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Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra |
New York -
One of the stalwart music organizations in New York City -
Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra - presented the third in it’s
bi-annual concert series “Sesame Flyers Pan Extravaganza”
this past Memorial weekend on Friday May 24. Unlike the rain
that heralded 2006’s show, the weather cooperated superbly,
but then that is what is most welcome on any holiday
weekend.
The 2006 pan
extravaganza was better attended than
this year’s, but that was very probably due in part to
the date chosen for this year’s event; potential attendees
may have had their own plans, taking many away from New
York. Any event that competes for the attention of people’s
plans for Memorial holiday weekend in the United States may
find itself challenged, as was apparently the case that Friday.
That being said,
nonetheless for those patrons who were in attendance, sweet pan
is what was advertised, and that is exactly
what was served up on the musical menu. On the musical
agenda were the stageside (about twenty musicians out of
2007’s one hundred-strong panorama orchestra) of defending
New York Panorama champions Sonatas Steel Orchestra,
musical maestro and renowned composer and arranger
Pelham
Goddard, Queens-based Steel Sensation, Andy Akiho, and of
course hosts Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra. Getting underway
one hour later than its scheduled 8:00 PM start, the evening’s
show began with Sesame Flyers’ resident drummer and tenor
player Keith Marcelle, Jr.
(pictured on tenor pan) rendering the US anthem. After that the concert steamed full speed ahead
for the small
but extremely appreciative audience who were lusty in their
acknowledgement of show openers Sonatas.
This was
the group’s first formal and public appearance for the 2008 New
York pan season, and the young, talented and cutting-edge
musicians were full of boundless energy as they dished up
well-received musical morsels such as their funky Mr.
Magic and crowd–pleasing show opener, The Ganges and
The Nile. Those who caught
their act that evening know that Sonatas
(pictured) was serving notice
that they will be back with deadly precision as they seek to
retain their panorama championship title this year. For the
moment the orchestra’s stageside represented some of their
finest musical talents in a firestorm that set the pace for
the rest of the evening.
Included on the
program were the Bildersee Beacon Dancers who delivered two
performances within the show, with the saucier of their two
numbers - their colorful calypso-themed presentation complete with
the very flexible limbo dancer – eliciting even more
crowd-response.
Pelham Goddard
(pictured at left) who has been Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra’s music arranger
since 2006 and reprises his role in 2008, was afforded
prominence throughout the show, as was his right as a living
music legend within the Caribbean Diaspora. On keyboard, Pelham periodically “tickled
the ivories” educating, enlightening and of course
entertaining the audience young and old alike, with some of
his well-known and classic compositions, immortalized by the
likes of calypsonian David Rudder.
Whenever
Steel Sensation (pictured at
right)
is on the bill, people look forward to the small but
effective group of musicians to hear what they bring to the
show on that particular occasion. This time was no
different, with them delivering their own eclectic versions
of tracks such as Rose, Turkish March and Could
You Be Loved. With every performance, Steel
Sensation stretches the boundaries of where some perceive
that the pan instrument has “reached.”
Musician
Andy
Akiho who has been affiliated with Sesame Flyers over the
years, and their co-arranger during their 2005 panorama
season, made an appearance once more, taking the stage with
Pelham at one point and featuring Amali Premawardhana
(pictured at left with Akiho)
on cello at another.
As the hosts,
Sesame Flyers closed the show, and took time out with their
carefully crafted repertoire which showcased music arranged
by Gilmore Thomas, Alfred Harris, III, Keith Marcelle, Jr.
and of course, Pelham Goddard. Not only did the
orchestra ably handle selections such as Pelham Goddard’s
arrangement of the Mighty Sparrow’s classic Slave,
and 2008’s Ten Commandments of Pan with Gilmore
Thomas sporting the arranger’s hat in that instance, but
they connected with the audience with a Bob Marley medley,
and of course music popular with young Caribbeanites on the
soca scene like Gyal Farm/Chippin’ arranged by young
Keith Marcelle, Jr.
At the end of the
show, both the artistes and the audience were well pleased.
With hours of rehearsals behind them and culminating on that
night, the performers – musicians and dancers alike – put
their heart and soul into their routines. The audience
responded with pleasure, shouts of encouragement and
admiration throughout. As Sesame Flyers stays the
course as one of the beacons for youth interested in the
steelband culture and artform, they have proven once again
that their bi-annual pan extravaganza is one of the
mainstays in New York’s steelband music productions.
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