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GLOBAL STEELPAN MUSIC NEWS
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GSMN
GLOBAL STEELPAN
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September
2016
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BASEMENT
CD & DVD Productions
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The Business of Steelpan Music 24 -7
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“The Bradley
Years”
The
Bradley Years represent the definitive collection
of steelband music arrangements and performances
for a large steel orchestra. This collection
showcases seven classic arrangements from the
master arranger Clive Bradley. Bradley
is considered to be the best steelband music
arranger ever by many, including his peers.
In addition, the arrangements are performed
by one of the finest steelbands in the world,
New York’s Pantonic Steel Orchestra. Clive Bradley
had a very special relationship with Pantonic.
This orchestra clinched the title of panorama
champions five times in seven years - performing
Bradley’s musical works. The performances
were captured by Basement Recordings days before,
and in one instance, mere moments before they
took the stage for the prestigious annual steelband
music panorama competition.
The recordings
capture, reproduce and present an unrivalled
clarity with sonic realism, of a large steel
orchestra fielding between one hundred and one
hundred twenty musicians - unlike any other
steelband music recordings in its class.
This body
of musical work is a sterling addition for all
fans, educators, players, historians and fine
music collectors.
click to listen
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WST
YouTube Channel
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Pan in New York CD and DVD
available
here
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“CD Samples”
Pan
in New York 2009
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Global
- Experience the
beauty of the steelpan instrument through
the two latest CD releases from Basement
Recordings. Three-minute samples from
the Pan In New York 2009 CDs - of both regular
and slow tempo performances - are being
featured. Content is being added,
so keep checking regularly.
Both “Pan In New York 2009,” and “Pan In
New York 2009 - The Cooldown Versions” are
a continuation of the Pan-4-Life series
from Basement Recordings.
read more
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Simply one
of the greatest steelband recordings to
date!
A collector’s item...
[ PANTONIC + BASEMENT
+ BRADLEY ] x 4 =
MASTERPIECE
- Clive Bradley the Master
at Work -
Very Sweet Pan Music
Get Your Copy Now
click - limited copies available >>
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Join
the
When Steel Talks family!
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Web Posted
- Friday September
30, 2016
The Huffington
Post
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Re-Percussions! The Steel Drum Beats Goes On
to Africa!
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Nigeria, Africa -
Re-Percussions: Our African Odyssey,
award-winning Trinidadian film-maker Kim
Johnson’s contribution to this year’s Caribbean
Tales International Film Festival in Toronto, is
a documentary masterpiece focused on Nigerian
Chief
Bowie Sonnie Bowei’s journey to introduce
and popularize steel drum, the musical
instrument known as Pan, throughout his native
Nigeria and across the African continent.
....“I
feel destined to carry out the Pan movement in
Africa, not just Nigeria,” he declares.
Bowei’s
introduction to Pan had more a prosaic origin:
as a young soldier in the Nigerian Army’s steel
band, which played old-style tunes on unimproved
old pans. “Soldiers follow orders, and that’s
how we played in the Nigerian Army Steel Band,”
he explains. From 1977 to 2001, the Nigerian
Army Steel Band was also Nigeria’s only one,
with stale musical offerings that inspired no
one.
For Bowei,
however, the story does not end there. By
following Pan to Trinidad, he sees at firsthand
the enormous possibilities, beginning with bands
of 120 panists who produced music of a grandeur
and intensity entirely lacking in Nigeria’s
nine-man outfit.
read more |
Web Posted
- Thursday September
29, 2016
When Steel Talks
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CrossFire Steel Orchestra - “Scene” - Tempo Version - NY Panorama 2016 - Panyard Recordings
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New York, USA -
Basement captures CrossFire Steel Orchestra from East Flatbush, Brooklyn, a couple of nights before Panorama in their New York panyard. CrossFire took the stage with 85 players. Kendall Williams is the arranger. Tune of choice is “Scene” - This is the
‘tempo’ version.
click to watch & listen |
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Web Posted
- Wednesday September
28, 2016
When Steel Talks
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Meet Tristan Brewington-Japsi -
Panist, Arranger & Percussionist - UpClose!
In an exclusive
interview with When Steel Talks, panist
extraordinaire Tristan Brewington-Japsi speaks
on his love of the steelpan instrument and how
it has impacted his musical life and future
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New York, USA -
Tristan; he is a valued member of Steel
Sensation, ADLIB Steel Orchestra, and Supernovas
Steel Orchestra of Trinidad and Tobago. He is
quiet and unassuming but don’t let that fool
you. He is loaded with talent, natural ability
and intellect.
