Gemonites surprises favourite
by Andy Liburd

Antigua - It was pure classic, like a dream; a script written perfectly down to the very last full stop, or in this case, note.

In a competition destined to be a battle between the formidable heavyweights of AMP Halcyon and Caribseas Harmonites, the West Indies Oil Company Gemonites Steel Orchestra with deft stealth, waited until the dust had all but settled, then in vicious form pounced and literally tore to pieces all who had come before.

Laventille Steelband Festival
Honour Destra

Trinidad - Top female entertainer Destra Garcia is among seven Laventille residents to be honoured at this year’s Laventille Steelband Festival (LSF) Parade.

The ceremony takes place on Sunday, August 7, at the compound of pan manufacturing company Trinidad and Tobago Instruments Limited (TTIL) located at Dorata Street and Eastern Main Road, Laventille.

The awards presentation is part of the grand steelband parade held on the same day, which takes place between Mc Allister and Leon Streets, Laventille from 4pm.

Destra will receive her accolade in the junior category for her contribution to culture.

Music Educators to gather in
Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua - Music Educators in Antigua and Barbuda will be hosts to the 8th Biennial conference of the Regional Association of Music Educators from August 21st to 24th 2005.

Expected at this conference will be some of the leading persons involved in Music Education in the region as well as invited guests from North America.

Presentations at this conference will include topics such as teaching music to persons with emotional and physical disabilities; CXC Music topics; instrumental teaching techniques; pan certification examinations; opportunities for tertiary music education in the region; developing the art of reflective practice among music teachers; computer software in Music Education.

Magic is all in the 'pans'
Steel bands showcase parade

By BRODIE FENLON, TORONTO SUN
 

Toronto, Canada -  IF ISLAND culture is the soul of Caribana, its heartbeat is the pounding of a steel drum.

HELENE BERNARD of Mississauga Steel Band performs at the steel drum competition at Lamport Stadium yesterday. Caribana's parade runs today on Lake Shore Blvd. (Alex Urosevic, SUN)

The lyrical rhythms of calypso and soca hammered out on finely tuned oil drums -- "pans" -- will help transform drab grey Lakeshore Blvd. into the pageant that is today's annual Caribana parade.

Those drums got a workout last night at the Pan Alive competition at Lamport Stadium, where 11 steel orchestras demonstrated their talents before judges.

Head judge Selwyn McSween, a lawyer by day and veteran steel pan musician, described his instrument of choice as a musical seductress.

"The steel pan doesn't need an electrical boost. It doesn't assault you," he said. "You have to come to it. It seduces you. And to love it once is to love it forever."

Judge fights crime with pan
By Suzette Edwards-Lewis

Trinidad -  A ST. THOMAS judge came to TnT, saw the pan and decided it would be a good remedy to stop youths from a life of crime.

He made arrangements to have pans shipped home for use as a form of discipline for the nation’s youth.

A pan forum was set up in the courthouse building where minor offenders and delinquents had to learn to play the instrument as their form of punishment

Organisers fail to advertise calypso/pan explosion

Trinidad - For some mysterious reason the Tobago Heritage organisers failed to properly advertise and promote its first ever calypso/pan explosion event which was held at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex on Friday night. As a result, the most potentially powerful and meaningful event of the Festival failed to attract the mass turnout it was capable of doing

 BT Melodians Steel Orchestra
Tour of Turkey

Despers USA Pan Launch
and a Friday Evening
A Great Combination

Dem Stars Steelband Launch
(CASYM, Pantonic, Marsicans, Ambassadors, Steel Sensation,
Utopia Pan Soul)
Pan People Rule The Day

Brooklyn, New York - The march towards New York's 2005 steelband music panorama continued with Dem Stars launch last Sunday at their Terminal Market yard located in East Flatbush,  Brooklyn.  The well-attended steelpan music event provided area residents with another opportunity to see and hear their favorite steelbands perform and tune up for the steelband music competition in September when the band sizes can grow up to and over a hundred players.  This launch included Steel Sensation from Queens Village, New York and Utopia Pan Soul: The Next Generation from the Wingate section of Brooklyn.  Both bands demonstrated that any perceived disadvantage in size one might think one has, can surely be overcome by musical skills and talent; and Utopia and Steel Sensation prove this time and again.

