When Steel Talks
Trinidad and Tobago 2020 Panorama and Carnival
Schedule of Events
Global
- Trinidad and Tobago Panorama and Carnival
Schedule of Events. Info on the activities
for the 2020 steelband music season.
see more
When Steel Talks
2020 Trinidad and Tobago National Steelband Panorama Info - Complete
Global
- PanOnTheNet/ WhenSteelTalks is Panorama
Central! Complete information on the 2020 season of the
Trinidad and Tobago National Panorama, and competitions:
Schedules, Orders of Appearance for preliminary,
semi-final and final phases for large, medium and small
conventional steel orchestras, and single pan bands;
arrangers’ bios, bios of steel orchestras; full results,
panyard addresses, history of previous Panoramas, and
much more!
see complete information
index
Web Posted - Friday November
29,
2019
Searchlight
XS Steel Turns One
St. Vincent & the Grenadines, W.I.
-
This country’s newest steel pan organisation, XS Steel
Incorporated, celebrated its first anniversary on Wednesday
November 27 with an active steel orchestra that has begun to
contribute to the entertainment landscape in
St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The organisation was launched last November under the
chairmanship of Cecil Ryan, and with
Marla Nanton-James as the Music Director. It is supported by
a complete management team of seven persons, also including
Arlene Regisford-Sam (Treasurer), Jennifer Richardson (PRO),
Jennifer Browne (Secretary), Kent Cain (Logistics Officer) and
Kevon Guy (Players’ Representative).
XS Steel currently operates from the Argyle Primary School and
is heavily involved in teaching students from the school the
rudiments of music and the art of playing the steel pan.
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday November
27,
2019
The Observer
Calypso band gives Caribbean flair to holiday concert
Oregon, USA -
The sounds of Trinidad and Tobago can be heard in the Elgin High
School’s music room as the Calypso band prepares for its winter
concert. As special guests at the Observer’s 28th Annual Holiday
Music Festival the first weekend in December, the EHS students
will show off their talents on the steel drums.
The band began two years ago when the music teacher for Elgin’s
third- through 12th-grade students, Tucker Murphey, founded a group
of youth interested in that style of percussion. What started with
grade school classroom instruments and a small xylophone is now a
full steel drum ensemble with various sizes of steelpans and drums
to create the sounds of the Caribbean. The school district invested
about $28,000 to purchase the collection of instruments last year.
“(The district) could see the progress of the program and what we
were doing without the instruments,” Murphey said. “They were
excited to have something unique that no other school district has,
and the school board had faith in me.”
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday November
27,
2019
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
Education Ministry gives pans to ECCE centres
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
Preschoolers throughout TT now have the chance to become
involved in music after several Early Childhood Care and
Education centres received two tenor pans each from the Ministry
of Education.
At the launch of the Multicultural Music Programme Unit hosted at
the Arima New Government Primary School on Wednesday, Education
Minister Anthony Garcia said the ministry was working to have
steelpan in every ECCE centre, primary and secondary school. He said
the programme would also be tailored to attract and help those with
learning disabilities through music.
He said the ministry was working to establish a template to help
with special education and he was happy that steelpan was a part of
that template.
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday November
27,
2019
When Steel Talks
New Zealand Experiences Steelband Love Through The Passion
Of Marion Titmuss
New Zealand -
What is a white, middle class, classically-trained flautist
doing trying to get Pans going in New Zealand schools and how
did she get the first University in Australasia to agree to Pans
being introduced?
In 2011 following the earthquake in Christchurch my family
emigrated to New Zealand and I brought with me all the Pans I
had amassed over 25 years of teaching Pan in the UK. I felt that
these pans had been entrusted to do good with as I had a
rollercoaster of fun since being introduced to the sweet magic
of steel by the bands in London UK.
....I realised that it was
going to be quite a struggle to get Pan in education
established, there are few if any Kiwis who know what a steelpan
is!
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday November
27,
2019
LoopTT
MoE to hire 120 music instructors for Pan in All Schools project
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
Education Minister Anthony Garcia is hopeful that some of the
negative feelings students experience which contribute to their
disruptive behaviour, will be eliminated through steelpan music.
