Trinidad - Pan Trinbago has dedicated August 2008 to the achievements of Pan Artisan Anthony ”Tony” Williams.

Tony Williams, 77, best described as a widely respected and complete musician, is an innovator, steelpan tuner, researcher, music arranger and performer. He was the person who developed the spider web pan, which was designed in fourths and fifths. The model is today widely accepted to be the standard instrument (steelpan).

In recognition and celebration of the man who has been hailed as an “absolute genius”, Pan Trinbago will be staging three (3) significant activities during August 2008..

Gyuana - The convicted prisoner who managed to escape while he and other inmates were playing steel pan at the airport remained at large up to press time last evening despite searches by prison authorities.

Shawn Yhap, a 32-year-old inmate of the Camp Street prison was among seven who were taken to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on Saturday to play pan. However Yhap who was a “trustee” was discovered missing between 8:15 and 8:30 pm, when prisoner officers were preparing to take the group back to the prison.

It is unclear when or how the prisoner managed to escape unseen.

Trinidad - Participants can collect their Registration Forms, Rules & Regulations, Scores and Music for all categories, from Pan Trinbago Regional Offices in the North, South/Central, East and Tobago - for the upcoming Pan Is Beautiful festival..

Closing date for all entries is Friday 15^th August 2008.

The three (3) test pieces in this year’s Festival have been taken from the vast repertoire of Dr. Slinger Francisco aka The Mighty Sparrow. They are “Document Pan” (Orchestra), “Education” (Ensemble) and “Rose” (Single Pan Band).

Gyuana - A convicted prisoner who along with other inmates were playing steel pan at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri on Saturday managed to escape and was only discovered missing when prison officers were preparing to take the group back to the Camp Street prison that night.

Shaw Yhap, a 32-year-old resident of Middle Road, La Penitence, was serving a 12-month sentence for larceny of a motor cycle and was scheduled for release in November. It is unclear at what point the convict escaped. A search has been launched for the prisoner but up to press time last evening he had not been found.

Canada - More than 7,000 fans at Lamport Stadium last night witness the defending champions Selah Steel Academy successfully defend their Pan Alive panorama title.  The event is part of the annual Caribana festivities.

Twelve steelbands participated in the  Pan Alive competition.  Each group performed two tunes before three judges.  For Selah Steel Academy it was their second consecutive title.

Grenada, W.I. - Defending Junior Panorama Champions, Cable & Wireless Commancheros yesterday retained their title when they convincingly won the 2008 Junior Panorama competition at the National Stadium in St. George's.

The youngsters from St. Pauls, playing a Stephen Greenidge and Calvin Thomas arrangement of "Cheros Boys" scored 272 points, twenty six points ahead of second place finishers Lewis Construction Grand Roy Pan Angels who amassed a total of 246 points. In third place was AGD Wiz Kids from River Road while Republic Bank Angel Harps finished a disappointing 4th with 234 points.

Middlesbrough, United Kingdom  - Youngsters at a Middlesbrough primary school have been getting a taste for calypso music.

Year 6 pupils have been showing off their musical flair in Abingdon Primary School’s 12-strong Summer Steel Band.

Children will learn to play the Caribbean-style instruments over the summer and perform at live events for the following year all over the North-east, performing a wide range of music from calypso, to classical and Christmas carols.

Moira Ross, deputy headteacher who leads the band, said: “It’s a tremendous way for them to learn musically, and with a reliance on working as a team, they become closer as a group.”

Toronto, Canada - The sound of steelpan was sweet music to the ears of thousands at Lamport Stadium last night dancing to a Caribana battle of the bands

Some 12 steelbands were duking it out in a Pan Alive competition, in which they each performed two tunes before three judges, who award them points that lead to one being chosen top band and receiving some cash and a year's worth of bragging rights.

More than 7,000 fans were on their feet most of the night as some of city's top steelbands like Pan Fantasy, Afro Pan, Panatics, Metrotones and New Dimensions hammered it out before the judges.

"This a very competitive event because all the bands want to win," said event organizer Leslie Forbes, of the Ontario Steelpan Association. "The bands compete for bragging rights knowing they're the best."

Antigua & Barbuda -  Six bands competed for Antigua’s 2008 National Panorama Championship.  The featured bands in the competition were Mahico Stars, Gemonites, Harmonites International, Ebonites, Halcyon and Hells Gate, the defending champion. The annual event was held at Carnival City (Antigua’s Recreation Grounds), St. John’s, Antigua.  Each band performed one song before the judges.  A significant amount of the musical material performed in this year’s competition was from past years.

