelpan music, D’Radoes set the
pace for their invited guest steel orchestras -
which included Despers USA, Utopia Pan Soul: the
Next Generation, CASYM and more. Pan
folk were thrilled as D’Radoes launched into two
pieces the band is now synonymous with: Dennis
Edwards’ classic “Don’t Look Any Further,”
followed by their pop twist of Cher’s 1999 dance
hit “Believe,” ending with Abba’s “Dancing
Queen.”
The
‘Dudup’
in play
with
Tropical
Pan
Vibes
Tropical Pan Vibes, a small ensemble currently
led by Jason Rose and which took to the road last J’Ouvert in New York, was up next,
and struck chords with the more mature crowd.
They included the well-known, one-note dudup in
their instrument line-up, played by the same lady who was on
tock-tock during the J’Ouvert celebrations. They
started off with surefire appeal playing the
religious traditional “How Great Thou Art,” and also
included “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John
Denver in their set. Those in the audience
closest to the group made clear by their body
language, that the selected music was right up
their alley delivered with ‘ole time’ styling
and deliberation.
Utopia
Pan
Soul:
the Next
Generation
in
action
at
D’Radoes’
band
launch
last
Sunday
Utopia Pan Soul: the Next Generation lives up to
their reputation of putting together some unique
and uncompromising arrangements, and their
session on this night was as
thought-provoking as always.
Comfortable in their own personally defined
music idiom, this group of steelpan musicians
ensures that they stand out in any gathering of
steel orchestras. Ace panist Iman Pascall has
happily taken up the task of anchoring the band
as their drummer for some time now. Sheldon Elcock, one of the band’s founders and
arrangers, played double seconds for a few
selections; he is also the arranger this year
for Dem Stars as they return to the New York
Panorama arena.
K.I.T.
Caribbean
Connection
performs
- with
panist
Kareem
Thompson
K.I.T. Caribbean Connection (formerly Jambalasi)
also had their turn in the spotlight, and
elected to raised the musical palate of steelpan
music connoisseurs, opting for Thelonious Monk’s
“Evidence” as an opener. Duke Ellington’s
“Caravan” was also showcased by the family
group, which features skilled steelpan musician
Kareem Thompson (arranger for Sesame Flyers
Steel Orchestra for the 2010 panorama season) on
double seconds. As an aside, it had been a
beautiful sight earlier to see Kareem keen on
professionalism and visual presentation, carefully
polishing his instruments as he set them up.
K.I.T.
Caribbean
Connection
at
D’Radoes
band
launch
The music ensemble is headed by Kareem’s grandfather
and family patriarch Edgar “Spots” Fitzgerald;
the latter’s twin sons Toure and Iba were on keyboards
and bass respectively. KJ Marcelle, resident
drummer for Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra,
rounded out the quintet for the evening. The
elder Fitzgerald announced early on that panists
were going to be invited later on in their set,
to join them in a freestyle session.
President
of
D’Radoes
Steel
Orchestra,
Junior
“Mann”
Samuel,
and wife
Ingrid
at the
band’s
annual
launch
Several in the steelpan audience who were jovial just
prior, now adopted a more introspective stance
as they listened in appreciation, to the
difference in the musical menu served up by the
group. It was indeed interesting to observe
the demeanor of the musically-inclined crowd
morph, as they moved around from group to group
and took in their respective music styles.
As
K.I.T. Caribbean Connection continued to draw
growing murmurs of approval and complimentary
comments, CASYM could be seen making their way
in with their instruments, basses hoisted high
above their heads. Also still to perform for the
night, would be Despers USA who had already been
set up in readiness. The calypso classic “Old
Lady Walk Ah Mile” as performed by K.I.T.
Caribbean Connection was of course a hit, the
clear sounds of which
could be clearly heard outside in the streets as
people either left or made a late arrival
to, the event.
Tropical
Pan
Vibes at
the band
launch
When Steel
Talks (WST) understands that the promised
‘freestyle’ also referred to as a “steelpan
shootout” was lapped up in earnest, as several
known faces on New York’s steelpan music circuit
picked up their sticks in friendly and
respectful rivalry and delivered mesmerizing
flurries of notes in skilled succession; these
included, but were not limited to - Mustafa
Alexander, Iman Pascall, Khuent Rose, Robert Malchan, Kareem Thompson, and several others. Though it was late
at night, there was more
steelpan music still to be heard before it was all
over in the early hours of Monday morning.
For those who cannot get enough of the summer
of sweet pan, the roads lead to yet another
major band
launch, possibly the last for the season - that
of reigning New York panorama champs Sonatas,
this coming Sunday. Several bands
are scheduled to
perform.
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Bertram Glasgow,
Hueloy Lila Yip Young and Martin Cain |
Brian “Bean”
Griffith at the band launch |
Once again, several well-known members of the
steelpan fraternity turned out in support of and
to enjoy their fill of the steelpan culture and
art form.
Sighted were: arranger Brian “Bean” Griffith;
a very enthusiastic Bertram Glasgow - an ‘original Desperadoes’ member who has
held several high-ranking positions in the band over the years; Martin Cain,
current captain of Desperadoes Steel
Orchestra and; Hueloy Lila Yip Young among
others.
In
Pictures
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