“It’s A Wrap”
Trinidad All Stars end whirlwind visit
to the Big Apple
in concert with CASYM
Salute to the
Caribbean Concert - In Pictures
Bronx, New York -
It was the turn of the Bronx, New York, to
experience the music of Trinidad All Stars (pictured
right) and
CASYM steel orchestras,
as they
got together for the final time this past Monday June 19, in what had
been three consecutive days of performances for the two bands.
After their Saturday and Sunday engagements
at KC's Hideaway in Brooklyn, Trinidad All
Stars got a chance once more to display why they are one of the most
well-known, heralded and sought-after steel orchestras in the world.
The Bronx steelband extravaganza was billed as a
"Salute To The
Caribbean
Concert,"
and was a joint presentation of the New York Daily News and the office
of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr.
The event took perfect advantage of people returning from work via the
No. 1 train which overlooked the car park of the River Plaza Shopping Center
where it was staged; many simply made their way down and around to the
performance area. After words of welcome and introduction by Daily News
Vice President/Promotion & Community Affairs, John G. Campi
(pictured right),
CASYM got underway with their presentation; Campi took a keen interest,
and introduced each
selection during their set.
It was not only those directly
present in front the band who got an earful, and in other cases, an
eyeful of the concert activities. Some commuters who were coming off the
elevated train did not bother coming down to the car park, they seized
the
advantage afforded by their 'elevated' position, and took in the concert
(right).
Others were also stationed above, not as high, but at as good a vantage
point - just off the bridge overlooking the car park.
A Circle Line
sightseeing ship
(left)
cruised along the Harlem River, with passengers craning their necks and
waving as the boat passed; finally, there were the many Metro
North trains that roared past, each time momentarily overpowering the
music. One operator even honked his horn, and waved as he sped
past with his passenger-filled cars in tow.
Borough president Adolfo
Carrion, Jr. accompanied by his Special Assistant, Al Benninghoff, arrived
during CASYM's performance. He was greeted
(left)
by Campi; taking the
stage shortly after, he addressed all present, thanking them for their
presence, and described the concert as an event held in recognition and
appreciation of, the integral part played in his borough by its
Caribbean residents. Carrion, Jr. then went on to demonstrate just
how much of a 'people's borough president' he was.

In customary
hands-on fashion, he availed himself of a quick
'lesson' in steelpan by looking on as two of CASYM's front line pannists
played,
then grabbed a couple of sticks himself and, behind a tenor pan
(left), got
into the spirit of the performance with the orchestra, guaranteeing some 'picture-perfect'
moments. Veteran CASYM bass player Curtis Lynch, who worked the
crowd to ensure their involvement, even got the borough president to
lead the crowd
(right) in singing Olé Olé, the well-known refrain from calypsonian Arrow's
classic 'Hot Hot Hot.'
As
CASYM's set ended and they cleared the stage of their instruments,
making way for Trinidad All Stars to set up theirs, John Campi took the
audience on a bit of a historic journey regarding one of the hallmarks
in the legacy of pan in New
York - the coming of Desperadoes Steel Orchestra to perform at Carnegie
Hall. Campi explained in essence that some years ago, he was extremely taken
with steel orchestras after attending a panorama festival in Trinidad.
He would subsequently make the arrangements and pave the way for
Desperadoes to appear at Carnegie Hall in the 80s. The New York
Daily News for a number of years after that, brought up from Trinidad
and Tobago, Panorama
champion orchestras in their year of triumph, to perform on the steps of City Hall
in New York. Nowadays, Campi proudly proclaimed, the New York
Daily News has its own band, the Daily News CASYM Steel Orchestra.
Trinidad All Stars was up
next, and delivered several numbers which were very well received by the
crowd. Several members of New York's pan community were present,
determined not to miss the opportunity of seeing All Stars in concert,
this time for free. The orchestra was joined on stage by promoter
Kenneth Charles aka 'KC,' who
was also responsible for bringing All
Stars to New York. As had been the case at their two previous
appearances, the self-proclaimed 'James Brown of Soca' performed once
again with the band (right), catching the interest of those looking on.
All Stars' set included several crowd pleasers such as R
Kelly's 'I Believe I Can Fly' and Bob Marley's 'War.' The latter
turned out to be their final piece, as the threat of rain brought their
performance to a premature end to the disappointment of many, including
the All Stars players themselves.
All throughout the
proceedings, show attendees had the opportunity to sign up for an
exclusive one-time only Daily News subscription deal, offered only at the
event.
New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg who had been publicized
to attend the concert, was a no-show. Those who came out to the
concert were not disappointed though, and for many, it was a final
opportunity to catch Trinidad All Stars in concert before their return
to Trinidad the following day. At the end of the concert, the 'All Star
cast' and band manager Berry Hunte got together for a quick photo-op
with
When
Steel Talks
(pictured left).
Click here for All Stars performance of 'War'
'Salute to the Caribbean' Concert,
Bronx -
In
Pictures
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