Dolisa Green In Botswana - The Traveling Steelpan Woman

www.PanOnTheNet.com
Pan Music 24-7
Without Compromise

GUEST BOOK
Let us hear your views

Click here

What pan do you play if any?

What is your name of your band or favorite band?

Where are you from?

E-mail address?

What is your web site?

Steelpan Women In Pan - Pan Woman Revolution
Celebration of Women
and the Steelpan Art Form

Tribute To Women In Pan - 2005

TRAVELING STEELPAN WOMAN
Have Pan - Will Travel

Every year I take a big trip out of the United States. I had already planned to visit Botswana and upon doing research on the place (as I normally do before visiting anywhere I go), I discovered that they had a steel band thanks to Basement Recordings' website...

Click on link if video does not auto start: http://www.whensteeltalks.com/spilc/multi2005/DGreen.wmv

So I was very happy to get that information and I decided to contact the school before I got to Botswana and let them know I was coming.

I was unable to make contact though, so once I arrived in Gaberone I contacted the school and the lady I spoke with was very, very nice, and asked me when I would like to come and see the band play. We set up a time and the next day after doing some touring of the city, I went over to the school and spoke with what I would call the principal and another lady who was in charge of the music department.

Dolisa Green with Dem Stars Steel Orchestra
photo: R. Pope

At this point I was very excited to be able to see a steel band in Africa and I could hear the children practicing outside while in the office with the principal... We went outside and they started playing immediately and I was so, so excited...

while they were playing, people from everywhere stopped in their cars on the street, other children in the classrooms stopped studying and looked out the windows... it turned into a major show. I was concerned about causing a disruption like that, but glad at the same time. It was so refreshing that someone would do that for me on such a short notice.

Needless to say that was one of the best parts of the trip. The people of Botswana are wonderful people and the country is beautiful. I have a deep love for the steel drums and was very happy to see the children play...

They played their national anthem and some calypso tunes and some traditional tunes as well.

Thanks to Hollis Clifton for the work he has done with this band.

by Dolisa Green

Related Articles

Send your articles and/or pictures for consideration to whensteeltalks@hotmail.com

A Celebration of Women
And The Steelpan Artform

03.28.05