Garcia expressed this as he delivered the feature address at the
launch of the Ministry's Music Education Expansion Initiative - Pan
in All Schools Project - at the Arima New Government Primary School
on Wednesday.
....“Very few of us recognize that among our students, there are
so many things that affect them and loneliness is one that has been
brought full-scale to the front burner. We are hoping again through
this music programme in our schools and in particular, through the
pan, that we are going to eradicate some of these negative feelings.
My pledge is that in every school in Trinidad and Tobago beginning
at the ECC Centre right on to our tertiary education system, there
is the presence of our national instrument; there is the presence of
our steel pan.”
read more
Web Posted - Monday November
25,
2019
When Steel Talks
George “Nugget” Joseph - Patriarch of Antigua and Barbuda’s Steelband Movement
by Jessy J. Stafford Joseph (Panthologist)
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. -
George “Nugget” Joseph, a centurion, is the patriarch of the
Antigua and Barbuda steel pan movement.
“Nugget,” as he was popularly known and referred to, is a
pioneer of the steel pan movement of Antigua and Barbuda and a
founding member of the Hells Gate Steel Orchestra (HGSO) (the
world’s oldest steel orchestra), whose birthplace and home is in
“The Point.” Hells Gate Steel Band began as an organized ‘Iron
Band’ in 1945 and the steelpan was introduced in 1946.
....“Nugget,” in addition to his functions as Captain and
Secretary/Treasurer, took on the responsibility of responding to
all negative press, that was published in the Antigua Star News
Paper. He responded via the Antigua Star and the Workers’ Voice
Newspapers. Also, he did not own or had the luxury of a
typewriter. Hence, his responses were all hand written where
ever he could access light at nights. His discreet and effective
responses brought about a change of attitude from the naysayers.
In fact, many came to appreciate the steel pan artform and
volunteered to assist the steel bands in the various
communities.
....“Nugget’s” single-handed literary battle with the early
critics of the steelpan movement, resulted in respect gained,
the acceptance of the art form and the involvement of people of
all walks of life in the steelpan movement, today.
read more
Web Posted - Sunday November
24,
2019
When Steel Talks
Antigua and Barbuda panists with Khan Cordice on cultural exchange in Japan
- Steelpan the musical focus
Japan -
A small delegation from Antigua & Barbuda is presently visiting
Japan at the invitation of officials in Kagoshima prefecture, in
the southerly Amami Islands of the country. Among those
participating are pan musicians led by internationally-renowned
steelband arranger and performer Khan Cordice, for years the
resident champion arranger for Hells Gate Steel Orchestra. Two
young people accompanying Cordice are Jahfari Hazelwood and
Samanya Brazier. “They are just great panists and model students
and members of the community,” says Cordice.
read more
Web Posted - Sunday November
24,
2019
When Steel Talks
Single Pan Bands - 2019-2020 Finals Results - Trinidad & Tobago National
Panorama
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
For the second time in 2019, in just over nine months, Trinidad
and Tobago hosted a national Single Pan band finals competition.
And while the defending champions, San Juan East Side Symphony
did maintain their standing, they now share the title in this
go-round, as there was a tie in the final tally in the scores of
284 points. Marsicans Steel Orchestra are now co-champions in
what is, technically, the 2019-2020 Trinidad & Tobago National
Panorama Single Pan band competition organized by Pan Trinbago.
Arrangers Carlon “Panman” Harewood and Marlon White took their
respective bands to the top. And of definite interest, is the
fact that these two have been here in this position, “tied,”
before!
read more, click for full results
Web Posted - Wednesday November
20,
2019
When Steel Talks
Single Pan Bands - Order of Appearance - FINALS
2019-2020 - Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
The appearance order for competitors in the National Panorama
2019-2020 Single Pan Band finals is now known. The draw of
numbers for playing positions in the Saturday November 23 finals
was held at the Calypso Suite at the Queen’s Park Savannah in
Port of Spain on November 20. The latter is also the venue for
the finals this weekend, which are slated for a 6:00 p.m. start.
Twenty-one bands out of thirty-one made the cut in the
Semi-finals event which was held three days earlier on November
17.