He is a
natural. As the son of Ian Japsi, well-known New
York-based drummer and band leader of Steel
Sensation - Tristan has always been around the
steelpan instrument. Most recently with the
inspiration of his second cousin, Amrit Samaroo,
Tristan has successfully turned his focus on
arranging. Already an accomplished and respected
player versed in several of the instruments in
the steel orchestra family, he has his sights
set on a future in music education. Among his
many accomplishments, Tristan is the first
person to play a steelpan instrument within the
confines of a New York school marching band.
read more |
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Web Posted -
Monday September 26, 2016
When Steel Talks
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Song for Panorama 2017
‘Oh God, Oh God’
sung by “Crazy”
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Global
- Leading the pack as
always, Edwin Ayoung or “Calypso Crazy” as he is
known to many - is on
the musical track for 2017 with a team of
musicians, including legendary co-writer
Winsford Devine, and arrangers Junior “Ibo”
Joseph and Lenny Hadaway.
Sure to be just one of
several tracks on which his voice will be heard
for the upcoming music season, Ayoung, a music
veteran, is a globally-renowned performing artist and composer.
Here, his vocal talents bring
to life melodically - Oh God, Oh God.
listen to tune
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Web Posted
- Saturday September
24, 2016
Suffolk News
Herald
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A beautiful noise
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Virginia, USA - The
sound of rhythmic clanking reverberated off the
walls of the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts on
Tuesday evening. Opening the door to the source
of the noise revealed a room full of children
hammering away at concave silver contraptions.
A
dread-headed black man was hunched over a
student as he motioned what areas of the
instrument, referred to as a steelpan, to hit to
get a desired sound. Seemingly unfazed by the
noise, in the corner of the room, parents
attended to their reading and conversations.
“I enjoy
the sound,” said James McCullough Jr., one of
the parents in attendance. “It is relaxing. It
helps the kids and me to relax.”
read more |
Web Posted
- Friday September 23, 2016
When Steel Talks
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Leon “Foster” Thomas and Crew
Live at Club Bonafide - a Total “Metamorphosis”
The ‘eyes’ tell the
story of an outstanding performance by panist
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New York, USA - Leon
“Foster” Thomas is the consummate artist. He has
and continues to deliver the trifecta of the
performing arts (create, perform and record)
with distinction.
Earlier
this year Thomas released his latest musical
creation, the CD Metamorphosis, to rave reviews.
This past weekend, WST (When Steel Talks) got an
opportunity to experience a live hearing of some
of the tracks from Metamorphosis as Thomas
performed at Club Bonafide in New York. If you
were present, you were treated to one of those
special moments that top-class musicians both
experience themselves, while simultaneously
creating an enclave that can only be described
as ‘magical.’ The musicians were entertaining
each other, and by default the audience was
brought into these sometimes deeply personal,
extraordinary conversational pieces, that were
filled with intimate introspective expression.
read more |
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Web Posted
- Thursday September
22, 2016
FACT
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Bristol-Trinidad duo Jus Now created the ultimate sample library of Caribbean percussion
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Global - Jus Now are
the product of what happens when two dance music
fans – Sam Interface from Bristol and Lazer Beam
from Trinidad – unite to innovate Caribbean
dance music. For their sophomore EP, Alone, the
DJ-production duo helped to develop the
first-ever in-depth sample library of Trinidad
and Tobago-style percussion that usually
accompanies steel pans. They drive the sounds
you mentally conjure when someone mentions Crop
Over, Caribana, Notting Hill Carnival and,
especially in this case,
J’Ouvert.
Jus Now
teamed with
Indigisounds, a comprehensive steel pan
sample library, to build this percussion sound
database of 3500 instruments. They named it
Laventille Rhythm Section after a 30-piece
percussion group (or “engine room”) from
Trinidad & Tobago whose style is both primordial
and innovative.
read more |
Web Posted
- Thursday September
22, 2016
When Steel Talks
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The cultural expression of a
people - Despers USA - “Different Me” - In
Pictures
Panyard Recording
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New York, USA - WST pan-photographer CP captures the mighty tribe called
“Despers USA” in pictures just a couple of days before the NY Panorama competition during their live 2016 panyard recording session. They are one of Brooklyn, New York's finest steel orchestras.