Defending champion Hells Gate Steel Orchestra came into the competition seeking that elusive hat-trick, but on this night, that feat was not to be - as Halcyon Steel Orchestra took the 2008  panorama crown.  Pandemonium and joy broke out on the stage as the members of Halcyon clad in blue tops pranced and danced across, even before the announcer officially declared them the 2008 champions.  Sharing in that realization and joy was none other than the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the honorable Baldwin Spencer.  Mr. Spencer, a panman and a Halcyon Steel Orchestra ‘old boy’ was on stage with all the members, lapping up the joy of winning a panorama; after all, it was back in 1995 when they last had such a privilege.  Indeed, it is the envy of any steel orchestra  in the world, to have a head of state as a member/active supporter of its organization.

Antigua & Barbuda -  Gymnastics, limber strokes, salsa and phenomenal energy have created one of the most exciting Panoramas in a long time.

The bass players came prepared to outdo famed Cable & Wireless Hells Gate bass player “Gecko”. The arrangers came prepared to fuse variations and musical techniques. The players upped their Red Bull intake and gave us entertainment for our ears and our eyes. They came ready to put the “glitz and glamour” into the steel pan and this is exactly what each steel orchestra did.

Texas, USA -  A steel drum orchestra from the Virgin Islands will perform an hour-long concert Wednesday at Faith Family Church, 2002 Mockingbird Lane.

The free concert will be open to the public and begin at 7 p.m., featuring a combination of Christian and classical pieces.

The children raise the money for the orchestra’s annual trips, according to a news release from the church.

Texas, USA -   If you're a Disney fan, and you were nearby the courthouse in Downtown Austin Thursday, you probably couldn't miss it.

The Austin Community Steelband School shared their joy of steel pans by performing a few musical favorites.

A group of East Austin kids are making some beautiful music with these unusual instruments

Trinidad, W.I. - “DOUGLA,” that’s the name of one of the tracks on his upcoming eight-track compact disc which would be in honour of his son, Jaden who was born on January 22nd, 2008 - surely he looks like a “true Trini.” So said the musical virtuoso who was in Trinidad recently “to kill two birds with one stone” – that of showcasing his first born to his mother and sisters, as well as to do a concert entitled “Strings, Song and Steel.”

This was a triad presentation featuring British virtuoso violinist Oliver Lewis, a Trini operatic singer, Natalia Dopwell, as well as the steelpan.

Liam Teague was responding to questions from Hollis Clifton, “Pan Diaspora Visionary” and WACK Radio presenter Heshimu in a recent interview at the studio in San Fernando, Trinidad.

Hawaii - Drumbeats offer more than the sound of wood or hands hitting a membrane.

Drumbeats strike at the core of life and reverberate with visceral vibes that can bring people to tears, said a young drummer in expressing his love of percussion.

"It's a really expressive array of instruments," said Preston Jones, 16, of Makawao, who recently returned from a prestigious summer percussion and steel band program in Wisconsin.

Percussion instruments may not be able to run up and down the musical scale as smoothly as a clarinet, flute or trumpet, or offer the harmonic chords of the guitar. Still, there is a lot of depth in the beat.

At a concert at the Birch Creek Percussion and Steel Band program that Preston attended, professional marimbist Orlando Cotto, an instructor at the University of Delaware, broke down crying as he played a piece he composed for his son.

United Kingdom - Reggae Reggae Sauce man Levi Roots paid the Comets Steel Band a surprise visit last night to show his support for the project.

The Comets have been locked in an ongoing battle with residents for a number of years after the council said it received numerous complaints about the noise level.

The chef and musician treated his delighted audience to an impromptu guitar performance and praised the band which he said helped get children off the streets.

Gina Sheridan, the group’s co-ordinator, said: “It was such a boost for us to be recognised by someone like Levi, especially at the moment when we seem to be besieged from all sides by the council.”

New York -  Unless you are fortunate enough to possess tickets for the 2008 Olympics being held in Beijing, China, one of the best deals for the exchange of cultural and artistic performances over the next few weekends, is taking place in New York City.  The popular annual New York steel orchestras’ pan yard launches have begun in earnest.

This past Sunday Pantonic Steel Orchestra held their 2008 launch at their Brooklyn summer practice facilities.   Pantonic’s panyard was filled with steelpan music fans as they traveled from throughout  the New York tri-state area to get their heavy dose of Sunday evening pan music.  It was labeled the 11th Anniversary Family Day Celebration and featured performances by Crossfire, CASYM, D’Radoes, Harmony and Pantonic Steel Orchestras,   In addition to the many steelpan music enthusiasts, (and more importantly) - members of every steel orchestra in New York had some type of representation.  The spirit of support and camaraderie among the young steelpan is very encouraging.