....For the record, this will be the second “national” single
pan band competition this year, 2019, as changes made to the
competition dates are put into practice by Pan Trinbago. The
regular Single Pan Band Panorama competition was already held
within that traditional Carnival/Panorama season.
read more,
see order of appearance
Web Posted - Wednesday November
20,
2019
The Virgin Islands Source
Senate OKs Sub Base Leases for Music Makers and Cement
Producer
The committee Tuesday morning voted to approve
government leases to Panyard People and Universal Concrete. Both
government properties are in Sub Base, St. Thomas
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. -
Members of the Senate Committee on Finance want the music to
continue to play and the cement to be poured.
.....Vincent Richards, deputy commissioner of the Department of
Property and Procurement, recommended the approval of both
contracts.
Panyard People is a nonprofit organization that trains residents
in the art of steel pan.
.....The lease is for 10 years and provides for two, five-year renewal options with annual rent $1,200.
....Sen. Janelle Sarauw, alumni of
Rising Stars Youth Steel
Orchestra, said she was excited to be able to approve of the
move to expand steel pan training in the territory.
read more
Web Posted - Tuesday November
19,
2019
The Battalion
A&M steel pan ensemble Maroon Steel performs around B-CS
Texas, USA -
Maroon Steel is a steel pan ensemble club that started at Texas
A&M in 2013 with the purpose of getting together to play and
spread the drum music associated with the Caribbean islands.
With the club being very united, Maroon Steel president and ocean
engineering sophomore Jack Bahmer said “it makes things easier” for
him.
“It is a ton of fun because I came in with a little experience on
steel pan,” Bahmer said. “A big thing with steel pan is the group
atmosphere. Everyone there is really good friends, and it's just a
good time playing really fun music.”
With what originated as a music class, Maroon Steel vice
president and performance studies grad student Josh Muetzel said
Maroon Steel has grown into a student organization where students
can join, be a part of something and find a sense of family.
....“As a composer and musician, I am looking to get more
experience directing ensembles and writing for steel bands before I
graduate,” Muetzel said.
read more
Web Posted - Monday November 18,
2019
When Steel Talks
Single Pan Bands - Semi-finals Results 2019-2020 -
Trinidad & Tobago Panorama
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
Results for the Single Pan 2019-2020 semi-finals are in. The
competition was held on Sunday November 17 at the Arima
Basketball Court in Arima. Thirty-one bands took part, and
twenty-one made the cut to the finals carded for Saturday
November 23 at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.
click for full results
Web Posted - Sunday
November 17, 2019
Trinidad & Tobago Guardian
Audit of steelband body exposes glaring noncompliance - Part 2
Missing invoices, no formal contracts
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Close to $4 million was paid out by Pan
Trinbago to FCL Financial Ltd and its CEO
Daniel Lambert over a three-year period with barely any paper trail found by auditors to justify these mammoth payments or any semblance of a formal agreement.
An audit report by Ernst and Young raised further questions over
Pan Trinbago’s handling of its finances under the former president
Keith Diaz (pictured) and other Central Executive Committee (CEC) members between the period 2013-2016.
....What Ernst and Young found was over the 2012-2013 period, Pan Trinbago entered into six management consultancy contracts with FCL—but
from the table they drew up, they were only able to locate formal
CEC approval for two of the six contracts.
read more
Web Posted - Sunday
November 17, 2019
When Steel Talks
Live Stream - Fall 2019 NIU Steelband concert
Tribute to Al O’Connor
DeKalb, Illinois, USA - Today, Sunday, November 17th at 3:00 p.m.
CST, there is a wonderful NIU Steelband Concert at the Boutell
Memorial Concert Hall! What makes Sunday’s performance so special is that it’s dedicated to the memory of G. Allan O’Connor, who is responsible for originating the world famous
NIU Steel Band. The university has been extremely fortunate to have had Al as an instructor, musician, mentor, and friend at the NIU School of Music!
see archived
stream
Web Posted - Saturday
November 16, 2019
Trinidad & Tobago Guardian
Audit of steelband body exposes glaring noncompliance - Part
1
Lack of transparency - Pan in Pain
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Financial mismanagement, an abysmal financial performance, misappropriation of funds, financial irregularities, and glaring non-compliance were uncovered in an Ernst and Young (EY) audit report conducted by Ernst and Young (EY) on Pan
Trinbago’s operations over five years.
