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"The Road To Panorama" 2004

New York Panorama
2004 Information Complete
 

Pantonic draws first, CASYM draws last...  click to see  complete order, Tunes, Arrangers... http://www.panonthenet.com/results/ny2004panorama.htm

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New York- August  31,  2004 
by Newsday

Band helps spread Caribbean culture

Shannelle County is in her own world. Leaning over the wide steel basin with her eyes barely open, the 18-year-old from Valley Stream beats at its dents with her rubber-tipped drumsticks in a gentle calypso that's eclipsed by the room's loud clanking pandemonium.

It's rehearsal time for the Ad Lib Steel Orchestra, a group of 70, ages 7 to 65, who gather nightly during the summer in Freeport to "play pan," a genre that hails from the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago.

"It's something I look forward to doing, outside school. It helps relieve stress," said County, the band's junior captain. Importantly, pan also helps preserve her parents' traditions from San Juan and Tacarigua, Trinidad. "To be able to say I'm playing this instrument, which is one of the better representations of where my family has come from, makes me proud."

click for full story
http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/others/adlibinthenews.htm

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Trinidad - August  29,  2004 
by Terry Joseph

Trinidad and Tobago Steelband Music Festival
EXODUS WINS AGAIN!

By Terry Joseph

Exodus Steel Orchestra on Saturday night successfully defended its local Steelband Music Festival supremacy, adding that title to a streak of equally prestigious victories chalked up during the past few years.

Conquests by the Tunapuna-based band over that period include the Champion of the 20th Century Champions in 2000, national Panorama titles of 2001,2003 and 2004, the Caribbean Panorama of 2002 and World Steelband Music Festival of that year, and last year's 40th Anniversary Panorama championship.

click  for full story ..\tnt\2004\exodus\musicfestival2004l.htm

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Exodus Wins Pan Is Beautiful X

Trinidad - August  29,  2004 
by Terry Joseph

The seven-hour Steelband Music Festival final (Pan is Beautiful X) concluded less than an hour ago at the Jean Pierre Complex in Port of Spain, Trinidad.  This means Exodus has taken two successive local Steelband Music Festival titles and two Panorama triumphs in succession, becoming the first band to cop this combination of honours.

Click for complete results >>..\tnt\2004\exodus\panisbeautiful.htm

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Sonatas' New Arranger intends to Make Serious Waves
 

Yohan Powell arranger, educator, entrepreneur and soloist

 

New York - August  27,  2004 

When Steel Talks provides an exclusive interview with the first-time New York arranger.  Yohan is currently the arranger for New York's Sonatas Steel Orchestra.  Yohan is also the house arranger of Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra and protégé of Leon 'Smooth' Edwards.

 

Mr. Powell is also one of the founding members of the well-known group Panazz, and an arranger for England's Panorama. 

 

In his interview, he explains the differences between the NY and Trinidad panoramas.  Popwell feels that there is not much difference between New York and Trinidad, except that the former has limited practice time.  "Player for player, those over here (New York) are just as good as Trinidad players."  However, Popwell strongly suggests that New York bands should pay more attention to developing their own sound by securing better quality instruments.

Click for full story  http://www.panonthenet.com/spotlight/popwell/invue.htm

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Web Posted - Thursday, August 25, 2004
by When Steel Talks

BRITAIN'S 2004 NATIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION

This year the pan fraternity is celebrating the 40^th Anniversary of Carnival as well as the 26^th Anniversary of the Notting Hill Panorama, ‘Champions of Steel’ competition. Panorama has been running since 1978 and has been kept at a number of venues including The Scrubs.

Seven steel orchestras with over 500 pan musicians who have practiced for hundreds of hours will be playing thousands of pan instruments when they compete for the prestigious title of the Notting Hill Panorama ‘Champions of Steel 2004’. In addition, three steelbands, two traditional and one conventional, will appear as guest steelbands.  

Complete Info>>
..\global\england\2004_national_panorama_competiti.htm

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12 top steel orchestras carded for finals

New York - August  24,  2004 
by When Steel Talks

Twelve of the nation’s top steel orchestras are listed to contest Saturday’s final for local participants in the World Steelband Music Festival (WSMF), at Jean Pierre Complex.

Representatives of the bands are expected to draw for places today on Dateline, at the Maraval Road studios of NBN-TTT, at 11 am. Representatives are requested to be at the venue half an hour before the live draw.

Each participating band is required to play two pieces, one being the mandatory Test Piece—Kitchener’s Pan in ‘A’ Minor.  Full article>> ..\articles\others\tnt\12topsteelorchestrascardedforfinals.htm

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World Pan Festival put off
Trini bands furious

By Terry Joseph
Sunday, August 22nd 2004

Officials of top local steelbands vying for four available places in the final round of the third World Steelband Music Festival (WSMF III) are livid over postponement of the event, originally scheduled to take place in England during the week beginning October 23.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article?id=34614217

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World Steelband Music Festival: Results - Quartets & Ensembles

http://www.worldsteelbandfestival.com/wsmf2004/wsmf_listnewsdetails.asp?article=17

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And a child shall lead them

Photos: David Wears

Web Posted - Saturday, August 21, 2004
by Trinidad Guardian
By Donna Pierre

Tiny Keisha Codrington walked away with top honours after competing in the World Steelband Music Festival’s minor categories.

