When Steel Talks

Schedule of Panorama and Carnival
 Events 2015 -
Trinidad and Tobago

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Web Posted - Friday January 30, 2015
When Steel Talks

Pan Jazz Nights for Carnival 2015

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - For three nights on February 6, 8 and 10, jazz musician Chantal Esdelle and her band Moyenne will host Pan Jazz Nights at 51 Cornelio Street in Woodbrook, Trinidad. Featuring panist Earl Rodney and drummer Richard Bailey as special guests, the shows will also highlight performances of commissioned works by well-known calypso jazz exponent Clive ‘Zanda’ Alexander.

Through her independent production company Ethnic Jazz Club (EJC), Esdelle is presenting Pan Jazz Nights with the intention of placing the spotlight on the steelpan, while celebrating the music elders who devoted energy, time and talent to the development of the hybrid kaiso and pan jazz.
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Web Posted - Friday January 30, 2015
When Steel Talks

Web Posted - Friday January 30, 2015
When Steel Talks

Web Posted - Friday January 30, 2015
When Steel Talks

Web Posted - Friday January 30, 2015
When Steel Talks

Web Posted - Wednesday January 28, 2015
Radio Rebelde

Havana, Cuba - With the objective of promoting Steelpan drum teaching in Cuba, The Traveling Caribbean Cinema Exhibition (MICC) and the legal representation of Sanch Electronix Ltd. of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, signed a letter of intent in Havana on Tuesday.

In order to cooperate in the field of culture and develop a space in which Caribbean integration is spread in various platforms, the representatives of the two parties agreed to include the MICC in the paradigm One Caribbean Voice of the Trinidadian institution.
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Web Posted - Sunday January 18, 2015
When Steel Talks

Steelbands are making too much noise in their communities? An Open Letter to the President
 

Web Posted - Saturday January 17, 2015
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Web Posted - Thursday January 15, 2015
When Steel Talks

Web Posted - Monday January 12, 2015
When Steel Talks

• SOUTH/CENTRAL REGION Preliminaries:  Small & Medium Conventional Steel Orchestras - Order of Appearance
• NORTHERN REGION Preliminaries: Small & Medium Conventional Steel Orchestras - Order of Appearance
• EASTERN REGION Preliminaries: Small & Medium Conventional Steel Orchestras - Order of Appearance

Web Posted - Thursday January 22, 2015
When Steel Talks

Global - Pan Hooray is the tune of choice for the legendary Desperadoes Steel Orchestra. It was written by Robert Greenidge  for Panorama 2015.
listen to tune

Web Posted - Wednesday January 14, 2015
When Steel Talks

Global - Happiness is the tune of choice for Phase II Pan Groove. It was written by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and Nigel Rojas for Panorama 2015.
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Web Posted - Saturday January 10, 2015
When Steel Talks

Global - David Rudder presents "868" for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival and Panorama 2015.
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Web Posted - Friday January 9, 2015
When Steel Talks

Trinidad and Tobago - The official Junior and Senior Parade of the Bands 2015 Routes were announced during an NCC-hosted press conference at its VIP Lounge in the Queen’s Park Savannah on Wednesday January 7, 2015.

Before an audience of media representatives, NCC Board Commissioners, management and staff, NCC Chair, Lorraine Pouchet unveiled the plans, among which included significant changes to the Junior Parade of the Bands route on Carnival Saturday, and the return of the Socadrome at Jean Pierre Complex, Woodbrook on Carnival Tuesday from 8am to 4 p.m.
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Web Posted - Sunday January 4, 2015
When Steel Talks

Global - Olatunji Yearwood was born 3rd September 1985 in the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Born to parents Edward Yearwood, a well known composer and mother Mairoon Ali, local actress, radio personality and teacher it was evident that Olatunji or “Ola” as he is widely known came into this world with raw talent flowing through his veins.

The  2015 hit Ola sung by Olantunji is the Tune of Choice for Siparia Deltones Steel Orchestra.
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Web Posted - Tuesday January 5, 2015
When Steel Talks

70 Steelbands for National Panorama Single Pan Prelims
Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago - National Panorama Single Pan Preliminaries will run off in all Regions over a four-day period.

A total of seventy (70) bands have registered.

The first competition comprising bands from the North carded for Friday January 16^th 2015 takes place at The Paddock, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, from 6:00 pm. In this zone, 32 Bands will perform their Panorama selection before the Adjudication panel.
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Web Posted - Tuesday January 6, 2015
When Steel Talks

SOUTH/CENTRAL REGION Preliminaries: Small & Medium Conventional Steel Orchestras - Order of Appearance - Trinidad & Tobago National Steelband Panorama 2015 -
Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago - Medium and small conventional steel orchestras from Trinidad and Tobago’s South/Central region deliver their performances in front of judges on Sunday January 25, as they close out the preliminary phase of competition in their respective categories. Attendees who trek to the venue of Skinner Park, San Fernando in the country’s south land can catch them live for TT $75.00. Scheduled start time is 2:00 p.m.
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Web Posted - Monday January 5, 2014
When Steel Talks

Trinidad and Tobago - Forty students from Music Maskers’ achieved 100% passes in the Solo Steelpan Examinations conducted by the University of the West Indies, and 97% gained passes in the Royal School Of Music Theory Exams 2014.
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Web Posted - Sunday January 4, 2015
When Steel Talks

Global - Tellison ‘Tello’ Forde is the son of an “Invader” - Cecil “Coye” Forde - and Beryl Isaac. He was born at 67 Rosalino Street in Woodbrook, Trinidad, adjacent to the pan yard of Invaders Steel Orchestra.