For over 30 years Despers USA
which hails from Bed-Stuy/Crown Heights has been a musical treasure and performing arts fixture in the Brooklyn community. This year Despers USA performed an Odie Franklin-arrangement of “Different Me”. 100 Despers USA players took the stage for Panorama 2016. Listen to the Despers USA franchise moving to the mantra
“Nobody Badda Than We” while filling the Brooklyn Summer nights with the music of the people and art of the community.
Click
to watch
recording
Click to experience the event
in pictures |
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Web Posted
- Thursday September 15, 2016
When Steel Talks
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Meet Damany James - Panist, Arranger, Educator
& Percussionist - UpClose!
In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks, the talented Damany James speaks on his love of the steelpan instrument and how it has impacted his musical life and experiences
|
New York, USA - Brooklyn High School of the Arts graduate Damany James has developed a special relationship with Pan. Within a relatively short time Damany has distinguished himself as a player, arranger and educator. The gifted young Brooklyn musician recently became the champion arranger for Higher Levin Steel Orchestra as they captured the 2016 Youth Pan Fest
title in New York.
Focused, humble, highly intelligent, driven and a student of the steelpan music art form - Damany is part of that new generation of New York panists who will carry the Pan forward into the future while meeting new and unforeseen challenges that threaten the continued existence of Pan in New York. Earlier this year WST (When Steel Talks) got to see him in roles of performer, leader and activist when Meyer Levin faced the threat of Charter School co-location.
During his interview with When Steel Talks, Damany was asked about what keeps his passion for the music going? He responded
“Music is within me.” And that is all you need to know about what motivates him. As for his future educational plans, Damany is looking forward to attending college as soon as it is financially possible to acquire his major in music - and then immediately on to masters and ultimately his doctorate.
read more |
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Web Posted
- Thursday September 15, 2016
When Steel Talks
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J’Ouvert 2016 Brooklyn Results
Despers USA, D’Radoes, Hearts of Steel, Legend Stars, Port Of Spain Pan Groove, Higher Levin
Utopia Pan Soul, Philadelphia Pan Stars, Steel-X-Plosion USA, Tropical Pan Vibes and Pan Liberty
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New York, USA - 2016
Brooklyn J’Ouvert Results
see results |
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Web Posted
- Monday September 12, 2016
When Steel Talks
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J’Ouvert is Not the problem, or
a problem. It is the solution...
The Good, The Bad and
The Ugly: A look at the 2016 Brooklyn J’Ouvert
Celebrations
|
New York, USA - 2016
Brooklyn J’Ouvert was tremendous, loving,
fun-sharing - and it was an exhilarating joyous
event pricked by heartbreaking tragedy. Two
young lives were lost in circumstances that will
be forever linked to J’Ouvert. The J’Ouvert
celebrations did not take these people’s lives -
nor did it create the circumstances that took
these two young people from us. In fact, it is
safe to say, that if the spirit of J’Ouvert had
touched the individuals who violated the
sanctity of the celebration, we would be
entertaining a totally different conversation.
We, like most who attended J’Ouvert, were never
aware that something dreadful had taken place
until after leaving the event.
What
transpired was a clear manifestation of the
social and societal ills that surround our
community and people 24-7. And moreover, until
these issues are seriously addressed, Bad things
can be visited on Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime.
Please
check out the movie “State of Grace” if you get
an opportunity featuring Sean Penn, for some
perspective...
read more |
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Web Posted
- Friday September 9, 2016
When Steel Talks
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So Your Band Got Jacked Up by the
Sound System at NY Panorama 2016 -- You can’t
blame WIADCA for that...
A NY Panorama Devil’s
Tale - What happened to the accepted standards
that were set a long time ago, for professional
sound reinforcement and broadcast?
|
New York, USA - There
were no rookies in New York Panorama 2016 when
it comes to expectations with the sound system.
And yes, for the umpteenth time the sound was
brutal. The sound devil was nasty and kicked the
pan players’ asses from start to finish.
Beautiful music, rich harmonics, arrangements
and musicianship went 10 rounds with the sound
system storm troopers aka ‘devils from Alpha
Centauri,’ and lost every single one [round].
The Sound Devil seem to say, “Don’t bring
that poppycock excellence in music BS here.
