Web Posted - Friday 29 September, 2017
Trinidad & Tobago Guardian

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -  The International Steelband Foundation (ISF), which staged the successful The Big 5 concert at the Queen’s Park Savannah a few months ago, brings together three steelpan orchestras and heads down south to the Southern Academy for Performing Arts on Thursday, October 5 for 7:30 p.m. Massy Trinidad All Stars, First Citizens Supernovas and the Skiffle Steel Orchestra are the elite steelbands chosen for the production billed as We goin’ down Sando.
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Web Posted - Wednesday 27 September, 2017
When Steel Talks

New York, USA -  In the 2017 Summer of New York Pan, CASYM’s musical skipper for the Panorama season was none other than Kendall Williams.

With Josh Quillen from the N, the Y and the U, and drill master Sir Jerry Guy as wingmen, and Captain Curtis Lynch, 100 players let it be known that they had all intentions to triumph in the annual musical war that eventually remained, ‘Far From Finished.’
click for pictures with audio

Web Posted - Tuesday 26 September, 2017
When Steel Talks

New York, USA -  In the 2017 Summer of New York Pan, 100 of Despers USA’s finest musicians came together to take care of musical business - ensuring their music for the Panorama season was captured in sound and imagery.
click for pictures with audio

Web Posted - Thursday September 21, 2017
When Steel Talks

Global - Edwin Ayoung or “Calypso Crazy” as he is known to many - is on track for 2018 with music for the year ready to go.

Always early out the gate, his is the second track to be sent in for the well-known annual WST Enclave of selections, which is usually consulted by bands and arrangers worldwide for the upcoming steelband Panorama season.

“Crazy” is in musical form as usual, and ‘Wind and Solar’ penned by veteran composer George La Barrie is probably just one of several ditties he will be heard on in the next several weeks.
listen to tune

Web Posted - Tuesday 19 September, 2017
When Steel Talks

by Dalton Narine

Global - How about that.

Pan’s new focus. Love it.

It’s easy to see why.

Innovation is always key.

Since the long absence and death of J’Ouvert pan — and the contemporary child-rearing practices of a bulky, muscled Panorama — the newly-minted International Steelband Foundation (ISF), a movement that’s been seven years in the making, seems to have changed the course of Pan in one fell swoop (Cue the BIG5).
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Web Posted - Wednesday 13 September, 2017
When Steel Talks

New York, USA - Radoes Steel Orchestra - With master Dirk Harewood on the ‘Big Drum’ it was not a good idea for the Evil One and his Witches to mess with D’Radoes Steel Orchestra on this night.

Drill Master Dane Gulston had the orchestra in “Full Extreme” mode as they executed the arrangement of the reigning champion arranger Terrance “BJ” Marcelle. Four in a row was the goal.

And as Dane ‘wukked’ them - Basement Recordings captured 100 Radoes players, ‘live’ in their Canarsie, Brooklyn panyard.
read more & listen to audio

Web Posted - Monday 11 September, 2017
When Steel Talks

New York, USA - In spite of the 2017 Evil Empire’s “No-Respect-O-Rama” the musical genius of the New York Pan-Man and Pan-Woman shines through...

Suffering a severe ‘Buss Head’ from the tribe of Despers USA, the disoriented evil emperor headed south with his three witches in tow, looking to seek refuge and friendship while capturing weak souls in East Flatbush in the yard of CASYM Steel Orchestra. Rumors have it that earlier that day one of the witches almost fainted and another came down with a serious case of diarrhea after hearing that there was a possibility that the Pan folks would boycott Panorama if monies owed to them by the Evil Empire were not paid in full. Witch number three, fearing that all was lost. pulled out her mirror (smartphone) and asked “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the ugliest of them all?” The ‘dark side’ mirror promptly responded “You are.”
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Web Posted - Sunday 10 September, 2017
When Steel Talks

New York, USA - In the 2017 Summer of total disrespect of NY Pan, the Evil Empire struck hard and fast with a slap to the head called “No Pay from 2016” and then followed with a sneak attack kick to the balls called “No-Respect-O-Rama.”

But unknowing to those old devils - in response, the great noble steel orchestras of Brooklyn - pissed off, inspired and backed by the ancestors and always walking with the Gods came out swinging with an extremely potent barrage of high quality Brooklyn pan music to kerfuffle the Emperor and his cohorts, the three nasty witches named - Ugly, Uglier, and Ugliest.
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Web Posted - Thursday 7 September, 2017
When Steel Talks

New York, USA - Well if you haven’t heard already, New York's 2017 Panorama Steel Orchestra competition was an epic failure for most. Unless you were the show’s promoters - who got away as bandits in the night - except it was a broad daylight-mugging with everyone watching. Calling the promoters “bandits” is really a description 'upgrade’ as they have been known as the original Evil Empire to the Brooklyn Steelband community for decades.

So in this regard, let’s cut the crap! And the fake news from those who are spreading alternative facts, about how great New York 2017 Panorama was. In reality it was jacked up.
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Web Posted - Friday 1 September, 2017
When Steel Talks

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I.  - Pan Trinbago Inc. has received the Players’ Remittance Cheques.

According to Keith Diaz, President, Pan Trinbago collected the cheques earlier today, September 1, from the National Carnival Commission (NCC).

He said that the cheques will be given to the Regional Chairmen for distribution to the various steelbands on Monday 4^th September 2017.

Steelbands can collect the cheques at their respective Regional offices in Trinidad & Tobago during business hours.

These monies represent outstanding payment to steelpan players from the National Panorama Competitions earlier this year.
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Web Posted
When Steel Talks

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - The 2017 Trinidad and Tobago Panorama season—and by extension the Carnival season—was a tumultuous one that was overflowing with enough drama, intrigue, passion and controversy to field a season of Scandal, Empire or Game of Thrones. But in the end there was the music. An abundance of great music created by the finest arrangers, and outstanding performances delivered by the best steel orchestras in the world.

Two songs captured the imagination of Trinidad and Tobago for this 2017 Panorama and Carnival season - “Full Extreme” by Ultimate Rejects and “Good Morning” by Peter Ram. In fact, “Good Morning” became sort of the de-facto “test piece” as no other tune of choice has endeared itself to the steel orchestras as much in recent times. However, on closer inspection Bunji Garlin & Machel Montano’s “Buss Head” or Crazy’s “Gee Gee Ree” would be apropos to telling the complete Panorama season’s story.
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Web Posted
When Steel Talks

Global - Within the historical context, a look at the impact of American movies on the naming of early steelbands of Trinidad and Tobago.
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Web Posted
When Steel Talks

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - At a glance and on a single page, access the comprehensive summary of results for the Small, Medium and Large conventional steel orchestras participating in their respective categories in the 2017 Panorama.

Follow the musical journey of respective bands through all three phases - preliminaries, semi-finals and finals through data on band info, scores, tunes of choice and arrangers.
access full summary here

 Tunes of Choice - Trinidad & Tobago Steelband Panorama 2017

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - A unique playlist featuring only the music selected as Tunes of Choice for the Trinidad and Tobago 2017 Steelband Panorama and Carnival.
listen to playlist

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