Texas, USA -   If you're a Disney fan, and you were nearby the courthouse in Downtown Austin Thursday, you probably couldn't miss it.

The Austin Community Steelband School shared their joy of steel pans by performing a few musical favorites.

A group of East Austin kids are making some beautiful music with these unusual instruments

Trinidad, W.I. - “DOUGLA,” that’s the name of one of the tracks on his upcoming eight-track compact disc which would be in honour of his son, Jaden who was born on January 22nd, 2008 - surely he looks like a “true Trini.” So said the musical virtuoso who was in Trinidad recently “to kill two birds with one stone” – that of showcasing his first born to his mother and sisters, as well as to do a concert entitled “Strings, Song and Steel.”

This was a triad presentation featuring British virtuoso violinist Oliver Lewis, a Trini operatic singer, Natalia Dopwell, as well as the steelpan.

Liam Teague was responding to questions from Hollis Clifton, “Pan Diaspora Visionary” and WACK Radio presenter Heshimu in a recent interview at the studio in San Fernando, Trinidad.

Hawaii - Drumbeats offer more than the sound of wood or hands hitting a membrane.

Drumbeats strike at the core of life and reverberate with visceral vibes that can bring people to tears, said a young drummer in expressing his love of percussion.

"It's a really expressive array of instruments," said Preston Jones, 16, of Makawao, who recently returned from a prestigious summer percussion and steel band program in Wisconsin.

Percussion instruments may not be able to run up and down the musical scale as smoothly as a clarinet, flute or trumpet, or offer the harmonic chords of the guitar. Still, there is a lot of depth in the beat.

At a concert at the Birch Creek Percussion and Steel Band program that Preston attended, professional marimbist Orlando Cotto, an instructor at the University of Delaware, broke down crying as he played a piece he composed for his son.

United Kingdom - Reggae Reggae Sauce man Levi Roots paid the Comets Steel Band a surprise visit last night to show his support for the project.

The Comets have been locked in an ongoing battle with residents for a number of years after the council said it received numerous complaints about the noise level.

The chef and musician treated his delighted audience to an impromptu guitar performance and praised the band which he said helped get children off the streets.

Gina Sheridan, the group’s co-ordinator, said: “It was such a boost for us to be recognised by someone like Levi, especially at the moment when we seem to be besieged from all sides by the council.”

New York -  Unless you are fortunate enough to possess tickets for the 2008 Olympics being held in Beijing, China, one of the best deals for the exchange of cultural and artistic performances over the next few weekends, is taking place in New York City.  The popular annual New York steel orchestras’ pan yard launches have begun in earnest.

This past Sunday Pantonic Steel Orchestra held their 2008 launch at their Brooklyn summer practice facilities.   Pantonic’s panyard was filled with steelpan music fans as they traveled from throughout  the New York tri-state area to get their heavy dose of Sunday evening pan music.  It was labeled the 11th Anniversary Family Day Celebration and featured performances by Crossfire, CASYM, D’Radoes, Harmony and Pantonic Steel Orchestras,   In addition to the many steelpan music enthusiasts, (and more importantly) - members of every steel orchestra in New York had some type of representation.  The spirit of support and camaraderie among the young steelpan is very encouraging.

Suffolk, United Kingdom - For a good ten years Mick Hutton built up a tremendous reputation as a superb double bass player and he in regular demand to play for the world's top musicians.

He was at the height of his career some six years ago when he slip on a staircase and damaged his hand ligaments to such an extent that it brought a premature end to his career in music.

Or so it seemed.

But Mick had other ideas and he has re-invented himself as an accomplished performer on the steel pans, so often seen in a Caribbean setting.

And so his guest appearance at the fortnightly Jazznights gig at The Bell at Clare turned out to be a rare treat for those fortunate enough to be there.

Antigua & Barbuda - The participating steel bands competing in the 2008 Antigua Commercial Bank Panorama now know their positions to perform.

A representative from each band was present at a drawing last Friday afternoon at the ACB headquarters on High Street.

The order in which the bands will perform on the big night is as follows: Caribseas Harmonites, Cool & Smooth Ebonites, Cable and Wireless (C&W) Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra, Stanford Development Company Limited (SDCL) Mahico Stars Steel Orchestra, West Indies Oil Company (WIOC) Gemonites and the Hadeed Group of Companies – Antigua Masonry Products (AMP) Halcyon.

Callaway, Virginia, USA. - Trinidad and the calypso musical beat are a long way from the rural, pastoral setting of Callaway in Franklin County, where bluegrass and country music are popular.

