CSI charms Swiss
Switzerland
- On
Saturday 24th July
2010, the Cudrefin
Steel Band
Festival was
held at Les Pampanas,
Cudrefin, a
municipality
in the
district of Avenches in
the canton
(member
state) of Vaud in
Switzerland. On
1st January
2002, the
municipality
was united
with Champmartin
keeping the
name "Cudrefin." Cudrefin is
about 2
hours from
Zürich
Airport, and
also 2 hours
from Basel
but only
about 40
minutes from
Bern, the
capital of
Switzerland.
2010 saw
this steel
band
festival
celebrating
its eighteenth
(18)
anniversary,
which has
been well
received by
the local Cudrefin
community as
well as
those
traveling
further
a field from
Bern,
Zürich,
surrounding
municipalities
and other
European
destinations.
The event is the
largest
Steel band
festival in
Switzerland
with over
2,000 people
in
attendance.
CSI and Calypsociation
steel bands
stayed at
the
Zivilschutzanlage
in Cudrefin which
is on the
Neuenburg
Lake.
Audience enjoys the show
The concert
started at
6:00 p.m.
and hosted
nine steel
bands. Local
Swiss bands Pantaloni,
Sweat N
Steel, Los
Panitos,
Just for
Fun, Ferrum
Helveticum,
Another
Phase and
Panta Rhei
joined
Calypsociation
from France
and CSI
Steel band
Trust from
London to
create an
electric
musical aura
which filled
the Pampanas
with the
sweet
strains of
steel until
the wee
hours of the
morning. The
large
audience was
treated to
an eclectic
selection of
musical
genres all
played on
the steelpan
instrument. CSI was
certainly
well
received by
the
appreciative
audience.
Their
scintillating
first round
performance
left the
audience
wanting
more, so
much so,
that they
congregated
at CSI’s
platform
long before
their second
performance
to ensure
they had a
ringside
seat. They
were not
disappointed
as CSI
treated them
to another
explosion of
sweet pan
with Brent
Holder
taking them
on a musical
journey with
his
magnificent
solos on the
tenor. The
management
of the Cudrefin
Steelband
Festival was
so impressed
that they
have
confirmed
CSI’s
appearance
at next
year’s
event.
CSI
Prior to the
concert at
Les Pampanas,
CSI
Steelband
Trust
performed at
the
L’Equinoxe
in Salavaux
on the
evening of
Friday the
23rd July
2010. They
were
specifically
requested to
play a
further
session
after dinner
owing to
requests
from the
audience who
were
enthralled
by their
dexterity
with the
steel pan
instruments. On the
Saturday
morning CSI
played at
the Les Trois
Suisses,
Salavaux
where the
inhabitants
of the rural
community
were drawn
like bees to
honey to
listen to
the magical
sounds of
steel, and
Brent Holder
treated them
to some
improvisation
solos on the
tenor.
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Calypsociation |
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Ferrum
Helveticum |
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Another
Phase |
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Just
for
Fun |
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Los
Panitos |
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Sweat
and
Steel |
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Pantaloni |
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Engine
Room |
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On Sunday
25th July
CSI played
at the Auberge La
Sauge in
Cudrefin
where they
were joined
by steel pan
virtuosos
Junior
Edwards and Tamla Batra,
Darryl
Belgrove,
founding
member of
the Trinidad
and Tobago Defence
Force Steel
Band and top
St. Lucian
percussionist,
Lennox Biscette.
What a jam
session that
was with
players
swapping
instruments
as their
repertoire
progressed.
CSI is now
looking
forward to
the UK
Junior
Panorama
competition
on 9th
August 2010.
All photos
by Robbie
Joseph
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