The “private and confidential” report was handed over to the Ministry of Community Development and the Arts in April 2018 and has been hidden in plain sight on the Parliament website for almost a year. It came up for discussion at Pan Trinbago’s Annual General Meeting on November 3 but according to several members, but was shot down by president
Beverley Ramsey-Moore. However, she has denied that claim.
The audit paints a gloomy picture about Pan Trinbago’s financial activities during the five years, while external auditors Panel Kerr Foster (PKF) said there was “significant doubt on the association’s ability to continue as a going concern.”
The timeframe covered in the EY
report was 2013 to 2017 during the tenure of former president
Keith Diaz.
read more
Web Posted - Saturday
November 16, 2019
Trinidad & Tobago Guardian
Ramsey-Moore: They left us in a bad situation
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
President of Pan Trinbago
Beverley Ramsey-Moore said it is the government that commissioned the audit on the steelband body and they should go after those who left the association in financial ruin.
“Pan
Trinbago did not commission the audit it was the Ministry of
Community Development and the Arts and I would be really happy if
they went after them. They left us in a bad situation,” she told the
Sunday Guardian in a telephone interview.
Ramsey-Moore, who spoke candidly about the audit on Pan Trinbago by Ernst and Young (EY) which was laid in Parliament in April last year, denied claims that she wanted to “bury the report” and move on.
read more
Web Posted - Friday November 15,
2019
When Steel Talks
To Hell and Back to Pan
Veterans Day Embraces 2 Trinis who served in
Vietnam and elsewhere
Global - ....Veterans Day is
officially observed on November 11. So, it’s the memory of
the Vietnam War and how Gerry and I both fought it as soldiers
of the First Infantry Division (The Big Red One).
....It has been 50 years, and only now we reminisce about our
experiences. We can jumpstart and even further improve our goal
to satisfy readers’ interest in what we have to say about our
sprawling commentary on Pan in the early period of the Behind
the Bridge story of our experiences prior to our migration to
the United States.
....For me, the war will never be in remission. It’s an
indelible tattoo on my mind. I spent eight days in a hospital
upon my return home from the war.
....They had me recuperating at the US Naval Base in Chaguaramas. There, I was fed more Thorazine.
The Brass gave me a break and I stumbled through Port of Spain, where I reconnected with Neville Jules and Leon “Smooth” Edwards at the Henry Street panyard.
They saved my ass. Jules thought I was a vagrant. You drunk?
No. Looks like you on drugs? Ain’t no dope I ever smoked, you know that, CAP. Never smoked. Thorazine, courtesy of the Military Base.
read more
Web Posted - Thursday November 14,
2019
When Steel Talks
Single Pan Bands - Order of Appearance - Semi-finals
2019-2020 - Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - The
sounds of steel will resonate at the Basketball Court, Arima, on
Sunday November 17, 2019, as thirty-one Single Pan Bands vie for
positions in the finals carded for one week later at the Grand
Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.
....Defending champions, San Juan East Side Symphony, emerged
with the highest score of 266 points for their rendition of the
Aldwyn Roberts’ composition “Guitar Pan” arranged by Carlon
Harewood.
....Interestingly, there is a father-daughter duo challenging
each other in this Single Pan semi-final arena. Veteran arranger
Cary Codrington is taking Metro Stars in front the judges at
position five, immediately after Gonzales Sheikers with his
daughter Keisha Codrington having arranged “Fantastic Friday”
for the band, would have taken the stage. Definitely
back-to-back performances to look out for.
read more
Web Posted - Thursday November 14,
2019
Trinidad and Tobago
Newsday
Junior Phase II band launched
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
On November 9 the HADCO
Phase II Pan Groove launched its first
junior steelband: HADCO Phase II Pan Groove Junior Steel
Orchestra. The event took place at the Phase II panyard,
Hamilton Street, Woodbrook.
In attendance were Phase II’s musical director,
Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, manager
Akua Leith, captain Terry Bernard, chairman of Pan
Trinbago Northern Regional Executive Desiree Meyers, HADCO liaison
Danielle Espinet and guests, parents, well-wishers and children from
the orchestra.
The young musicians’ ages range between four and 20.
