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New York - History, history, history!  And probably as never before in any steelband music panorama around the world.  History was made in New York with the release of the 2008 New York Panorama results in the early hours of the last day of August.

Colleen White, mother of winning steelband music arranger André White, stood shyly by with people surrounding her, tears of joy streaming down her face as the euphoric celebration erupted on the stage after 1:00 a.m. when the 2008 New York Panorama ended - triumphantly for ADLIB Steel Orchestra which hails from Long Island, New York.  André’s grandmother Maureen White was alternately dancing around and pausing for photographs with ecstatic co-celebrants.
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Trinidad, W.I. - Three persons from the steelpan fraternity have been named as first time ever recipients of the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT), this country’s highest national award which was renamed after the controversy surrounding the original name of the Trinity Cross.

The three are Bertram “Bertie” Lloyd Marshall, Anthony Williams and Professor Brian Copeland, who are being recognised for their outstanding contribution towards development of the instrument.

Pan tuning pioneer Bertie Marshall said he was happy that the art form was being given the highest recognition possible, in the country that should be known as the inventor of the steelpan.
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Trinidad, W.I. - At 77 years old, pan genius Anthony Williams created history once again, when on Friday he became the first person to be inducted into the Steelband Hall of Fame. Tonight he will receive the country's newest, highest award-the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago-at the National Awards ceremony at President's House, St Ann's.

Addressing the audience at the Courtyard Marriott on Friday evening, President George Maxwell Richards, described Williams' induction as a "a welcome development", saying that "it could not happen to a nicer person".

"It is a well deserved award for the years of toiling in the vineyard," said Richards.
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Trinidad, W.I. - Last Saturday evening, T&T introduced its National Steel Symphony Orchestra (NSSO) to the rest of the Caribbean as part of Carifesta X celebrations in Guyana. And what an introduction it was.

From the first note to the last, that evening’s performance, held at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown, was testimony to the dexterity of the orchestra’s pannists and the versatility of their instrument, the G-pan.

Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs Marlene McDonald, who spoke before the performance, introduced the G-pan as “the end result of (an) evolutionary process,” and noted that the orchestra’s use of the instrument would “highlight the collective spirit of innovation inherent in our people.”

Her confidence in the musical excellence of the orchestra was well placed. Led by music director Jessel Murray, the orchestra carried the audience on a musical journey that spanned eras and hemispheres.
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Trinidad, W.I. - The gala event is carded for this evening at the Courtyard Marriott, Invader’s Bay, Audrey Jeffers Highway, at 7.30 pm.

Pan Trinbago’s Research and Development Officer, Melville Bryan noted, “The rationale behind the inauguration of the Hall of Fame lies in the fact that there has been little recognition of the achievements of our cultural and in particular steelband contributors of note.

“Pan Trinbago has decided to have the Hall of Fame so that there be always sight and appreciation of the achievements of those like Anthony Williams.”

Bryan continued, “Mr Anthony ‘Muffman’ Williams stands out as one of the foremost inventors and innovators at a global level eg the Fourths and Fifths. The Low C Tenor Pan is a musical instrument in use in every country in the world. Mr Anthony Williams is the innovator of this particular instrument.”
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London, England  - A junior steel band competition is mired in controversy over allegations of cheating.

An emergency meeting will be called later this week by the British Association of Steel Bands (BAS) after it emerged that one of the four bands participating, Ebony may have had players over the age of 18.

The competition took place on August 11 with prize money of £500, £300 and £200 being awarded to the first three bands. All of the bands were given £150 towards travel costs.

Two Croydon bands, the Croydon Steel Orchestra and the Comets, placed third and fourth say that Ebony should be disqualified for having overage players.

The rules state that players should be aged 18 and under and that each team should have at least 12 players.
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North Carolina, USA - Jonathan Scales is a composer who uses the steel drums to push musical boundaries and defy classifications. Scales crosses his beats with influences ranging from jazz, rock, funk and bluegrass all while keeping the roots of traditional world music at his fingertips.