Performing as a soloist before a meagre crowd at Queen’s Hall on Thursday night, Codrington received a lusty round of applause when she ended.

Codrington, ten, was the youngest among a field of 13 competitors, which included three foreigners, Leon Foster Thomas and Joanna Scott from Florida Memorial College, and Iman Pascall from Brooklyn.

She played the late Kitchener’s Pan Night and Day that was arranged by her father Cary Codrington.

Click for full story

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World Steelband  Music Festival: Results Grand Finals - Soloists, Duets, Single Pan
http://www.worldsteelbandfestival.com/wsmf2004/wsmf_listnewsdetails.asp?article=15

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US Steelband Impresses

Tuesday, August 17th 2004
By KEINO SWAMBER South Bureau, Trinidad Express
 

Members of the St Veronica's Youth Steel Orchestra thrill patrons at D Carrat Shed Pub in Marabella on Sunday. Photo: KEINO SWAMBER

A youth steelband made up mainly of residents of Baltimore, USA had limers at D Carrat Shed Pub in Marabella dancing and swaying to their music at the weekend.

Listening to the St Veronica's Youth Steel Orchestra, there was little to set them apart from their hosts for the day, Southern Marines Steel Orchestra of Marabella.

The visitors have been in Trinidad since August 3 and will depart today. click for full story on link

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=33864207

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Mangrove wins Junior Panorama

Web Posted - Monday, August 16, 2004
by Robbie Joseph

This year Mangrove Junior Steelband took no prisoners when they captured their fifth consecutive Notting Hill Junior Panorama title. Arranger, Debra Romain’s solid arrangements supported by their tight playing and brilliant execution of ‘Look the Band Coming’, ensured their victory over arch rivals, Ebony.

 

http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/others/mangrovewins.htm

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Don't mess with Panorama
by Bukka Rennie

Trinicenter - August 11, 2004

There is talk about a proposal from Pan Trinbago, the national association which is supposed to represent and defend the interest of the pan fraternity, that for Panorama 2005 steelbands will be allowed to compete playing any calypso without any limit to the specific year in which the respective calypso was composed and registered and treated as the intellectual property of a said person or persons.

read full story http://www.trinicenter.com/BukkaRennie/2004/Aug/112004.html

New York - August  9,  2004 

click for full story >> http://www.panonthenet.com/press/cbarron.htm

The Joyful Sound of a Steel Drum Is Muted by Controversy

efore moving to New York in 1970, Trevor King grew up in a rough neighborhood in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, where he lived just doors away from Winston "Spree" Simon, one of the early pioneers of the steel drum.

Mr. King was there when drums were mostly improvised out of garbage cans, scraps of metal and empty 55-gallon barrels; he saw the drum rise to prominence as Trinidad's national instrument, and watched as it caught on around the world.

http://www.basementrecordings.com/news/wpgs/08drum.html

Sonatas' Annual Street Fair

Web Posted - Tuesday, August 10, 2004
by When Steel Talks

Pan Sonatas again held its annual popular street fair in Brooklyn, New York.  Pan fans chimed in from everywhere.  Performers included Crossfire, Marsicans, Harmony, CASYM and Sonatas.

http://www.panonthenet.com/sonatas/sonatas.htm

Fraze Welcomes Miami University Steel Band

POSTED: 8:25 am EDT August 9, 2004

KETTERING, Ohio -- Come celebrate the 10th anniversary of this unique band with four CD's to their credit. Travel to the tropics with their relaxing steel drum sound.

The show is scheduled for this Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. and is free to the public.

http://www.whiotv.com/entertainment/3632347/detail.html

Pan Legends, DESPERS USA
 2004 Band Launch
 

Web Posted - Tuesday, August 3, 2004
by When Steel Talks

Steelband music took pan lovers to soaring heights at the Despers Pan Loft on Classon Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.  In a musical welcome to the month of August, little more than one month before the annual Panorama competition in which Despers USA takes part - Sunday August 1^st was the second of a two-day weekend of Band launches, with Pantonic Steel Orchestra hosting their own event the day before.

http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/cparticles/desperslaunch2004.htm

Trafalgar Square Pan Jamboree 2004
Steelpan is here to stay!