<full story> http://www.panonthenet.com/articles/ny/2005_panorama/demstarslau.htm

Harmonites defends Panorama title
by Tahna Weston

Antigua -  The battle is expected to be fierce this evening as six bands compete for the Sydney Prince Panorama title.

The planning committee is urging people to come out this evening to witness first hand, what promises to be a keenly contested competition.

Countdown to New York Panorama 2005

Despers USA Steelband Launch
(CASYM, Pantonic, Marsicans, Despers USA)
The Big Dogs Are Out and They're "Barking"
"Ruff Ruff"

New York - Despers USA's pan launch is always one of the most anticipated and serious steelpan music events in the city.  It is, as the other launches, by invitation only.  However, there is a significant difference at this launch compared to the others.  That difference is the audience.  When you play in front of Despers audience, you are playing in front of people with the highest steelpan music IQ in the business.  Their knowledge of the finer points of steelband music is unquestioned.  This audience is the most reserved, critical, uncompromising and discerning you will ever come across...  If you're going to play in front of them you better come well prepared or you could get you feelings hurt - twice. This is not a 'wine, dance and jump' crowd; they come to a Despers USA launch to listen.  They are all ears.  If your band is 'sneezing' or has 'skaters' they will know.  And they will 'rightfully so' talk about you like a dog.  If you are a real steelband any where in the world, you need this invitation.  If you are a steelband fan, this is where you want to be.

The Little Drummer Girl Meets the
Steelpan Ensemble

Botswana, Africa - Enter Camila Garcia Pego -the two years old daughter of Garcia and Patrica Pego- First Secretary to the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba. Camila found the drums of the pannists of Rainbow High School so irresistible that even after being restrained by her parents kept returning to make her contribution to the Steelpan Ensemble. The toddler was emphatically a hit with the audience at the new Riverwalk Shopping Mall

Steelband pioneer dies

Thursday July 21 2005
 

Antigua - Another pioneer in Antigua's steel band fraternity has passed away.

Bruce "Fundoo" Bloodman died on Tuesday - four days before he was expected to be inducted into the Carnival Hall of Fame.

Some two weeks ago, a container at the Antigua & Barbuda Port Authority accidentally crushed Steadman "Steady" Joseph, a founding member of the Supa Stars and Harmonites Steel Orchestras.

In a press release, the Carnival Development Committee (CDC) expressed its condolences to the family of Bloodman.

Carnival Co-ordinator Vaughn Walter, in commenting on both men's passing, said they had each made invaluable contributions to the pan fraternity, and "have left footprints in the sand."

Sensational pan in yards
By Peter Blood
 

Trinidad - On Friday night, members of PCS Starlift were justifiably proud when they premiered Tidco’s Pan Yard Sensation series. With a mammoth audience in attendance, the entertainment was top-drawer stuff all night, from Baron, Stephan Wise from Philadelphia, who arrived in the country a mere half- hour before the start of the programme, and Mike Boothman.

I was particularly impressed by the eye-catching uniforms worn by the Starlift pannists, designed by Dawn Victor for DAV Originals.

Web Posted - Thursday July 21, 2005 When Steel Talks - GSMN Special

Countdown to New York Panorama 2005

Some Folks
Just Don't Get Out Much...
Where Is The Steelband Panorama Program?

New York - So what? We can overlook the fact that the live Wingate concerts have gotten better every year, and that in a shorter space of time, has outdistanced the steelband panorama in every important facet except the enthusiasm, talent and professionalism that the steelpan performers bring to the panorama.
 

Production and Field crew get ready for show

So what? We can overlook the fact that there was a VIP and press area for the performing artists.  Pan folks aren't artists, to merit that caliber of treatment though, correct?

So what? We can overlook the fact that the artists and show attendees were greeted with smiles, manners and courtesy. Pan players and panorama attendees aren't really people, though?

So what? We can overlook the fact that the grass is greener on their side and everyone involved (attendees, artists, sponsors etc.) is happier.   The Wingate show is the bomb, it is a real show.  We are not sure who the panorama production crew is trying to be like when they grow up.  But we're not sure you'd want to be around when they do...
 