“I like to keep people guessing and scratching their heads about what I’m doing, because some of my music is pretty complex,” says Scales, who plays 9 p.m. Friday at The Grey Eagle Percussion Showcase. “It’s kind of like musical tricks that I like to play on people. I’m taking steel drums from a traditional setting into a contemporary jazz setting, that’s one thing that I want the audience to see.”

Scales sat down to talk with take5 about his passion for music.
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London, England  - A steel band is transforming the sound of Mozart and Tchaikovsky by giving it a calypso twist.

St Michael and All Angels Steel Band, made up of about 50 youngsters from around the borough, is learning to play classical music on steel drums.

The summer holiday workshops take place at St Michael and All Angels Church in Hillside, Stonebridge, and aims to encourage young people to learn about discipline and respect through music.

Band master, arranger and tuner, Alfred Toussaint, who is also known as Freddie, founded the band in 1996 and is delighted so many of the borough's youth are attending the lessons.
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London, England  - The Champions of Steel competition took place in London’s famed Hyde Park this past Saturday, August 23.  Ebony Steel Orchestra, the 2007 panorama champions, retained their title for 2008.
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Guyana - Steel pan is a very important element in Caribbean music and is a reflection of Caribbean culture and fittingly as part of the Caribbean festival of Arts celebrations, patrons at the National Cultural Centre this evening were treated to an excellent performance by the National Steel Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra is completely outfitted with “G” pans which are actually a family of the Trinidad and Tobago steel pans and were developed over time. The instruments are newly created, and participants for CARIFESTA were given a first hand opportunity to listen to and enjoy the rich sound of symphonic music of the Genesis commonly known as the “G” pans.

Trinidad, W.I. - Anytime he hears music he arranged being played, Anthony "Muffman" Williams gets up to dance or rather sway and shuffle, sometimes subtly playing the notes on an imaginary pan with one of his hands. Seeing Williams so animated and with a smile warms the hearts of onlookers who are aware of his medical challenges that includes diabetes, which has affected his sight and leaves him nearly immobile.

German-born pianist, Frauke Kuehning has hailed Williams as the Pythagoras (Greek mathematician and philosopher) of this nation saying that he is responsible for the greatest innovations to the pan, how it is played and the worldwide popularity it enjoys. Kuehning drew this comparison on August 20 at the National Museum where alongside steelpan researcher, Kim Johnson, she delivered a lecture on Williams' life and music. 

London, England - For 30 years the best of UK talent have lined up to compete in the hotly contested Panorama steel band competition.

And this year the defending champions Ebony are vying to take their 18th title as the National Champions of Steel.

Since its inception in 1978 Panorama, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago, has been a precursor to Notting Hill Carnival.

While the main focus of the crowds is on the floats, costumes and sound systems, steel band music has been a central part of carnival since it began.

It was in 1964 that social worker Rhaune Laslett invited pan players to play at a small event she was organising in Notting Hill to soothe tensions in the wake of race riots.

Trinidad, W.I. - Two rival conventional steel orchestras joined forces for an evening of superb music last week Tuesday, at the Morne Coco Road, Petit Valley headquarters, of HCL Valley Harps Steel Orchestra.

Occasion was the CD launch of Valley Harps which formed part of a week of activities to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary.

Reigning National Panorama champion (Medium) Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille and HCL Valley Harps put aside their competitive differences to the benefit of culture lovers.

Massachusetts, USA - Calypso tunes have a way of sticking in your head.

A month ago, it was “Blast Off,” by calypso artist Crazy, that stuck in the head of 17-year-old Dorchester resident Shaquan Gabriel.

First he started tinkering with the notes to the song on the piano. Then he brought the music to the Branches steel pan orchestra, where he serves as drummer and band captain.

Working in the group’s Harvard Street pan yard — a large shed that serves as the band’s practice space — Gabriel turned the tune into an arrangement that had the whole band rocking.