But some Callaway Elementary School students learned to play tropical music at a fine arts summer camp this past week.

They learned to play musical notes and songs on steel drums, percussion drums, panjumbies and other Caribbean musical instruments.

Making music on steel drums and steel pans was a new experience for the students at Callaway Elementary.

Ionia, Michigan, USA - In 2005, Ionia High School band director Scott Beyer saw a wealth of talent within his drum line, so much so that he wasn't sure what to do with it all.

In what some might say was a stroke of creative genius, Beyer approached several of his most gifted band members with a simple idea: Let's create a steel drum band and see what happens, he told them.

His students tell it a different way.

“I think he just wanted to keep us out of trouble,” said lead pan Garry Patrick. “It was something that'd kind of keep us busy.”

Did it ever. The idea came to fruition after the Ionia Band Boosters raised $20,000 through charitable donations, including a $15,000 donation from Meijer Corporation. Once the money for equipment, maintenance and start-up was gathered, the band's personnel - made up entirely of current and recently-graduated high school band students - had their chance to shine.

Antigua & Barbuda - The 2008 Antigua Commercial Bank Panorama Competition should be a night to remember as the bands will take their fans and the audience in general on a musical trip down memory lane.

Each band will be performing one song and most of the songs for this year’s competition will be from the past.

Performing King Short Shirt’s Jouvert Rhythm, My Pledge and Jamming are Cool & Smooth Ebonites, Caribseas Harmonites and the champions, Cable & Wireless Hellsgates respectively.

The Hadeed Group of Companies AMP Halcyon will perform Hit Man by Latumba; WIOC Gemonites, Sweet Song by the Burning Flames and Stanford Group of Companies Limited Mahico Stars, Rev up Jouvert by the Mighty Swallow.

Antigua & Barbuda - An accomplished steel pan player, she has played in the national panorama competition for the last seven years, but unfortunately because of commitments with the queen show, she will not be able to participate this year. One can feel her disappointment as she articulates the pain of not being able to compete. She consoles herself with the thought that she is in fact marrying her two loves by playing the steel pan as her performing talent, but I can’t tell you the tune that she will be playing – that’s a secret. Although I can tell you that it’s one by the Mighty Monarch, King Short Shirt.

Did I mention that Latifa is immensely talented? Man you need to see and hear her playing the single tenor! Ever hear of “pan talking?” Well, she doesn’t make it talk; the melodies she plays raise a symphonic conversation. There is finesse in every stroke of the sticks as they gently caress the undulating surfaces of the notes. The cadence of the crescendos and diminuendos are among the best that I have heard.

Lancaster, Ohio - Winchester Steel Co. brought the Caribbean rhythms of their steel drums to the Lancaster Festival Bandstand on Wednesday.

Lancaster is a few thousand miles from the Caribbean, but the overhead sun made temperatures seem about as hot.

And though you could get a cheeseburger that tasted like paradise, the audience wasn't wasting away in Margaritaville - soda and water were the beverages of choice.

Standing to the side of the stage with his arms crossed against his chest, Carroll resident Tom Hempleman said he had seen the 25-piece Canal Winchester High school-based drum band a half dozen times. Today the band was scaled back slightly, with only 17 members playing the drums that resemble oil barrels.

United Kingdom - A steel orchestra accused of being too noisy is steeling itself for a legal battle with unhappy neighbours.

The Comets have been based behind Auckland Road, in South Norwood, for the past six years.

But in recent months they have been in dispute with fed up local residents who want to see them kicked out.

Now it is understood neighbours are taking legal advice about what rights the police-backed community orchestra's musicians have at the old sports pavilion where they practice.

Members of the Comets say they have got around 1,200 signatures on a petition calling for the council to show more backing for the project.

They are unhappy that the council cut its practice sessions from 20 hours a week to just five hours last September.

But locals say five hours of music a week is still too much to bear.

Lagos, Nigeria - In a celebration that lasted four hours at the palace of the Alagbara of Agbara, Agbara town in Ogun State, south west Nigeria, two chieftaincy titles were conferred upon panman Bowie Sonnie Bowei, and one upon his wife, Ndudi Bowei. The couple was honored in traditional fashion and in recognition for their integral and ongoing roles in the development of the steelband artform in Nigeria overall, especially within the community where Panland, the parent organization is set up.

Sonnie Bowei’s first title is The Amuludun of Agbara Land meaning “the one who makes that land sweet” (signifying his making the land ‘sweet’ with steelpan music).