Web Posted - Thursday July 21, 2005 When Steel Talks - Special

This Day In Pan - July 21, 2003

US YOUTH STEELBAND SETS
ALL-TIME AUDIENCE RECORD

When Steel Talks

Crowd of over 7000 listen to CYP perform ©2005  WST

Philadelphia - (July 2003) On Monday last, the 45-member band, whose players range between the ages of 8 and 19 years old, established what international pan observers insist is a world record for attendance at a concert by a single steelband.

New York based website basementrecordings.com was first in reporting an audience of 7,000 (an estimate later confirmed by venue officials) for CYP's outdoor concert at Philadelphia's Mann Center for the Performing Arts.  The band shared the bill with the city's Spoken Hand Orchestra, a drumming group that explores rhythm traditions of West Africa, the Afro-Cuban experience, Brazil and Northern India.
 

Web Posted - Wednesday July 21, 2005 When Steel Talks - Special

Smouldering North Stars Steel Orchestra
Dennis Rollins
hit Regents Park Band Stand

by Robbie Joseph

United Kingdom - Visitors to Regents Park, London were certainly treated to a generous helping of Pan/Jazz music on Sunday the 17th July 2005 supplied by North Stars Steel Orchestra, the acclaimed trombonist, Dennis Rollins and the young and aspiring pan musician Samuel Dubois. North Stars’ ‘Molten Metal’ tour of the UK is turning out to be yet another one of their great achievements. They had the crowds dancing, young and old jamming to the sweet sounds of steel and trombone. The ‘concert’ was blessed with great summer conditions with the crowds basking in the 29 º temperatures.
 

Entertainers protest over Phase II removal
By SEAN NERO
 

Trinidad - ENTERTAINERS at Saturday night’s installment of "Pan Yard Sensation" held at the home of reigning National Panorama champion Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, joined the campaign against efforts by developers, Home Construction Ltd (HCL) and the Port-of-Spain City Corporation to relocate the band from its Damian Street, Woodbrook, headquarters.

Dr Pat Bishop, musical director of the Lydian Singers, international trumpeter Ettiene Charles and veteran calypsonian Relator (Willard Harris) publicly protested moves by the developers to "uproot," the band from its present location.

 

Web Posted - Monday July 18 2005 When Steel Talks - Special

 Sixth Annual
Laventille Steelband Festival
 

Laventille, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad - The Laventille Steelband Festival (LSF) Committee, organiser of the sixth annual Laventille Steelband Parade will achieve a milestone this year, by staging the event devoid of DJ music.   The event takes place in Laventille, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The steelband parade will take place on Sunday, August 7, between 4 pm to midnight, where columns of steelbands - both conventional and single pan - will take the spotlight, between Mc Allister Street to Leon Street in Laventille, as part of the LSF’s contribution to the celebration of Emancipation.
 

Web Posted - Monday July 18 2005 When Steel Talks - Special

RAINBOW SHINES AT
FETE DE LA MUSIQUE - Botswana
 

Botswana - Rainbow High School Steelpan Ensemble hit the road recently with its mokojumbies (stilt walkers) in trail in their début performance at the 2005 edition of “Fete de la Musique”.

The event saw Botswana join over one hundred (100) other countries worldwide in celebration.

Web Posted - Friday July 15, 2005 When Steel Talks - Special

Steelpan Virtuoso Iman Pascall
Does It Again
 

Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Representing New York in the Performing Arts category for musical instrumental finals, Iman Pascall took the "Silver Position" while using the steelpan as her instrument of choice in the US Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics ACTSO national finals.  The young talent came in second in a field of 150 competitors, of the most talented instrumentalists in the USA.  The competition took place in Milwaukee at the annual NAACP convention.   As her prizes, Iman walked away with a laptop, and a $1,500.00 prize purse.
 

Web Posted - Friday July 15, 2005 When Steel Talks - Mannette Steel Drums Special

13th Annual Festival of Steel
 

Dr. Ellie Mannette (far right) is pictured with his staff of Master Builders and Tuners at Mannette Steel Drums, LTD

West Virginia  –

Dr. Ellie Mannette’s 13th Annual Festival of Steel brought Trinidad’s Ambassador to the United States, Her Excellency Marina Valere and a number of legendary performers, including Ray Holman, Robert Greenidge and Jeff Narell to Morgantown’s Historic Downtown District July 3-9th - to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Mannette and Trinidad’s musical gift to the world: the steel pan. 
 

