BSO Honors Steelband’s Finest at the 2019 “Pan Is Sweet” Show with HuPanitarian Awards

New York, USA - Brooklyn Steel Orchestra (BSO) again showed and displayed uncommon reverence through its HuPanitarian Awards for four of Pan’s finest contributors to the steelband art form. This year the distinguished honorees were four New Yorkers whose personal sacrifices and commitment have impacted much on the shaping and sustaining of the New York landscape of steelband, with far-reaching global impact.

This year’s awardees are Junior “Man” Samuel (D’Radoes Steel Orchestra), Clement Franklin (Despers USA Steel Orchestra), Jean Mayers (ADLIB Steel Orchestra), and Claudette Baptiste (Women In Steel). Again, these individuals have quietly, but with extreme effectiveness, put substantial years of dedication, blood, sweat and tears into forward progress of the music and culture of the steel orchestra in the USA.

This is indeed a very special collective of  HuPanitarian Awardees. In spite of their vast accomplishments and unquestioned positions as critical spokes in the historical wheel of Pan, they have remained humble, and have done much to affect the human spirit and condition of those who have crossed their paths.  Always ready to give up their life jacket to others. Never looking for fame or the camera. Never with attitudes conceitedly screaming “Look at me” or “Do you know who I am?” in the reality age of ‘me, me me.’ Always content to be in the background doing the heavy lifting.

Last year’s awardees were the late Glenda Gamory, Wilfred Kieal, Sr., William Jones, and Vincent “Hueloy” Lila Yip Young. In keeping with the theme of ‘Let them smell the coffee and flowers, feel your love and hear your praises while they are alive’ - BSO has again struck gold with this year’s awardees.

Master panist Kern Sumerville captured the hearts of the audience with his rousing performance of “I’ll Be There” as a tribute to the 2019 awardees.

---

---

Leave a comment in the WST forum

---