Leave that stuff in the panyard.” And further
more “Don’t bring that balance and great musical
setup and pan placement on this stage. Dah ain’t
go wuk. This is sound-hell’s domain and I am the
boss.”
read more |
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Web Posted
- Thursday September 8, 2016
When Steel Talks
|
The Codringtons Remember Asami Nagakiya - Gone but
Not Forgotten
Music Album featuring her Original Steelpan Composition
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Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
It is just over seven months to date, since we in the steelpan fraternity lost an incredible musician and a great friend. Little did we know that February 2016, would be the last time that many of us would see Asami Nagakiya’s smile or hear her laugh, as she stumbled through some awkward phrases in our local parlance. Perhaps then, it is fitting that our last real memory of Asami, is of her standing proudly on stage on the night of Panorama Finals, doing what she loved. After weeks of highly energetic yet grueling rehearsals, she was again ready to give her all on our national instrument - the steelpan.
read more |
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Web Posted
- Wednesday September
7, 2016
When Steel Talks
|
New York Youth Pan Fest showcases
Steelpan Talent
Damany James of Higher
Levin Steel Orchestra is The Man!
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New York, USA -
They are bright, young, gifted and highly
intelligent. They are simply awesome and possess
it all. And they are the highly skilled young
musicians, captains and arrangers of tomorrow’s
New York steelband music community. They are the
future and they are here now.
Once again
New York got a chance to look, see, hear and
experience up close and personal, the awesome
talent pool of New York Pan at the 2016 Youth
Pan Fest under the auspices of the Carlos Lezama
Archives & Caribbean Cultural Center (CLACC-C).
St. John’s Place between Kingston and Brooklyn
avenues became staging area, ‘drag’ and
performance stage for the event on this warm
Summer afternoon on the final Saturday in
August.
....This
year, Higher Levin Steel Orchestra took top
honors with a Damany James-arrangement of
“Scene”. Mr. James is no joke.
read more |
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Web Posted
- Wednesday September
7, 2016
When Steel Talks
|
When Presidents are not ready for Prime
Time, Pan Suffers
Basic Intelligence 101, Embed Codes and Audience Count
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New York, USA -
Recently, it has been brought to WST's (When Steel Talks) attention, that someone who has to be considered technology-challenged, but is still in fact president or vice-president, and who is in a significant position that impacts Pan in New York - caught an emotional hissy-fit that resulted in some inane, unintelligent and self-embarrassing comments, because he/she did not know what they need to know - or worse, there was no one present to pull their coat tail before they ended up with a case of foot-in-mouth disease. And worst of all, spreading false information.
read more |
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Web Posted -
Tuesday September 6, 2016
When Steel Talks
|
Steelband Body Pan Trinbago Forges International Union |
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
On August 4th and 5th,
2015, Pan Trinbago - at its International
Business Conference, established an alliance
with eight of the leading steelpan markets,
including North America, the United Kingdom and
the Caribbean.
....Now, President of Pan
Trinbago, Keith Diaz, will lead key members of
his Executive team comprising Richard Forteau
and Darren Sheppard over the period September 7th
to 9th, 2016; at its 2nd
International Business Meeting at the Bank of
New York (BNY) Mellon, New York, U.S.A.
read more |
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Web Posted -
Tuesday September 6, 2016
When Steel Talks
|
birdsong’s Response to last Saturday’s Trinidad Guardian Editorial |
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - birdsong acknowledges with the deepest gratitude the widespread outpourings of support for our cause that have been aired in both the conventional and social media in response to our recent eviction from the premises that we have occupied for the last 28 years. We are particularly thankful to the editors in the conventional media houses who have seen it fit to give prominence to the underlying issues of the absence of a viable public policy framework to support the efforts of the cultural community and in particular the long standing problems of security of tenure for the steelband.
read more |
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Web Posted -
Sunday September 4, 2016
When Steel Talks
|
New York 2016 Panorama Results D'Radoes Steel
Orchestra triumphs, with three-peat!
|
Brooklyn, New York,
USA -
see more |
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Web Posted
- Friday September
2, 2016
Trinidad and
Tobago Guardian
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Pan on D’Avenue is a hit
|
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
The spirit of “one love” was
most existent last Saturday night when the
Woodbrook/St James Community Association staged
Pan on D’Avenue V, its most successful to date,
along Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook. With at least
25,000 pan fans in attendance, the six-hour
event was incident-free and offered 25 of the
nation’s popular steel orchestras.
Along the route patrons enjoyed the beautiful
music performed with many of them walking with
deck chairs and picnic baskets.