Trinidad steel drum group tours area
Group brings new music to SDSA performers
 

By Laren Hughes
Staff Reporter

Delaware - Melodic sounds permeate the air at the home of John Syphard, a social studies teacher from the Southern Delaware School of the Arts (SDSA), who has spent countless hours and dollars to educate his students on culture and music through the creation of his steel pan bands -- Steel the Show and Plenty Problems.

Steel the Show, Syphard's steel pan band, consists of SDSA students who recently traveled to Trinidad to absorb the culture and music first-hand.
 

'Teal Steel' performs at Caribbean Night
 

Mi - So - La Steelband
 

Where is Yours?
Are The SteelPan Music Folks Missing Something Here?
Pre-Steelband Panorama Concerns
 

Marsicans Band Launch 2005
Despers USA, Sesame Flyers, Sonatas and Marsicans
 

Baltimore's Harbor View Festival 2005
'Pan On The Move'
 

PAN MAKES SNEAK PREVIEW ON BOTSWANA TELEVISION
 

The musical aggregate consisting of the father – Hollis, daughters – Karelle, Karysse and son – André were appearing on a brand new family game show entitled “Chalk and Cheese”. The twelve part series feature trumpets the idea of Botswana being a diverse nation working towards the common goal of social harmony and economic prosperity.

A SteelPan Player's Perspective
World Steelband Music Festival

New York - Of course, you’ll have to take my word for it, because despite a lovely show put on by Pan Trinbago (The World Steelband Music Festival 2005) there are no officially recorded renditions of the show. There isn’t even one complete source of recordings in the yards. Doesn’t anyone value the historical aspect of pan at all? This again calls the question of how pan can properly be marketed, and who is in fact the market.

First, the show. Despite the touting of a World Steelband Music Festival, there still may have been some disappointment on the part of anyone who had previously been to Festival. The disconnect between the preliminaries and the finals made many wonder about the process of inclusion into the finals. This coupled with the fact that the general vibe of a festival was missing (no music on the radios, no real visiting of the yards to hear rehearsals) made many comment that this wasn’t really Festival.
 

Sakésho Returns To Satalla
Steelpan In The City That Never Sleeps
 

New York - It's Thursday evening in New York City - the city that never sleeps.  New York's the place where you can find great musicians performing any genre of music from any era,  anytime you crave.  And if your fancy was great music of the French Caribbean with a touch of the steelpan, you needed to look no further than the city.  This evening When Steel Talks traveled to the lower west side of the Manhattan.

Pre-emptive SteelPan Strike
Pre-Steelband Panorama Concerns
 

Nothing personal, but on behalf of the steelpan community we would like to like sincerely invite you, Mr. Sound Engineer, not to come to, or participate in any shape, or form, in the panorama this year.  Pick up your check, get paid, but please don't come to the panorama this year.  You have gotten worse with age.  And the pan people really fear what you might have in store for them this year.  You have this knack for turning the sweet pan music of the steelband panorama competition into a sonic, "code red" terrorist assault.  Last year you pulled a new one - as you continued to get worse as the show went on.  You have a rare ability to make basses sound like tenors and tenors sound like basses.  Moreover, you wipe the smiles and joy off the faces of the steelpan fans once they hear your work.

We were robbed!
- of World Steelband Festival title in New York City

By Cecily Asson

Trinidad-  In light of comments made to them by a lone American judge on the panel, after an outstanding performance, that gave them the only standing ovation that evening but surprisingly saw them beaten into in second spot at the recently concluded World Steelband Music Festival, Skiffle Bunch’s captain Junia Regrello, is advocating that all steelband competitions whether at home or abroad, be adjudicated by foreign judges only!

Regrello knocked the local judges saying that they are yet to learn how to judge pan!

He said his experience over the years have proved that although trained and highly-qualified in music, the ability of local musicians to specifically judge pan music has always been questionable.

“Imagine after a performance, we have read score sheets from local judges which will tell about the music from the double second, when in fact what they were referring too is music coming from the cello pans?”

“In pan some of us will never win whether on home or foreign soil and that’s because they all think in a particular way about certain bands.”
Regrello also felt that foreign judges would definitely give that much needed break to young and talented composers and arrangers.

“I really see foreign judges the only way forward for steelband music,” he ended.

