Web Posted - Sunday June 30, 2019
When Steel Talks

New York, USA - In the midst of all the joy, happiness and goodwill that 2019’s “Pan Is Sweet” generated, there was a bitter-sweet moment of deep pain and reflection coupled with happy memories, as Brooklyn Steel Orchestra (BSO) honored and remembered the late vibrant panist Erica Renaud, who was abruptly taken away from the New York steelband community just a few months ago.

Erica was all that Pan in Brooklyn is about. She possessed an insatiable love for the art form, culture and people that was infectious to all who were around and performed with her.
read more

Web Posted - Saturday June 29, 2019
When Steel Talks

New York, USA - Brooklyn Steel Orchestra (BSO) again showed and displayed uncommon reverence through its HuPanitarian Awards for four of Pan’s finest contributors to the steelband art form. This year the distinguished honorees were four New Yorkers whose personal sacrifices and commitment have impacted much on the shaping and sustaining of the New York landscape of steelband, with far-reaching global impact.

This year’s awardees are Junior “Man” Samuel (D’Radoes Steel Orchestra), Clement Franklin (Despers USA Steel Orchestra), Jean Mayers (ADLIB Steel Orchestra), and Claudette Baptiste (Women In Steel). Again, these individuals have quietly, but with extreme effectiveness, put substantial years of dedication, blood, sweat and tears into forward progress of the music and culture of the steel orchestra in the USA.
read more

Web Posted - Monday June 24, 2019
When Steel Talks

Guadeloupe - The formula is simple. Yanis Roset = Pan. An in this regard Yanis has embarked on a life long journey of exploring all things involving the culture of Pan, without exception, apology and/or compromise. He is indeed an exceptional talent and a deep-thinking intellect devoted to moving the art form to new heights.

Humble and always in learning mode - Yanis is a living breathing “ethnomusicologist” who is completely absorbed in living the Pan experience. To say he sleeps, eats, drinks and dreams the culture of the Pan would be an understatement.

In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks, the ultra-talented Yanis Roset shares his noteworthy and extensive history with Pan in Guadeloupe and much more.
read more

Web Posted - Monday June 24, 2019
When Steel Talks

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Pan Trinbago Regions have heeded the clarion call from the President to stage events within their zones during the year.

Already off the starting block is the Eastern Region with its ongoing “Pan For The People” series. The next event in the series, the third, is carded for Sangre Grande at the Cordettes Pan Yard on Saturday July 27 featuring Supernovas Steel Orchestra.

On Saturday June 29, Pan Trinbago South Central Region along with Seon’s Bar & Associates will be staging “Steel Brass Soca” at Skinner Park San Fernando.
read more

Web Posted - Monday June 24, 2019
When Steel Talks

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Following successful tours to Dublin in 2010 and Beijing in 2014, the Trinidad & Tobago Chinese Steel Ensemble (TTCSE) will once again be spreading its unique blend of T&T music abroad when it visits Toronto from June 29 to July 15, 2019.

....The band will be performing at the Cherry Street Car Park before the popular Xpats Carnival Cruise on July 6 and at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto for their Summerfest event on July 13. During the band’s two-week overseas stint, apart from the above events, they will be the featured guest performer at other private engagements including at a popular Chinese restaurant in Mississauga on July 4, with a repeat performance on July 8.
read more

Web Posted - Sunday June 23, 2019
When Steel Talks

Global - ....Salmon Cupid is now well-known as the E-Pan man and the musical director of the Toronto All Stars.

....So today the Electronic Pan is becoming increasingly used as a solo instrument and an arranging tool and the Toronto All Stars have been touching and captivating audiences in Canada and internationally with their energetic percussive style.

....The victory of the Toronto Raptors was a victory for the whole of Canada. That victory was long in coming, the Raptors journey having started a mere four years after the afore-mentioned street parade in France in 1991. Seeing the steelband finding pride of place in a Canadian national celebration is a testimony not only to the creativity and the indefectible spirit of Salmon Cupid, but also an affirmation of where a commitment to standards of excellence can lead us and very importantly a preview of the allure and attraction of the percussive steelpan instrument in its natural, participatory street habitat.
read more

Web Posted - Friday June 21, 2019
When Steel Talks

Japan - Akira Iino from Japan has created a new guitar pan with diamond shapes indented into the skirt of the drum produced by Nittetsu Drum.

Suffice to say that his creation has generated quite a buzz within the global steelband community across social media platforms.

The diamond-cut steel drums are made by Nittetsu Drum in Japan. When Steel Talks had a short communiqué with Akira Iino about his creation.
read more

Web Posted - Tuesday June 18, 2019
When Steel Talks

Global - The late Honorable Patrick Manning was once a tenor player with the "Playboys" in 1968 at UWI Mona Jamaica.

The Honorable Ralph Everard Gonsalves also played tenor at UWI Mona.

The Honorable Baldwin Spencer once served as the president of the Antiguan Steelband Association. He also served as manager, coordinator, advisor, public relations officer and father-figure for Antigua's Halcyon Steel Orchestra.
read more

Web Posted - Tuesday June 18, 2019
When Steel Talks

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - On the concept of The Excellence in Growth of the Steelpan Art Form Chuma Akil Jahi Watson says: “Steelpan has so much to offer and needs the youths to continue being heavily involved. Not just for the playing aspect but most importantly the history behind it, the growth of the manufacturing and innovation process.”
read more

Web Posted - Thursday June 13, 2019
The Daily Observer

St. John's, Antigua & Barbuda - Another threat to boycott an event on the Carnival calendar has reportedly been pulled back after the Festivals Commission allegedly made good on outstanding payments to member bands of the Antigua and Barbuda Pan Association (ABPA) late yesterday.