I Wanna Jam With You is Mr. Forde’s second pan tune composition for the  2015 Trinidad and Tobago panorama season.
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Web Posted - Thursday January 1, 2015
When Steel Talks

Global - Mervyn “Merv” Hamlyn the pan jumbie from St. James, Port of Spain has again brought his musical dish to the table. For 2014 he delivered ‘Pan in Safe Hands,’ which he felt was a bit of a crossover mix with lots of international ingredients in the menu.

This time for 2015, the twice-New York Panorama judge has decided to use strictly flavors and seasonings from all local products for his 2015 song ‘Steel band Got the Perfect Pace,’ featured here.
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Web Posted - Thursday January 1, 2015
When Steel Talks

Global - Jathniel Thomas (Jackspania), a multi-talented musician, was born in the island of Trinidad in the village of Arouca. He first started playing the guitar at the age of ten and eventually learned several other instruments including the steel pan. Thomas aka “Jato” was the leader of several bands over the years, including the Fabulous Deltones, and the Hi-Lights in Trinidad as well as several bands in the USA. He also backed many well-known artists including Mighty Sparrow, Mighty Duke and Lord Nelson.

For the 2015 Panorama season Thomas now has three songs to date - the track featured here, Pan Is Meh High, and also The Pan Tones Ring and Pan Warriors.
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Web Posted - Thursday January 1, 2015
When Steel Talks

Global - “Lani K” made his 2013 Calypso Tent debut at the Kaiso House Tent in Port of Spain, Trinidad, with his self-penned tune “Old Time Days”.  According to Trinidad journalist (January 17, 2013) David Cuffy “....he exhibited fine voice and stage craft in an impressive 2013 Kaiso House Tent debut...” his impact was dynamic! “Lani K” capped off the 2013 season by being invited to perform as guest artiste in the United States.

Making an impact for years to come... “Lani K” is carrying the torch of the Calypso tradition and blazing the trail for Soca!  He’s back with this track ‘The Engine Room,’ again as the singer and songwriter.  
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Web Posted - Tuesday December 30, 2014
When Steel Talks

London, UK - Trinidadian born Frank Rollock grew up in East Trinidad, Tunapuna to be exact. From a tender age he was sent to piano lessons to enhance his musical skills. His interest in music was part of a family tradition. It was only when his mother approached his music teacher to pay his tuition fees it was revealed that he was not attending piano lessons but frequenting the panyard. After acknowledging his love for the steelpan instrument, his mother allowed him to continue. At the age of 10-11 years, Frank was being taught by Clive Foster and playing in Sullivan’s Steel Orchestra. In 1956 at the age of seventeen, Frank and his brother Roy (coincidentally, Frank’s uncle who was also called Roy had his own orchestra in the USA) founded their own orchestra called Modernaires. Frank compiled a book of arrangements for Modernaires through the inspiration of the famous Trinidad All Stars whom Roy played with.
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Web Posted - Sunday December 28, 2014
When Steel Talks

Switzerland - Born in San Fernando, in the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago in 1966, Junior began playing the steelpan at the very early age of eight (8). Coming from a very musical family Junior was very eager to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Theo Stephens, a member of the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra – TASPO who visited the UK on the 26th July 1961 to play at the Festival of Britain and his mother, Jeanette Edwards, a talented and accomplished tenor player.
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Web Posted - Friday December 26, 2014
Trinidad & Tobago Guardian

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - With profits at Scotiabank T&T staying healthy, the steelband movement can look forward to bank re-investing in their cultural efforts, its managing director Anya Schnoor said.

The Scotiabank Foundation recently distributed $250,000 in grants to 60 unsponsored steelbands in preparation for the National Panorama Competition and Carnival 2015.

Officials of Pan Trinbago joined the Scotiabank team at financial institution’s hospitality suite at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, for the presentations to single pan bands, as well as conventional orchestras in different categories.

....Gisele del V Marfleet, chairman of the Foundation, underscored the commitment of the steelband community in pursuit of their craft. She said the idea of the engaged community was one the Foundation viewed as having a great deal of relevance and value in society.
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When Steel Talks

Results - 2014 New York Panorama

New York, USA - Full results for the 2014 New York Panorama which took place at the back of the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday August 30 are here.  Eleven steel orchestras participated including Pan Fantasy hailing from Canada.  D’Radoes Steel Orchestra were judged Panorama champs, while ADLIB and CASYM steel orchestras tied for second place.
click for full results & breakdown

Web Posted
When Steel Talks

Upcoming

Global  - Upcoming Steelpan music events from all over the world
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Web Posted
When Steel Talks - Special

Champion Panorama Tunes of Trinidad and Tobago

Global - A critical component to winning any panorama competition is the song the orchestras choose to use as the basis of their panorama arrangements. Over the years these songs have inspired classic panorama arrangements. When Steel Talks invites you to take a look at and listen to, these famed tunes which have played more than just a cursory part in the history of Pan, and the lives of the players and fans.
click to hear and/or view