United Kingdom- A New Addington based steel band has won a £5,500 grant from a charity.

The Croydon Steel Orchestra, which meets at Fairchildes Primary School, Fairchildes Avenue, once a week was presented with the cheque by representatives from the Jack Petchy Foundation.

The cheque was presented at a special ceremony at the school at 4pm on Wednesday.

Now the group, made up of 60 members aged between 10 and 40, will use the money to put towards a new £13,000 minibus.

Every year the band play hundreds of concerts across Croydon and London.

Venues include Fairfield Halls and busking in Trafalgar Square.

Currently they are rehearsing for the National Champion of Steel Panorama Competition.

It will see the band battle it out against around eight others from across the country in Hyde Park on August 23.

It comes ahead of their appearance at the Notting Hill Carnival on August 24 and 25.

New York - J’Ouvert City International, Inc. under the leadership of Mr. Danville Williamson, President and Founder is proud to announce its 1st J’Ouvert’s Launching of our Carnival celebration 2008 and its 15 years of Presentation of Awards and Trophies for the winning bands at the Brooklyn Borough Hall.

Trinidad and Tobago - Twenty-seven steelbands (conventional and single pan) will entertain patrons attending this year’s staging of the ninth annual Laventille Steelband Festival (LSF) Parade.

The event which takes place on Sunday, August 3, features reigning national Panorama champion Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, World Steelband Music Festival victor Sagicor Exodus and Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille, winner of the medium category at this year’s Panorama competition. Harlem Syncopators, Angostura Woodbrook Playboyz and Laventille Serenaders are among the leading single pan bands listed to add their music magic to the eventful programme.

United Kingdom - Monday the 14th July 2007 saw the Engine Room Collective open the Carnival Village’s summer events at the refurbished Tabernacle with their ‘Ladies Night’ featuring some of the UK’s young, gifted and aspiring female pannists backed by the Engine Room Collective.

St. Lucia, W.I. -  As the euphoric panists of Diamond Steel danced on the stage actuated by the proclamation of their victory, an obviously happy but measured Gregory "Shining" Emmanuel declared it "lucky seven" after his band regained the coveted crown two years after their last triumph in 2006.  Arranged by Aimran Simmonds with whom Emmanuel co-wrote their tune of choice Celebration, the name of the selection was a good portent of how the night would end for one of the Caribbean's most talented steel orchestras.   They are no stranger to winner's row, having copped the title six times previously in 1998, 2005 and 2006, with a hat trick from 2000—2002.

Barbados, W.I. - There was a cultural explosion in the heart of Bridgetown yesterday afternoon, as the sweet sounds of pan echoed through the busy streets, signalling the start of the National Cultural Foundation's Pan in de City.

Traffic was literally brought to a standstill and shoppers could be seen marvelling at the colourful spectacle and dancing to the infectious rhythms reverberating from the large buildings in the shopping centre.

The event officially started in Jubilee Gardens with a performance by the Israel Lovell Steel Orchestra.

Tobago, W.I. - Tobago pan pioneers as well as enthusiasts flocked the Scarborough Esplanade on Tuesday night to pay homage to the Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra.

The orchestra, which has been in existence since 1951, boasts among its list of credits to have played for Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Tobago, as well as winning the TSTT sponsored Pan In The 21st Century Steel Bands competition in 2004 and 2008.

Several conventional and single pan bands provided entertainment for pan lovers as they each rendered a calypso piece and a folk song piece in keeping with the spirit of the Tobago Heritage Festival.

St. Lucian, W.I. - The Beausejour Cricket Grounds will come alive tonight Friday 18th 2008 from 8 pm when Panorama 2008 kicks off. Six steel bands are scheduled to compete, performing one warm up piece and one test piece each. Busta Emerald Steel, Cable and Wireless Diamond Steel, Courts Babonneau, Digicel Pan Time and Harmonites will all try to wrest the title from the 2007 winner, Leverage North Stars.

IIn addition to the competition performances, patrons are guaranteed an evening full of excitement and top quality side acts including stilt walking, masquerade and folk music.

Jamaica, W.I. - Panfest 2008 closed with not so much a bang as a helluva blast to a near full house, which was very vocal in its appreciation of the music and movement of the steelpan players, at the Philip Sherlock Centre for the Creative Arts on Sunday evening.

Presented in HD (with a TV guide-style programme to boot), a radio on-stage to the audience's right jumping through channels to often humorous effects and a television on the left 'projecting' highlights of the university's 60th anniversary between numbers, the members of the UWI Panoridim Steel Orchestra not only played music well.

