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Sonatas
Under NYPD Curfew |
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Web Posted -
Wednesday,
September 1, 2004 Here we go again. With less than three days to go before the grand event - New York's 2004 Panorama- one of the oldest and most respected members of the NY pan fraternity is again being forced to shut down its practice in the early evening. The members of Sonatas are outraged at what they see as insensitivity and total disrespect to their community and culture. Ironically, Sonatas has been practicing in the same spot for over 25 years - a quarter of a century. The band, made up primarily of young people who have dedicated their whole summer towards preparing for their presentation at the New York panorama this Saturday, view this treatment as grossly unfair. As we at When Steel Talks have said many times before; many of the leaders of the carnival and steelband organizations love to have their pictures taken with mayors, governors, prime ministers, Kings and Queens.
How can OUR equivalent of the philharmonic orchestras be summarily shut down every year? What purpose do "organizational leaders" - especially those of the Steelband Association, and politicians of Caribbean Heritage, serve if they can't get a great major New York music institution like Sonatas - multiple-time New York Panorama champions - with all it's lauded history and cultural significance, in fact, every single New York steel orchestra - the right to practice in their own backyards? WST
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But
these same carnival and steelband organization "leaders" continue
to fail our community and youth. What message are you sending
our youth when they do sometime so positive, constructive and educational
(music) with their time, only to be treated in this manner?