Meet Yohan Popwell - Arranger for Sonatas Steel
Orchestra - Up close!
In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks
- educator, multi-champion steelband panorama arranger and steelpan performing artist
Yohan Popwell speaks about the challenge of arranging for the New
York flagship music franchise Sonatas Steel Orchestra. This year Yohan
and Sonatas attempt to capture the hat trick.
Global -
He is
meticulous,
hard-working
and
leaves
nothing
to
chance.
Yohan
Popwell
knows
that
you’re
“only as
good as
your
last
outing”
and
within
the
steelband
arranging
arena, it
is a
real
case of
“what
have you
done for
me
lately?”
This
year the
charismatic
and
talented
veteran
musician
attempts
to
achieve
the
elusive
hat-trick
or
‘three-peat’:
capturing the New
York
steelband
panorama championship
title
as
arranger with
Sonatas
Steel
Orchestra.
With
four New York
championships
already
under
his belt
(2004,
2007,
2009,
2010) -
securing
another
victory
would
place
Yohan Popwell
in an
extremely rare and
special
category
in New
York -
that of
a
multiple-winning
Panorama arranger.
