“With or without a full complement of the bands, there will be a Panorama, on the night of Thursday, August 3.”

That’s the view of Carnival Development Committee (CDC) Chairman Neil Cochrane, who issued a statement yesterday on a number of matters, including a dispute over the decision for steelbands to be judged according to their presentation of a single test piece at this year’s Panorama competition.

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'It's A Wrap' Trinidad All Stars end whirlwind visit to the Big Apple in concert with CASYM

Bronx, New York - It was the turn of the Bronx, New York, to experience the music of Trinidad All Stars (pictured right) and CASYM steel orchestras, as they got together for the final time this past Monday June 19, in what had been three consecutive days of performances for the two bands. After their Saturday and Sunday engagements at KC's Hideaway in Brooklyn, Trinidad All Stars got a chance once more to display why they are one of the most well-known, heralded and sought-after steel orchestras in the world.
 

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New Steel Pans for CBHS

Cayman Islands - Twenty-two new steel pans have been donated by Kent Rankin and Paramount Carpets to the Cayman Brac High School (CBHS). The donation includes two sets of basses, a cello, guitar pans, a double second and four tenors. "They're in tune and sound lovely," said CBHS Music Teacher Penny Thompson, adding, "We have lots of hugely enthusiastic pan players in the school."
 

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Steelpan Jazz at Lincoln Center
A Success

New York - On Sunday June 18^th 2006 the steelpan  instrument again took front and center at the Fredrick P. Rose Hall - "Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center" located at Columbus Circle in New York.  Abstract Entertainment held its second Steelpan Jazz concert at this upscale arena.  The Father's Day event featuring the world's best steelpan musicians is quickly becoming a  staple in  the tradition of other great New York jazz series.
 

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New York - Upon seeing Trinidad All Stars perform at this year's steelband panorama competition in Trinidad, New York's Kenneth Charles better known as 'KC' decided that there was a bright future in a collaboration between him and the famed orchestra.  It was at this moment that KC decided to bring Trinidad All Stars to New York to perform at the "Hideaway".  KC - himself a musical performer - is "on a mission" to bring the music of James Brown with the backing of pan, to the world.  Ultimately KC expects James Brown himself to perform with the bands
 

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Steel band's talent earns cash for new drums

United Kingdom - Young steel pan players raised more than £100 for desperately-needed new drums by showing off their talent. The band from Titchfield Primary School were invited to entertain guests at a Caribbean-themed Royal British Legion dinner by members who were impressed with their performance at the Portsmouth Music Festival. It was the first time that Parkside Steel Orchestra was part of an international competition and it was up against Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St Vincent, Grenada and Antigua. Trinidad took away the first prize.
 

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Parkside beats the odds - leaders want to see pan rise again

Barbados - Many things militate against the development of steel pan in Guyana, but the Parkside Steel Orchestra has managed to rise to the occasion and nab second place at the annual Caribbean Seven-A-Side Steel Pan competition held in Hastings, Barbados two weeks ago.

It was the first time that Parkside Steel Orchestra was part of an international competition and it was up against Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St Vincent, Grenada and Antigua. Trinidad took away the first prize.
 

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Michigan Steel Drum Festival

Detroit - On June 17th, the city of Detroit will play host to the first-ever Michigan Steel Drum Festival, the only Michigan festival to focus entirely on the breadth of music composed for steel drums. The instrument was first introduced and popularized in the state of Michigan by the Trinidad Tripoli Steelband in 1973. Numerous community organizations, high schools, universities, and professional ensembles throughout the state have since taken up the steel drum. The Michigan Steel Drum Festival will feature a total of eight Michigan-based steelbands. These groups will perform a wide variety of music on an amazing range of 55-gallon steel drums—including the rumbling six-drum bass pans, the powerful triple cello pans, the resounding double guitar pans, the lyrical double second pans, and the clarion single tenor pan.

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St. George’s, Grenada - With Grenada’s National Panorama approximately two months away, the Pan Yard of the Republic Bank Angel Harps Steel Orchestra (previously known as NCB Angel Harps), is beginning to be a buzz of activity as the players start to practice their panorama selection for 2006 “Symphony On Steel” composed and arranged by James Clarkson. Official panorama practice sessions started on May 2^nd and Angel Harps has been practicing nightly - Monday to Thursday from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, and also on Saturdays. 

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Most of us were given no clue about a proposal for an anthem

A regional anthem must surely reflect our shared Caribbean-ness with a naturalness, grace and ease of language. Our literature already does this, thanks to our great Caribbean writers. Since our great, universally popular musical artists (Bob Marley and David Rudder immediately spring to mind) have already composed music and words that inspire and move us as Caribbean people (e.g. 'Redemption Song' , 'Rally 'round the West Indies') why can't we adapt/adopt such fine works to produce a Regional anthem, by general consensus rather than by decree ? To say, as some of us do, that it's 'too difficult' to organize a consensus, or as Mr Ross is reported saying to the BBC: putting the anthem up for competition "would have probably resulted in a hybrid of reggae, pan, zouk and soca." (Please notice the implied dismissal of 'hybrid' music as a bad thing, not 'classical' enough for an anthem) would be to miss the point. We are a hybrid people, Mr Ross, and that's one of our strengths. Ask the Caricom cultural desk.

by Andy Liburd