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday November 13,
2019
When Steel Talks
Single Pan Bands - Preliminaries Results 2019-2020 -
Trinidad & Tobago Panorama
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
The Single Pan 2019-2020 preliminaries were held during the
period November 4 to 12, 2019. Now complete, the top thirty-one
bands move on to the National Single Pan Semi-Finals on Sunday
November 17 at the Arima Basketball Court, Arima from 4.00 p.m.
click for full results
Web Posted - Tuesday November 12,
2019
When Steel Talks
Ray Allen presents a “Jump Up!” talk at Brooklyn College
Garvin Blake, Frankie McIntosh and Winston Wellington
join discussion
Brooklyn, New York, USA -
....Anytime you can get to hear panist Garvin Blake or pianist
Frankie McIntosh ‘live’ you’re in for a treat. If you can get to
hear both of them together - well, you are in a special place,
as were the attendees to the presentation on the book “Jump Up!”
by Professor Ray Allen. The recently-released book focuses on
the life of Caribbean carnival music in New York City.
About five or six years ago Allen, who fell in love with the
music of carnival in Brooklyn, realized that there was not a
book that adequately addressed Brooklyn Carnival and its music -
and there lies the impetus for writing the book.
read more,
see performances
Web Posted - Tuesday November 12,
2019
When Steel Talks
Vanessa Headley named 2020 Panorama arranger of La Brea
Nightingales Steel Orchestra - large band category
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
Vanessa Headley has been named the 2020 Panorama arranger for La
Brea Nightingales Steel Orchestra - large band category. In
addition, Vanessa will be the arranger for Trinidad Valley Harps
Steel Orchestra medium band category and Golden Hands small band
category.
Very few women have arranged for large steel orchestras in the
Trinidad and Tobago National Panorama.
read more
Web Posted - Monday November 11,
2019
When Steel Talks
Single Pan 2019-2020 Preliminary Performances
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
Enjoy the performances of a few of the Single Pan bands as they
competed at the preliminary stage of the 2019-2020 Panorama
competition. Featured are San Juan East Side, Pan Elites, Nu
Pioneers Pan Groove and Arima All Stars.
click for video
Web Posted - Tuesday
November 5, 2019
Jamaica Observer
CDB issues US$350K grant to regional cultural projects
Bridgetown, Barbados, W.I. - The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved US$350,000 for
four projects that are geared at increasing cultural collaboration
and improving the enabling environment for culture and the creative
arts in the region.
The funding came under the Enabling Environment grant stream of
the Bank’s Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund (CIIF).
The Enabling Environment Grant finances interventions to support
projects and programmes that focus on improving the business climate
for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the cultural
industries.
....Five educational institutions – the University of Trinidad
and Tobago, George Mason University, Barbados Community College,
University of London and the Carnival Institute of Trinidad and
Tobago – will be working together to deliver the Pan Fellowship
Programme, another recipient of an Enabling Environment Grant.
The programme will see a curriculum being developed for 12-month
undergraduate and two-year certificate programmes that focus on
cultural context as a key consideration in both performance and
instruction of the steel pan.
The programme received a grant of US$90,000.
Another grant recipient is a multi-country carnival development
initiative from Export Saint Lucia and is entitled ‘Branding and Commercialisation of Carnival in Saint Lucia, Dominica and Grenada’.
read more
Web Posted - Monday
November 4, 2019
The Daily Orange
Steel-panist Victor Provost to visit Syracuse for master class, performance
Syracuse, New York, USA - ....[Victor] Provost, a renowned steel panist, has played
across the globe, and teaches classes in world music at George
Mason University.
The musician will visit Syracuse from Nov. 7 to 10 to teach a
steel drums master class and a perform with the Insomniac Wookies at
La Casita Cultural Center.
....At the master class on Thursday, Provost said he hopes to teach and refine SU student’s playing ability on the steel pan. Basile Touratier, a French exchange music student at SU playing the steelpan, tries to attend every master class he possibly can.
....Provost said that he tries to incorporate his own life
experience into his master classes and how to survive as a musician.
He also said that he tries to have the student be on the instrument
as much as possible to keep them motivated and continue practicing.
The steel panist will also be playing with multiple ensembles at
SU [Syracuse University] during his time here, including the steel
drum ensembles.
read more