Tallahassee, Florida, USA - Calypso. Reggae. Rock. Even classical. All those musical styles were on display at the Virginia International Pan Fest in early May. More than 50 Leon High School steel band members made the 12-hour bus trip to Virginia Beach to perform in the competition phase of the festival — and came home with the grand prize trophy.

Lion Steel’s director Mike Wendeln brought his two advanced bands to the festival, Canboulay and Bacchanal. After an almost-rained-out rehearsal the afternoon before, and an early morning set on the beach, the bands took the stage on Saturday, May 9, at the Seaside Paladium, an outdoor performance venue right beside the beach.

According to Wendeln, both bands tackled very challenging pieces, with Bacchanal playing “One More Soca,” “Chant,” and “Woman Is Boss,” and Canboulay performing “Brooklyn,” “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” and “Misbehave.”
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Tunapuna, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - From July 6-August 8, 2013 birdsong Academy will host its 12^th annual Vacation Music Camp. The camp is conducted from 8am-4pm Mondays through Fridays at venues in the Tunapuna community, including the panyard, the UWI St Augustine campus and Tapia House. Because of limited places, admission is by audition. This takes place on Saturday May 30, from 9am - 1pm. The venue for the auditions is the panyard at the corner of St Vincent and Connell Streets in Tunapuna. No charges apply for audition, tuition nor the use of instruments.
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Brooklyn, New York - Packed to the brim, with crowd overflow outside the venue - on a Monday evening at the trendy and world-famous "Sugarcane" in Brooklyn, New York - no chairs, no tables - standing room only - Garvin Blake, Frankie McIntosh and Friends held their CD launch for their latest release "Parallel Overtones."
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Brooklyn, New York - On Sunday evening, April 26 2015, they gathered in impressive numbers and from as far away as Canada to salute Neville Jules, a truly iconic figure from the annals of steel band lore in Trinidad and Tobago. Occasion was a celebratory dinner honoring Jules presented by the Trinidad & Tobago Folk Arts Institute, venue of which was Brooklyn’s Tropical Paradise Ballroom.
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Brooklyn, New York - No major Brooklyn ‘christening’ could really be complete without the presence of a Brooklyn, New York steel orchestra. And such was the case with the newly-refurbished Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre. This past Monday the stage of the famous Brooklyn’s venue was graced with one of America’s great steel orchestras and youth organizations.
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Princeton, New Jersey - On an early cool Spring day Brooklyn, New York-based Crossfire Steel Orchestra took to the road and headed south for a command performance at Princeton University. This concert was presented as part of the World Percussion Series under the auspices of the prestigious Princeton Department of Music.
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Brooklyn, New York - A commendation from Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, a Proclamation from the New York City Council and a Proclamation from Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams are expected to be among the accolades conferred on legendary steel band pioneer Neville Jules, when tribute is paid to him by the Trinidad & Tobago Folk Arts Institute Sunday evening April 26 at Brooklyn’s Tropical Paradise Ballroom.
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Harlem, New York - Great Barrier Reefs bring their own unique fusion of Funk, Rock, Bluegrass, Gospel, Jazz and Country. And when you combine their blend of sax, electric banjo, and steelpan with keyboard, bass and drums - the combinations provide distinctive voicing and sound. In a forty-five minute set WST experienced great music with something to say, and boundless possibilities. The Great Barrier Reefs is more than a collection of very talented musicians who perform well together.
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OSteel Introduces Elementary Students to Steel Pan

Ohio, USA - Members of Oberlin Steel (OSteel) will visit nearby Wellington, Ohio, on April 8 to participate in an educational workshop that will introduce students at Westwood Elementary School to the steel pan and the music of Trinidad and Tobago. The workshop is organized through Ohio Regional Music Arts and Cultural Outreach (ORMACO), an all-volunteer nonprofit organization based in Medina, Ohio, with several ties to Oberlin College.
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DeKalb, Illinois - Northern Illinois University Steelband, under the direction of Liam Teague and Cliff Alexis, presents its spring 2015 concert on Sunday April 26^th, at 3 p.m. (CST) in the Boutell Memorial Concert Hall, NIU School of Music.

The concert showcases an eclectic blend of music and highlights the many possibilities of the national instruments of Trinidad and Tobago, the steelpan.
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