Harmony Steel Launch
Pan Lights Up Central Brooklyn
 

New York - The US Independence holiday fireworks started early as Harmony Steel Orchestra hosted the second major steelband launch of the New York season at their home base St. Matthew's Church.  Hundreds of steelpan music fans descended on the St. Matthew's grounds to get their dose of live music as the steelbands' stage sides squared off and presented their new repertoires.

Novotney Is Top-Drawer in New York

 

California - Dr. Eugene Novotney, Humboldt State Associate Professor of Music and an internationally acclaimed percussionist, served on a trio of distinguished jurors who adjudicated the recent second annual World Steelband Music Festival at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.

A native of Cleveland, Dr. Novotney is the founder of the Humboldt Calypso Band of Arcata and founder and coordinator of the “Percussion in World Music” initiative of the California State University Summer Program. He has served as a representative and adjudicator for Pan Trinbago, the national governing body for the advancement of folkloric music in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the two-island Caribbean nation northeast of Venezuela. He was one of four scholars to adjudicate Trinidad’s World Steel Band Festivals in 1998 and 2000.

Steel Sensation Dropping Tracks

Steel Sensation at recording session

New York - Hailing out of Queens Village, New York's Steel Sensation has begun laying down tracks for their up coming CD.  The talented, well respected and versatile steelpan music combo is adept at performing various music styles and genres.  When Steel Talks caught up with the musicians as they were being recorded by Basement Recordings for the project.

Full Story and Live Video

Pleasant surprises at Jazz in the Gardens
Basil Walters
 

Jamaica - After a lengthy intermission, the outstanding steel pan instrumentalist Darren Sheppard took centre stage. He brought a distinctive freshness to all of the pieces, but there were some truly memorable ones like Bob Marleys' Jammin with which he opened his first stint in Jamaica.

From here on the artiste, awarded by Pan Trinbago and the Caribbean Cultural Committee for his contribution to the development of steel pan music in Canada, could do no wrong as he worked up a storm, sounding better with old favourites I Shot The Sheriff, Footsteps, St Thomas and many others which brought to a climax an evening of excellent music

Brooklyn's Finest Come Together
 

New York - Their names ring like an All-Star team of some of the most talented and respected steelpan musicians in North America.  In the steelpan arena they are recognized with single names.  An honor that is reserved for an elite few.  Their reserve and humility creates a mystique about them - that is only matched by their monster talent.  Moreover, their youthful looks and tender ages belie their accomplishments, resolve and musical knowledge base.  And in one of the most competitive arenas where you are only as good as your last hit - this crew intends to break new ground and let their music do the talking.
 -

Youngsters on Caribbean beat
 

United Kingdom - YOUNG people brought the sounds of the Caribbean to Huddersfield in the town's first steel band festival.

Students from eight Kirklees schools performed at the Lawrence Batley Theatre.

One hundred youngsters played at the inaugural Kirklees Steel Band Festival.

Making music with steel
 

Trinidad - After several years of delay, the Trinidad Theatre Workshop’s long-awaited musical Steel is finally raring to go.

Written and directed by Nobel laureate Derek Walcott, Steel details the birth of pan.

In an interview, TTW publicist Dr Kris Rampersad said the show is scheduled to premiere on September 13 at Queen’s Hall.

She said repairs at Queen’s Hall and the venue being overbooked over the past few years were reasons for the delay.

Despite the hold-up, Rampersad sees Steel as the definitive musical on the rise of pan.

“A story on steelpan has never been done before on this scale, from the directing to the music to the stage,” she said.

Just added performances from Pathmark 2005 Festival

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When Steel Talks
Hits The Road
 

 USA - May/June of any given year means the pan yards of North America are opening up, and pan events are on pan lovers' schedules.  The When Steel Talks crew took to the road this last week with quick stops at various pan yards and steelpan events in the North American eastern region. One such event was hosted by Maryland's PanMasters Steel Orchestra, which held its popular annual steelpan jamboree this past weekend.  The show brought together bands from both the D.C. and New York areas.
 
When time and scheduling permit, When Steel Talks  (WST) takes advantage of invitations extended by bands to cover their steelband activities.  Two such occasions included WST taking in one of the recording sessions of New York's power house Pantonic Steel Orchestra for their upcoming CD, as well as accompanying the band to the PanMasters' jamboree.  WST was able to see a championship steel orchestra in action, performing some of the very pieces earmarked for their forthcoming CD.