What started as tinkering secured Gabriel a new title in the band: musical arranger. Along with two other arrangers, Gabriel is responsible for maintaining and adding to the songbook of the 40-piece band.

On Saturday, Branches and two other steel pan bands will showcase their arrangements during the Boston Caribbean Carnival. Marching with a wheeled steel-framed float to support their pans and percussion section, the bands will make their way up Warren Street from Martin Luther King Boulevard in Roxbury to Franklin Park.

Position  /  Band
1st   /  D'RADOES
2nd  /  SONATAS
3rd  /  SESAME FLYERS
4th  /  CROSSFIRE
5th  /  ADLIB
6th  /  DESPERS USA
7th  /  CASYM
8th  /  HARMONY
9th  /  PANTONIC

St. John’s, Antigua & Barbuda - Today we continue with the story of the Hadeed/Antigua Masonry Products (AMP) Halcyon Steel Orchestra.

This band has been in existence for 37 years and has been blessed with generous sponsors from Y De Lima to LIAT, to Brysons and then on to the longest serving sponsor ever AMP.

AMP has been with Halcyon for as long as our nation has been independent. It’s a relationship which everyone would have known about with headlines which read: “New investment keeps Halcyon sounding good” or “Renewed sponsorship for Halcyon Steel Orchestra”.

St. John’s, Antigua & Barbuda - They did it once. Then they did it nine more times for a marvellous 10 times in total. They did it in 1975, then 1978-1979, again in 1986-87 and that marvellous four-peat in 1992-1995. Just when we were getting a bit too comfortable with them being in the top three but not winning, they returned in 2008 to do it again.

Out of the “ghetto” they came. The year was 1971. Many, it is claimed, did not believe the group would last very long.

There can certainly be no confusion about the group we’re talking about – the Antigua Masonry Products Halcyon Steel Orchestra – 37 years in existence with over 25 years of sponsorship by the Antigua Masonry Products Ltd. Now that’s staying power…and that’s loyalty!

Let us go back to 1971 then slowly trek our way to the present. How did it all begin?  Take a lil’ bit of politics.

“It was a campaign promise”, someone had tried to explain Halcyon’s beginnings to me.

Then I read that article written 12 years ago by founder of the Halcyon Steel Orchestra, Selvyn Walter. Walter recounts how he had thrown down the political gauntlet to then premier of Antigua and Barbuda Sir Vere Cornwall Bird.

Trinidad, W.I. - A music instructor with the TCL Group Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra, who was said to have made an "abominable decision" when he started smoking marijuana, was yesterday freed of possession of the illegal drug.

Shaun Villaruel, of Battoo Street, Marabella, is involved in the pan side's youth vacation camp, his lawyer Ainsely Lucky said in the San Fernando Second Court.

Canada - Yuh see how ah does get in ting? When Steel Talks (WST) come an akse me to write meh Pan review. I here quiet, reading psalms an knittin an WST look to come straight so to chook Jack Spaniar nes. All yuh like de ro-ro eh? Gorme!

Dis year 2008, ah say ah was going to behave an hush meh mout. Ah wasn going to say ah word. Ah sprinkle Holy Water on meh head an put two nutmeg in meh shoe an went to Pan Alive in Toronto. Ah smile wid everybody, ah say ‘evenin. Ah say ah go listen to two steelbands, take a snap an go home an watch SpongeBob Khakipants or whoever he name.

But ah fugget Pan Jumbie own me. Ah fugget meh fadda was a Renegades man. Ah fugget is since ah small I convert to Pantyism. When ah reach in Lamport stadium, an de firse ban knock de iron, pan grabble meh by de back of meh neck an put me under house arres. Mine you, ah know ah had a job to do eh? Lass year ah put meh mout in it an not everybody was please. Is a good ting I not in no sou-sou wid dem so ah could afford to speak meh mine.