The Pan Invasion of Times Square

New York, USA - A hot and humid afternoon was the setting for the sounds of steel on Sunday August 9 in celebration of August as Steelband Month, and more specifically August 11 as World Steelpan Day. The performances in Times Square brought pan live to the world from Father Duffy Square as multiple acts lined up and gave the steelband music-loving crowd what they craved – hours of just that.

 

This was accomplished under the auspices of the USSA (United States Steelband Association, Sesame Flyers International and the office of the Consul General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Performing in Father Duffy Square, Times Square is indeed a significant and recognizable feat that draws worldwide attention.

It was Pan In Times Square IV; the crowd was eventually multiple layers deep in some spots. They all heard from the various personages on hand at the opening of the show, with most keeping their remarks short. The likes of Acting Consul General of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago in New York, Mrs. Mary A. Tang Yew; Dr. Neil Parsan, Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations; Michelle Mathison, Director of Development at Sesame Flyers International; Charles Guy, President of the United States Steelband Association (USSA); Jelanie DeShong representing New York's Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani; Leah Clark-Brisard of The Carlos Lezama Archives and Caribbean Cultural Center (CLACC-C); Roger V. Archibald, president of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA) and Andrew Maloney, chairman of WIADCA – were all on hand. They welcomed and thanked the crowd, and themselves took in the show.

But naturally it was Pan taking center-stage in the heart of the ‘Crossroads of the World’ as Time Square is also known. And – if you could not make it to the event in person, it was live streamed. Natasha Wilson aka “Princess Natasha” and Mr. Voice co-hosted the event.

Pan Evolution Juniors, the 2025 CLACC-C Junior Panorama winners, was the opening act, with Kutters Rhythm Section following the group, themselves preceding PULSE (Pan Unleashes Life-Sustaining Energy) Steel Band. The latter represented a change in musical presentation compared to the others with more traditional repertoires. Popular young performer, seven-year-old steelpanist Sir Halo Maximin - well-known on the steelpan circuit even at such a young age - had the attention of the crowd as cell phones raised high to capture as much as they could. Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra, the reigning New York Panorama champions (when at full 100-player-complement) as the penultimate act, would make way for the USSA Steelband, a showcase of some of New York’s premiere steelpanists drawn from various bands and performing under the USSA banner.

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