....Held
for the past five years in celebration of the
anniversary of our Independence and in
recognition of our national instrument, the
steelpan, this year’s edition of Pan on D’Avenue
was held in memory of Amigo Nadur, principal
figure behind the Carnival Monday night
steelband competition at Adam Smith Square, and
slain Japanese pan musician
Asami Nagakiya.
read more |
Web Posted
- Friday September
2, 2016
Trinidad and
Tobago Newsday
|
Pan awards
|
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
The Woodbrook/St James
Community Organisation honoured several
percussionists during its fifth edition of Pan
on the Avenue last Saturday.
Several
long-standing players such as Ronnie Howard
(Phase II), Sonilal “Killer” Samaroo (Renegades/
Supernovas), James Inniss (Invaders) Andrew
“Soca” Brumant (Renegades), Errol Collins (All
Stars), Keith Diaz (Starlift/Desperadoes) and
Dwight Phillip (Starlift) were among younger
peers Kenneth Clarke, Hayden Holder (Pan Elders)
and Christopher Mohammed (Silver Stars) as they
all received an award and a hamper.
read more |
Web Posted
- Thursday September 1, 2016
When Steel Talks
|
New York Pan Can’t Blame WIADCA for
this...
New York Panorama-bound
Steel Orchestras struggle to consistently have
their once-in-a-lifetime Performances captured,
annually
|
New York, USA -
As the reality sets in that Basement, the
recording wing for WST (When Steel Talks) is
only capturing at best, three steel orchestras
in their panyards for this year’s New York
Panorama season - the grumbling, the shaking of
the heads, the vexation, and “how yuh cud do us dat - oh gawd...?” come out. Bands have no one
to blame but themselves. The number of
recordable days in the week has not changed in a
while, and the number of Panorama-bound steel
orchestras has pretty much remained constant
averaging ten bands or so. NOT to mention, that
said bands ALL want to be recorded preferably on
the Thursday night, Wednesday for the earliest.
Issue -
more orchestras than days to record.
Issue -
less days than bands are ready/willing to
record.
Solution -
we have multiple solutions, but it would require
the cooperation of the orchestras and the
seeking of self-interest as a unit, meaning a
steelband community. Cooperation is a
bad word in NY Pan.
read more |
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When Steel Talks
|
Steelband Music Panorama
Info & Results of Trinidad and Tobago - 2016 |
Trinidad
& Tobago, W.I. - All rounds
- all categories at a glance... Large, Medium, Small,
Junior and Single Pan Band.
Complete info
and results for Trinidad and Tobago's Steelband
Panorama 2016. Check out the background story
on some of your favorite steel orchestras and their
arrangers, what selections they played, and more.
check results
|
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Trinidad and Tobago Soca
Tunes for
2016 Carnival
|
Listen to a
playlist of Trinidad and Tobago 2016 Soca tunes
for Carnival.
listen to list
|
|
Web Posted
When Steel Talks
|
Upcoming
|
Global
- Upcoming Steelpan music
events from all over the world
click to calendar
|
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Web Posted
When Steel Talks -
Special
|
Champion Panorama Tunes
of Trinidad and Tobago
|
Global
- A critical component
to winning any panorama competition is the song
the orchestras choose to use as the basis of their
panorama arrangements. Over the years these songs
have inspired classic panorama arrangements. When
Steel Talks invites you to take a look at and listen
to, these famed tunes which have played more than
just a cursory part in the history of Pan, and the
lives of the players and fans.
click to hear and/or view
|
|
Web Posted
When Steel Talks
|
When Steel Talks Steelband Music Message Board
is Open
on the Ning Network
|
Some of the most important, controversial,
thought-provoking and enlightening discussions on
the steelpan instrument, music and culture worldwide,
have taken place over the years on the When Steel
Talks “Message board.” Considered by many
to be a lightening-rod for change in the steelpan
music community, the WST message board has
provided a means unlike any for steelpan enthusiasts
to share information and communicate ideas.
Windows MSN
Groups has informed us that they are shutting down
their groups service as of February 21, 2009.
You can now find the When Steel Talks Group at
whensteeltalks.ning.com/forum
We look forward to you joining us.
|
|
When Steel Talks
T-Shirts are Here!
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Global
- When Steel
Talks (WST) T-Shirts are available!
Join the When Steel Talks family
and show your love for the Steelpan
art form! For USD $14.00 plus
shipping and handling, make sure you
have your WST T-Shirt! Current
available colors are: Black and
Red in sizes Small (S) through X-large
(XL). Order now!
click for more, and to ORDER
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