Cayman Islands - The University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI) will be able to purchase much-needed pans for its steel bands after a $25,000 donation from Cayman National.

Brian Chapell, UCCI Acting President and Dean, said the donation was a “big moment for UCCI (and) a tremendous investment for the students”. He was speaking at the signing of the sponsorship agreement on Friday, 11 July at the Cayman National (CN) building in George Town.

The UCCI Acting President pointed out that the contribution enables the university to furnish complete sets of pans for steel bands at its sites in both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.

“We can’t thank CN enough for their contribution,” Dr Chapell said.

Ormond Williams, President of Cayman National Bank, said the donation spoke to the company’s commitment to education, youth in the community and to investing in the cultural heritage of the Cayman Islands.

“The arts are critical to the development of culture and a people,” he said, adding that playing in the band offers opportunities for members to network as well as develop self-confidence.

St. Lucia, W.I. - This year five (5) bands will be trying to dethrone the defending champions Leverage North Stars Steel Orchestra, included in the five bands is new comer Harmonites Steel Orchestra. 

The competition takes place this Friday 18^th July 2008 at the Beausejour Cricket Grounds and showtime is 8:00. p.m.

Sponsors include Cable and Wireless, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Accela Marketing, St. Lucia Distillers Limited, just to name a few.

This year promises to be even bigger and better than last year. 

Ambridge, Pennsylvania — When Sal Aloe began teaching band at Ambridge Area High School, he wanted Richard Zana to be his assistant.

Zana had taught music at the junior high for years and had an accomplished reputation. As a high school student, Aloe remembers Zana organized “fantastic” musicals at what is now the Ambridge Junior High and had high school band members play for them.

When Zana agreed to take the role, Aloe had him work with the steel drums.

“He took the steel drums to another level,” said Aloe, former Ambridge high school band director, now director of artistic studies at Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland.

YOULOU PAN MOVEMENT VINLEC JUNIOR PANORAMA 2008

Cayman Islands - It’s the realization of a dream beyond their wildest expectations for UCCI’s steel pan players with the announcement of a $25,000 donation to purchase two brand new steel pan sets, one for each campus.

Now being fabricated in Trinidad, the pans are the culmination of a student–driven campaign to solidify pan music education at the post–secondary level. 

Baltimore, Maryland - There was great weather, great performances, great fans, a committed host and an area ideally suited for outdoor performances by steelbands.  So: why was this event denied an ‘A plus’ grade?  Simply put - insufficient time for these great performances, but it must be noted here - through no direct fault of the host, Carl Merez.  As scheduled within the original time-frame, the event afforded more than enough time for even the most  ardent steelpan music junkie to get his or her fix of a full complement of pan music.  The free event was slated to begin at 3:00 pm and finish at 10:00 pm.

The Good

Philadelphia [Philly] Pan Stars put on a great performance during the competitive phase of the event.  However, contrary to information originally conveyed to When Steel Talks at the end of the event, organizers have since claimed that there has been no winner decided upon in the competition.  We will keep you posted as to how organizers eventually resolve this phase of the event. 

Nonetheless, Philadelphia Pan Stars delivered a  rousing rendition of a Patrick Davis-arrangement of the late Maestro’s (covered by Bunji Garlin) “Fiery.”  This year, though, their approach was one of a panorama styling, with musical variation implemented by Davis.

Miami, Fla., USA - Simple as plain water.

“A man’s passion could be a flat white stone in the river.”

That remark by Trinidadian poet Mervyn Taylor in a recent chat about mas, pulls me in like a compelling storyteller.

That’s because I’m mulling over events that spanned 24 years since an opportune visit to the Los Angeles home of Rudolph Charles – The Hammer himself, the headstrong leader of Desperadoes on Laventille hill. He migrated there to be with family, but the development of pan had always been his fire. The Carnival over, he’d be in chilly LA engaging himself in various aspects of the art – tuning, inventing, metallurgy (the technique of working with metals) and forming relationships with drum factories.

Trinidad - Ace Panist and arranger Robert "Robbie" Greenidge feels the national instrument (steelpan) should be in EVERY school in Trinidad and Tobago. He also believes youths in Trinidad and Tobago must learn to read and write music and they should study the instrument.

Interviewed recently by the Express he said: "Pans are in schools and universities in Europe and the US. Why must we play catch up with our own thing? He asked.

"We have some of the greatest players, arrangers and tuners in the world; we could show them what we are made of."