Earlier yesterday, the ABPA issued a press statement, informing the media that due to the “blatant disrespect towards the pan fraternity” from the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission (ABFC), “the decision has been made to withdraw all member bands from the National Panorama Competition scheduled for 3rd August.”

....The strongly worded statement noted that as part of negotiations held last year, the Cabinet had agreed to pay the steel bands by December 31.

“With only three of the nine Panorama bands presently sponsored, this delay is already causing serious disruptions in preparations for Panorama 2019,” the release said.
read more

Web Posted - Thursday June 13, 2019
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Following an extraordinary general meeting of Pan Trinbago and its membership on Tuesday at Communications Workers’ Union Hall in Port of Spain, Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore confirmed sweeping changes to the format of Panorama 2020.

....“Panorama must not be boxed in by Carnival! We have to create a new experience because we want people to buy in more to the various categories,” she said.

....The Single Pan preliminaries will be held from November 1-8, with the opening of score sheets on November 9, the semi-finals - November 16 and final on November 23.

....Regarding the small band category Ramsey-Moore said: ....That competition starts in the December 9, and will continue to just before Christmas, with the semi-final on January 4, and final on January 11.

....The medium band prelims will be held January 14-17, opening of score sheets on January 20, semi-final on February 9 at the Queen’s Park Savannah, the same day as the large band semis as is normal, but the final will be held in Tobago on February 15.

Large bands preliminaries will be held between Sunday February 2 and Tuesday February 5, with the final being held on Carnival Saturday as usual.
read more

Web Posted - Thursday June 13, 2019
Eastern Daily Press

Norwich, England - A school's 17-year tradition of bringing musical entertainment to the Lord Mayor's Procession in Norwich could come to an end this year due to a new ban on lorry floats.

Angel Road Junior School has participated in the centrepiece parade since 2002, with its steel band encouraging plenty of dancing in the streets.

But a ban on petrol and diesel powered lorries in the procession on Saturday, July 6 means the school won't be able to use the 40ft curtain-sided lorry it has previously borrowed for the occasion - the only vehicle big enough to hold its vast steel pan collection and drum kit.

Sue Graham, music coordinator at the Angel Road schools, said it could spell the end of a tradition for the steel bands from years four, five and six - around 25 children - to play in the procession.
read more

Web Posted - Tuesday June 11, 2019
When Steel Talks

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - This event sponsored by TSTT/bmobile and endorsed by Pan Trinbago Inc. takes place on Thursday June 13, at the St. James Amphitheatre, Western Main Road, St. James at 8:00 p.m. Admission is TT$150.00. Patrons can walk with their coolers.

The nine “finalists” were announced by the event coordinator at the end of the registration period on Tuesday afternoon.
read more

The History of Steelband in Jamaica
THE STEELBANDS OF THE UWI MONA CAMPUS AND THE JAMAICAN STEELBAND MOVEMENT

History - The earliest record of steelpan in Jamaica was in 1954. Arden Williams, a student from Trinidad carried his ping pong with him when he attended the University of the West Indies, Mona campus (then the University College of the West Indies). Soon after, he and other Trinidadian students and one Jamaican started the first-ever steelband on Jamaican soil. Over time, different steelbands have come and gone but the Mona campus has never been without a steelband since its arrival in the 1950s. In 1973 the steelbands from two halls of residence merged and became known as UWI Steel (You-We Steel). In 1976 this band was re-branded UWI Panoridim and is still in existence today.
see more

Web Posted - Monday June 10, 2019
When Steel Talks

Illinois, USA - G. Allan “Al” O’Connor was a native of Long Island, New York, and earned his Bachelor of Music Degree and Performers Certificate from SUNY-Fredonia and a Masters in Percussion Performance from the University of Illinois.

At Northern Illinois University (NIU), in 1973, Al O’Connor was the first person to establish an actively performing steelband in an American university, and in 1987 he created a steelpan major field of study within the NIU School of Music. O’Connor was appointed NIU’s Head of Percussion Studies in 1968 and served as Associate Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts from 1989 to 2000. He retired from NIU in 2002.

Following the early success of the NIU Steelband, Al was instrumental in starting steelbands at numerous colleges and universities throughout the United States....
read more

Web Posted - Thursday June 6, 2019
When Steel Talks

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Come Sunday June 9, three of the original St. James steelbands, Scrunters Pan Groove, St. James Tripolians and Power Stars, will come together under the banner “Small But Large”, at the St. James Park & Amphitheatre, Western Main Road, St. James, from 6:30 p.m.

The free concert, “Small But Large”, is an initiative of Keith Simpson, Manager of St. James Tripolians, who decided to stage this event as a gift to the people of St. James and also in the memory of Earl Crosby, first President of the St. James CIC and Chairman of the WeBeat St. James Live Committee.
read more

Web Posted - Sunday June 3, 2019
When Steel Talks

New York, USA - My-o, My, o-My. Hmm, hmm, hmm...

Earlier this week one of the When Steel Talks (WST) forum regulars (Bugs) made what may have seemed to most an odd request, to one of the world’s most brilliant steel orchestra music composer/arrangers, André White.

“Bugs” made a request of Mr. White to write an arrangement of the Lil Nas X’s runaway hit “Old Town Road” for the upcoming “Pan Is Sweet” steel orchestra competition to be held in Brooklyn, New York this month, June (29th).”

Mr. White not only responded to the poster, but responded in the affirmative - with the additive that while it could not be done for the “Pan Is Sweet” competition, he might still do it as an additional arrangement for the stage side (of Pan Evolution).
read more

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 that participated in their respective categories in the 2019 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

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.
read more