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Great Food, Utopia Pan Soul's Pan-a-Que - In Pictures Brooklyn, New York - With a beautiful summer Saturday in the forecast - Utopia Pan Soul: the Next Generation organized and held their first annual Pan-a-Que. On the menu: great food and great pan music. The culinary fare included curried chicken, shrimp, potato, channa, fish and the like, topped off with buss-up shot (aka paratha) and roti. The musical fare was very ably handed by a new steelpan group on the scene, Black Love Steel, and later on by event organizers Utopia Pan Soul: the Next Generation. Guest steelband Sesame Flyers were unable to appear due to a scheduling conflict. The Blackfoot mas camp venue on Nostrand Avenue provided just the right atmosphere as members of the pan community passed through to get their fill of food and later on in the evening, steelband music. The DJ entertained those present - before the bands played, achieving a pleasant balance within the space, and with just the right vibe; the music was audible enough to maintain an air of excited camaraderie as people enjoyed food, drink, music and each other's company, but not so deafening that conversation was impossible.
The
steelband music group is led by Brian Nicholas, whose father, the late
Knolly "Panther" Nicholas, was an important figure on the early New York
pan scene. Brian himself was the arranger for Harmony steel
orchestra for the last two years. His Black Love Steel group
boasts musicians whose faces are
familiar on the New York pan music scene as members of the much larger steel
orchestras such as D'Radoes, Despers USA and Pantonic.
Utopia plans to make use of opportunities to host other similar events this summer during the short but intense New York panorama season. Elcock noted that there was one challenge they had to deal with for Saturday's event - the "Trini time factor" also known as the "anytime is Trinidad time" malady. By that, he said he meant that the Utopia crew and family of supporters were there - ready and waiting to serve up their piping hot delicious food for the Pan-a-Que - since midday, the advertised time. However, people only began to saunter in closer toward six in the evening, throwing things off somewhat, and causing a bit of an unnecessary 'crunch' in the event's entire schedule, including the other highlight of the evening, steelband music. While Elcock looks forward to would-be patrons again supporting Utopia's upcoming "Ques" and/or other culinary-based projects - he additionally hopes that they would be encouraged to start showing up at least in the timeframe from when the food is available. That aspect notwithstanding, Elcock said once again, that Utopia Pan Soul was very pleased with the support, and again reiterated his appreciation to all on behalf of his organization. Utopia Pan Soul's Pan-a-Que - In Pictures
Copyright 2006 - Basement Recordings, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ANY REPRODUCTION, REPRINTING OR COPYING OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS, OR ANY OTHER MATERIAL - AUDIO, VISUAL OR TEXT - FROM THE BASEMENT RECORDINGS/WHEN STEEL TALKS/PANONTHENET WEBSITES, IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED, WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE MANAGEMENT OF WHEN STEEL TALKS. Comment on this story at the Message Board
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Of those
attending, quite a few were members of the pan community, there
in support of Utopia's venture, including Harmony steel orchestra's PRO
Debbie Ramkissoon 
At the
Pan-a-Que Utopia Pan Soul's members took up different responsibilities
for a change, including co-founder Curt Rogers in trademark shades 