Web Posted - Monday, August 2, 2004

On a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon on the 2^nd August 2004, when temperatures reached the high twenties, Trafalgar Square was transformed into a Steelpan Village.  Six of the UK’s top steel orchestras Nostalgia, Metronomes, Southside Harmonics, Pantasia, Stardust and Croydon entertained the crowds of visitors, tourists and supporters to London’s refurbished land mark.

http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/bas/trafalgar.htm

Pantonic Steel Orchestra Celebrates 2004 Band Launch at new "Home"
 

The "Pan Diamond" is still in its "rough cut" stages.  As people took up positions in anticipation of an evening of pan music, the unmistakable signs of ongoing construction in the form of a wooden framework loomed in the background; it was all that was completed, in what will finally sparkle as the "final cut" of Pantonic's Steel Orchestra's 2004 rehearsal space/pan yard.  This of course in no way diminished the massive space immediately in front of that area which was the stage for Pantonic's 2004 band launch activities.

http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/cparticles/toniclaunch2004.htm

Web Posted - Monday, August 2, 2004

ANDY Narell, Master of the Steel Drum
NPR (audio) - USA
... And it went through the roof. Mr. NARELL : The very first steel bands were teen-age kids in the late 1930s playing pots and pans and garbage can covers. ...
<http://npr.streamsage.com/google/programlist/feature.php?wfid=3809485>

No Money For Pan
 

J'Ouvert City Alliance held a community town hall meeting on Monday July 26^th for the purpose of giving New York J'Ouvert steelbands and mas organizations an opportunity to discuss and voice their concerns and problems to and with  their elected officials.  Present at the meeting were Councilmen Charles Barron and Kendal Stewart.  Councilwoman Letitia James could not attend but was represented by her Deputy Chief of Staff / Community Affairs - Ray Martin.
 

http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/others/jouvertmeeting.htm

'Rope' savages NY youth steelband

By Terry Joseph
Sunday, August 1^st 2004

Sympathy is pouring in from pan lovers around the globe for the plight of New York steelband Utopia Pan Soul: The Next Generation, whose instruments were last week savagely attacked, leaving the band unable to participate in the imminent Labour Day Panorama competition.
http://www.basementrecordings.com/news/wpgs/terryjosutopia.html

Hawks International Opens New Headquarters
(Pantonic Steel On Hand)

Hawks International officially opened the doors to their renovated headquarters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.  On hand for the opening were Brooklyn's borough president Marty Markowitz, councilwoman Yvette Clarke and New York's reigning panorama champions Pantonic Steel Orchestra.  Ms. Clarke presented Hawks with a check for $14,000 as a means of assisting the civic-minded organization and its community programs.

http://www.panonthenet.com/pantonic/hawkspantonic2004.htm

 Will The Evil Empire Strike Again?
(Real or Imagined)

Web Posted - Friday, August 27, 2004
by When Steel Talks

It's that time of the year again in New York, when pan men, old and young, gather and exchange war stories of battles won, lost, and show their scars and blood soaked tee-shirts from past campaigns against the EVIL EMPIRE. Yes - there is an evil empire in almost every country where pan exists. The evil empire is that organization, group or individuals, real or imagined entities (through indifference, incompetence, stupidity or just plain evil) who are hell bent on making the pan man's life miserable, and stopping the pan movement from progress. The Evil Empire Exists.

I have heard much stories of the global reach of the Evil Empire. It appears to exist in Japan, the Caribbean, all over Europe and of course New York. Pan history is filled with the great battles and class struggles against the Evil Empire. In New York, for the past thirty-plus years, the pan people have "ordained" promoters of the New York panorama and labour day festivities as the Evil Empire.

Now really, in fairness to the NY Evil Empire they are not all corrupt, bad, miserable tortured souls who hate pan and panmen. There are one or two good devils among them (ha, ha). As a matter of fact, this year's New York panorama event, like last year, is being billed a "cooperative production between the New York-based steelband association and the Evil Empire." Of course everyone knows this is nonsense. But it has raised (quite publicly and loud) the question as to why panmen would allow themselves to be used and "walk point" for the Evil Empire. Everyone who has served in the military knows what happens to those who walk point.

Click for complete story http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/opinions/evilempire.htm

click for full story >> http://www.panonthenet.com/spotlight/orisha/invue.htm 

Who cares about the music?
Why your band(s) win and lose panorama

Web Posted - Saturday, August 21, 2004
by When Steel Talks

Dear Editor,

I finally came to the conclusion that Panorama in TnT (Trinidad and Tobago) and NY, is about a band's performance.  In my biased estimation, I would say a band's performance yields around 85% of their score while the other 15% would be allocated towards the musical content of the arrangement.

click for full story >>
http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/opinions/winloss.htm

Caribbean Youth Panoramics
Taking No Prisoners

Web Posted - Friday August 20th, 2004
by When Steel Talks

CARIBBEAN YOUTH PANORAMICS (CYP) Steel Orchestra located at the Corner of Avenue D and East 49th Street Brooklyn, N.Y.  CYP expects to be on top in Panorama 2004.  Led by arranger Joseph "Franklin" Gerald, CYP's tune of choice is “Whop Cocoyea” by Shadow ...

http://www.panonthenet.com/yardwatch2004/cypyard2004.htm

Web Posted - Thursday August 19th, 2004
by When Steel Talks

Web Posted - Tuesday, August 17, 2004
by When Steel Talks

Web Posted - Tuesday, August 3, 2004
by When Steel Talks

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