St. Lucia - True to its promise to continue sponsoring St Lucia’s national events, Cable & Wireless is providing more support for carnival, this time to the St Lucia National Steel Bands Association.
C&W has provided the Association with a sponsorship contribution of $50,000 in cash and telecommunications support to assist with the staging of this year’s National Panorama Championship. C&W also assisted with ‘Pan on the Square’ which was organized by the Association and featured steel band performances at the Derek Walcott Square every Saturday leading up to Panorama.
“Thanks to the Steel Bands Association pan music is enjoying more respectability and appreciation than ever,” said C&W VP Marketing & Mobile, Cheryl Francis. “C&W has been at the forefront in acknowledging the contributions of our local pan men and women to St Lucia’s culture.

Trinidad - The Panman is an artist in the musical genre of the four main disciplines of art including dance, theatre and visual arts. Artists are not politicians. History and experience have shown that if we do not speak for ourselves, no one will speak for us. However, in T&T, each arts group has been forced to represent itself in and to the government. As a result, what is a most personal passion for art has become a political environment. This situation almost always presents itself as an adversarial relationship. In some instances, different arts groups are forced to compete with each other for funding. The cultural life of this country in music, dance, drama and art (and the events which combine them) is being held hostage by forced into apolitical arena.

Trinidad, W.I. - More than 60 young pan enthusiasts from Tobago have seized the chance to learn the national instrument guided by expert tutors under the Republic Bank RightStart Pan Minors Music Literacy Scholarship Programme 2008.

During an intimate media launch at the Blue Haven Hotel, Bacolet Bay on July 1, which was attended by Bank management and staff, as well as representatives from UWI’s Creative Arts Centre, the Bank stepped up its commitment to holistic youth empowerment through education.

Tobago, W.I. - Sixteen Tobago steelbands will be celebrating excellence in the pan art-form as their contribution for the 2008 Tobago Heritage Festival.

The steelband aspect of the Festival will take place on Tuesday July at 8 p.m. at the Milford Road Esplanade.

According to chairman of Pan Trinbago Tobago Region Rennison Quashie, "we have decided to dedicate this year's heritage steelband show in honour of Black Rock Katzenjammers".

Kingstown, St. Vincent & the Grenadines - After a year’s absence from Dimanche Gras competition, Sea Operations Starlift Steel Orchestra is once again the national Panorama Champions.

The pan side, which last won the title in 2006, played a near perfect rendition of “Vincy Mas” arranged and composed by Errol Josiah Peters.

The 41-year-old pan side captained by Kennedy Taylor paid tribute to one of its deceased members Andrew “Trumpet” Johnson, who passed away in November last year.

Kingstown, St. Vincent & the Grenadines - The enthusiasm expressed on the faces of the youngsters seemed to make them oblivious to the downpours that frequently interrupted their performances, or any controversy linked to their art form.

They seemed just intent to show off their skills after months of training and practice, in front of the small but appreciative crowd gathered at the Victoria Park to witness the Junior Panorama Competition.

At the end of a long and exhausting day for the young pannists, defending champions Sea Operations Starlift Steel Orchestra made it three in a row, coming out on top ahead of "the eight other pan sides contesting the finals.

Dortmund, Germany - The inaugural edition of 'Caribbean Summer' took place in Dortmund this past weekend. Several thousands showed up in Westfalenpark to enjoy the festivities on Saturday evening. There were a number of steel bands on hand comprised of 180 musicians including a local band from Dortmund's Pan Kultur, Bäng Bäng, also Delaware Steel from the USA, and Ebony from London.

On Sunday there were workshops for kids and a carnival style parade through the park. Steely Wonder, another steel band from Finland also made an appearance.

Antigua & Barbuda - New events geared at building interest in this year’s Panorama Competition will come on stream.

Chairman of the Antigua Carnival Steel Band (ACSB) sub-committee, Harry Elvin, organiser of Pan Vibes and vice chair of the sub-committee, Byron Matthew, and organiser of Pan Yard Fete, Jason Peters, helped to shed some light on the 2008 Panorama Competition and its affiliated events.

In an attempt to get the public ready for Carnival and Panorama, Pan Vibes and the Pan Yard Fete were formed.

Trinidad, W.I. - Young pannist Hapty Prince has no doubt that Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove’s renewed competition success is a result of the strong youth influence pervading the band.

He believes the youth spirit that now fuels the Damian Street, Woodbrook band, led by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe—mixed with the experience of the veteran pannists—is a crucial combination against the band’s many music rivals.

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