Suffolk, United Kingdom - For a good ten years Mick Hutton built up a tremendous reputation as a superb double bass player and he in regular demand to play for the world's top musicians.

He was at the height of his career some six years ago when he slip on a staircase and damaged his hand ligaments to such an extent that it brought a premature end to his career in music.

Or so it seemed.

But Mick had other ideas and he has re-invented himself as an accomplished performer on the steel pans, so often seen in a Caribbean setting.

And so his guest appearance at the fortnightly Jazznights gig at The Bell at Clare turned out to be a rare treat for those fortunate enough to be there.

Callaway, Virginia, USA. - Trinidad and the calypso musical beat are a long way from the rural, pastoral setting of Callaway in Franklin County, where bluegrass and country music are popular.

But some Callaway Elementary School students learned to play tropical music at a fine arts summer camp this past week.

They learned to play musical notes and songs on steel drums, percussion drums, panjumbies and other Caribbean musical instruments.

Making music on steel drums and steel pans was a new experience for the students at Callaway Elementary.

Ionia, Michigan, USA - In 2005, Ionia High School band director Scott Beyer saw a wealth of talent within his drum line, so much so that he wasn't sure what to do with it all.

In what some might say was a stroke of creative genius, Beyer approached several of his most gifted band members with a simple idea: Let's create a steel drum band and see what happens, he told them.

His students tell it a different way.

“I think he just wanted to keep us out of trouble,” said lead pan Garry Patrick. “It was something that'd kind of keep us busy.”

Did it ever. The idea came to fruition after the Ionia Band Boosters raised $20,000 through charitable donations, including a $15,000 donation from Meijer Corporation. Once the money for equipment, maintenance and start-up was gathered, the band's personnel - made up entirely of current and recently-graduated high school band students - had their chance to shine.

Antigua & Barbuda - An accomplished steel pan player, she has played in the national panorama competition for the last seven years, but unfortunately because of commitments with the queen show, she will not be able to participate this year. One can feel her disappointment as she articulates the pain of not being able to compete. She consoles herself with the thought that she is in fact marrying her two loves by playing the steel pan as her performing talent, but I can’t tell you the tune that she will be playing – that’s a secret. Although I can tell you that it’s one by the Mighty Monarch, King Short Shirt.

Did I mention that Latifa is immensely talented? Man you need to see and hear her playing the single tenor! Ever hear of “pan talking?” Well, she doesn’t make it talk; the melodies she plays raise a symphonic conversation. There is finesse in every stroke of the sticks as they gently caress the undulating surfaces of the notes. The cadence of the crescendos and diminuendos are among the best that I have heard.

Lancaster, Ohio - Winchester Steel Co. brought the Caribbean rhythms of their steel drums to the Lancaster Festival Bandstand on Wednesday.

Lancaster is a few thousand miles from the Caribbean, but the overhead sun made temperatures seem about as hot.

And though you could get a cheeseburger that tasted like paradise, the audience wasn't wasting away in Margaritaville - soda and water were the beverages of choice.

Standing to the side of the stage with his arms crossed against his chest, Carroll resident Tom Hempleman said he had seen the 25-piece Canal Winchester High school-based drum band a half dozen times. Today the band was scaled back slightly, with only 17 members playing the drums that resemble oil barrels.

United Kingdom - A steel orchestra accused of being too noisy is steeling itself for a legal battle with unhappy neighbours.

The Comets have been based behind Auckland Road, in South Norwood, for the past six years.

But in recent months they have been in dispute with fed up local residents who want to see them kicked out.

Now it is understood neighbours are taking legal advice about what rights the police-backed community orchestra's musicians have at the old sports pavilion where they practice.

Members of the Comets say they have got around 1,200 signatures on a petition calling for the council to show more backing for the project.

They are unhappy that the council cut its practice sessions from 20 hours a week to just five hours last September.

But locals say five hours of music a week is still too much to bear.

Lagos, Nigeria - In a celebration that lasted four hours at the palace of the Alagbara of Agbara, Agbara town in Ogun State, south west Nigeria, two chieftaincy titles were conferred upon panman Bowie Sonnie Bowei, and one upon his wife, Ndudi Bowei. The couple was honored in traditional fashion and in recognition for their integral and ongoing roles in the development of the steelband artform in Nigeria overall, especially within the community where Panland, the parent organization is set up.

Sonnie Bowei’s first title is The Amuludun of Agbara Land meaning “the one who makes that land sweet” (signifying his making the land ‘sweet’ with steelpan music).