St.
Thomas, USVI –
The 2008 carnival celebrations in St. Thomas, US Virgin
Islands officially get underway on April 6, and really take
flight with nightly events from April 12—26. Major
international soca and calypso artists such as Bunji Garlin,
Byron Lee and The Dragonaires and many more will be part of
this year’s events. There are at least two steelband
components to the celebration, one in the main parade and
the other in the April 20 steelband jamboree.
Speaking
with When Steel Talks recently, Caswil Callender, Executive
Director of The Virgin Islands Carnival Committee, Inc. said
that steelpan was first introduced to the island back in
1949, and carnival started in 1953. Members of Antigua’s
legendary Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra came to St. Thomas for
the celebrations and some settled on the island, and began
teaching the artform which proved immensely popular, to
school children and all who were interested. Later on, a
judge from the island’s territorial court at the time
decided that the artform should be even more entrenched
within the culture, came up with a plan, and oversaw the
institution of steelpan instruction in schools. It was from
there that steelpan in St. Thomas truly mushroomed into the
movement that it is today, with most of the island’s
educational establishments, both private and public now
fielding at least one steel orchestra. They generally
feature about twenty players, some as young as six years
old, and take part in the Steelband Jamboree that is an
integral component of the island’s annual carnival
celebrations.
An
average of twenty steelbands take part in the jamboree and
perform in close proximity to an audience of thousands, who
include music lovers, visitors to the island, and of course
proud family members of the young pannists from the
schools. Rising Stars steel orchestra, the band
evolving out
of the initiative begun by the territorial courts’ judge so
many years ago, is one of St. Thomas’ larger, well-known
bands featuring as many as one hundred steelpan musicians.
They will also be showcased in the jamboree on April 20. This year
thirteen bands have signed up to date, with the remainder
expected to come onboard in the next few days. Those who
have confirmed their participation are Ulla Muller School,
Gomez
Elementary School, Sibbilly Elementary School, Cancryn
Middle School, Bertha Boschulte Middle School, St. John Pan
Dragons, Charlotte Amalie High School, Eudora Kean High
School, Rising Stars, Rock City Special Ed., Phoenix Sounds,
St. Thomas All Stars and Pan In Motion. Collectively, they will thrill the
thousands fortunate enough to experience St. Thomas’
steelband jamboree, which starts at five in the afternoon,
and continues for about five hours.
For those who are
thinking
about
making the trip to the island for this year’s carnival
celebrations including the steelband jamboree, Virgin
Islands Carnival Committee’s Executive Director Caswil
Callender says that visitors will delight in the warm
temperatures of eighty-five degrees, the friendliness and
hospitality of the islanders, and the multitude of carnival
celebration shows and related events. According to the
executive director, years ago carnival in St. Thomas was celebrated in
September during the Labor Day weekend, but
that period falls within the island’s rainy season, and with the
wet weather throwing a damper on events, the carnival
celebration was moved to April. For those who love the sea
and/or are boating enthusiasts, they will find they can have
a fabulous vacation both on sea via boat races, and on land,
with Carnival celebrations, which have been described as the
largest in the Virgin Islands. As a plus, Callender also
reminded that naturally, citizens of the United States can visit St. Thomas –
a US territory – without a passport and that the US dollar
is the official currency.
Callender
proudly added that no one is left out of the island’s
festivities, and that there is something for everyone, from
all walks of life; even those in the hospitals, and the
shut-ins, those who cannot come out to carnival, have it
brought to them. Shows go on the road and performers ‘take
the carnival to them’ so they may also experience the joy of
their country’s annual celebrations. And you can too,
when you make St. Thomas USVI part of your itinerary this
April.
contact:
Caswil Callender, Executive Director,
The Virgin Islands Carnival Committee,
Inc. | email:
caswil@viaccess.net |