Web Posted - Friday
July 31, 2020
When Steel Talks
Streaming Services and the Artist
OPINION - by Leon Foster Thomas
Global - Recently educator,
recording and performing artist Leon Foster Thomas posted a
sobering examination with advice, about the financial realities
of the streaming services. Take a read below. And remember - one
pays dearly for not knowing.
“These streaming services are not really pushing for folks to buy an artist's music. Instead, their main push is for you to purchase a subscription to THEIR (spotify, apple etc...) streaming service. Per stream, an artist recoups $0.00676 (google) which really equals to nothing really. So artists, there's a new pimp (as if we didn't know). .... duh!.”
–– Leon Foster Thomas
read more
Web Posted - Friday
July 31, 2020
When Steel Talks
“Jean and Dinah” - Lord Relator and Robert Greenidge
Moods of Pan 2002
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. -
Lord Relator and Robert Greenidge perform “Jean and Dinah” at
Moods of Pan 2002. The Moods of Pan festival is an annual event
held in the Caribbean country, and generally features
performances from the best national musicians with a focus on
the steelband artform, and occasionally, others from the wider
Diaspora.
see performance
Web Posted - Wednesday
July 29, 2020
When Steel Talks
Meet Wayne Bernard - Manager, Administrator, Panist
New York, USA - “I do not
believe there is a challenge that would be difficult for this
generation because it is some of the same people who have grown
up in steelpan during the same tough and challenging times. With
that being said, this generation has a creative and open-minded
way to make anything possible, and I believe we are in good
hands moving forward.” –– Wayne Bernard
The accepted norm is that “Nice guys finish last.” But not
always. There is a chance that might change in this specific
instance. When Steel Talks has keenly watched the growth and
development of Wayne Bernard from youngster to adult. He is
humble, selfless, thoughtful, compassionate, highly intelligent
and committed to the forward progress of the steelband artform
and culture.
In a When Steel Talks exclusive - manager, performing artist,
administrator, and panist Wayne Bernard - shares his steelband
experiences and vision for Pan.
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday
July 29, 2020
Loop News
Two schools get steel pans in time for classes in September
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Two schools have received steel pans to aid in the holistic development of students once classes resume on September 1.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Education Dr Lovell Francis and advisor to the Minister of Education Cheryl Ann Wilkinson delivered two eight-piece steel ensembles to the Avocat Vedic Primary School and Madressa Al Muslimeen Primary School on July 22 and 23.
Each ensemble comprises of one six bass, one tenor bass, one cello, one guitar, one double second, one double tenor and two single tenor pans.
The principals of both schools reportedly requested the
instruments to create a well-rounded school experience for
students.
read more
Web Posted - Tuesday
July 28, 2020
When Steel Talks
The APA Pan Fellowship
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - The APA
(Academy for the Performing Arts) Pan Fellowship is a groundbreaking new programme
which offered participants a culturally immersive and practical learning environment, infused with the traditions of steelpan, in the wider context of indigenous percussion and pan-Caribbean music. The fellowship
has strived to produce well-rounded pan practitioners, familiar with relevant music of the African diaspora and the pedagogical practices of its cultural heritage.
The programme was launched with the support of an Enabling Environment Grant awarded by the Caribbean Development Bank through its Cultural and Creative Industries Innovative Fund (CIIF).
read more
Web Posted - Monday
July 27, 2020
When Steel Talks
Special visit to Sir Rupert “King Swallow” Philo - Honoured on Pan by Panist Khan Cordice
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. -
Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Sir McLean “Short Shirt” Emmanuel,
Khan
Cordice (Director of Culture), and others paid a visit to
Sir Rupert “King Swallow” Philo on Sunday.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Sir McLean “Short Shirt” Emmanuel,
Khan Cordice (Director of Culture), and others paid a visit to
Sir Rupert “King
Swallow” Philo on Sunday. During PM Browne's visit to the
calypsonian legend, there was a beautiful rendition of one of
King Swallow’s greatest hits - “Man to Man.”
"Celebrating Sir Rupert, King Swallow’s contribution.
"He said to me that he doesn’t have millions in the bank.
"I reminded him of his contribution to the creative arts and
nation building, which are etched in the hearts and minds of our
people.
"Today, we celebrate Sir Rupert, not for his riches but for his
contribution to nation building.
"We wish him a full and speedy recovery.”
-PM Gaston Browne
see video
Web Posted - Friday
July 24, 2020
When Steel Talks
Meet Nevin Roach - Executive Producer of PanoGrama,
Entrepreneur, Visionary and Panist
Global - Indeed, the old
proverb that states "necessity is the mother of invention" rings
true, as the global steelband music community - through
innovation and technological advances - tries to lessen the
negative impact of and navigate through, the challenges of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The recently concluded "PanoGrama" produced
by Nevin Roach is one such very successful effort.
In a When Steel Talks exclusive - executive producer,
entrepreneur and panist Nevin Roach shares his steelpan music
vision and how his "I can do this" attitude has served him and
the steelpan community very well.
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday
July 22, 2020
When Steel Talks
New Dimension Steel Orchestra - Love Theme From St. Elmo's
Fire
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. -
In the late Fall of 2004 When Steel Talks had the honor
of covering the 2004 Moods of Pan festival in Antigua. New
Dimension Steel Orchestra from Grenada was one of the featured
powerhouse groups that year. Check out a short summary of their
Saturday Night performances as arranged by the legendary David
“Peck” Edwards and captured by Basement Recordings.
see video
Web Posted - Wednesday
July 22, 2020
When Steel Talks
REVISITED: In the Spotlight - David 'Peck' Edwards on
Grenada and Pan
An exclusive interview with David "Peck" Edwards educator,
musician, arranger and performing steelpan artist from Grenada
New York, USA - The Grenada
powerhouse, New Dimension, has been around for seventeen years,
and with David 'Peck' Edwards as both leader and arranger, the
strides the band has made have been impressive. Edwards spoke
recently with When Steel Talks about New Dimension, their
history, the pan movement in Grenada, the future of New
Dimension, and shared a bit about himself.
....At its inception in 1988, the band had twenty-three players,
but has grown to eighty. Edwards admitted that the interest is
such in their musical organization that they can field more, but
for their panorama contingent, he finds eighty a manageable
number for a quality product. Their stage side usually numbers
about thirty.
read more, hear interview
Web Posted - Tuesday
July 21, 2020
When Steel Talks
A Moment in Pan - New Dimension Steel Orchestra - Pan in A
Minor
Brooklyn, New York, USA - In
the Summer of 2005 When Steel Talks had the honor of watching
New Dimension Steel Orchestra from Grenada as they prepared for
the 2005 World Steelband Music Festival, held that year at
Madison Square Garden in New York.
see recording
Web Posted - Tuesday
July 21, 2020
When Steel Talks
Champion arranger David “Peck” Edwards has passed - Grenada
Global - When Steel Talks
extends condolences to the family and friends of arranger
David “Peck”
Edwards. He was an outstanding musician.
read more,
by Lincoln DePradine
Web Posted - Monday
July 20, 2020
Now Grenada
Culture and the Arts Ministry extends condolences on passing of David “Peck” Edwards
Grenada, W.I. - The Ministry
of Youth Development, Sports, Culture and the Arts, extends
heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Cultural
Ambassador and Cultural Icon,
David “Peck”
Edwards, who passed
away on Sunday, 19 July 2020.
Edwards was a former journalist at Radio Free Grenada, a
drummer, a prolific calypso singer and songwriter, a national
athlete and a former Senior Cultural Officer at the Division of
Culture. However, he was best known for his love of music. He
was devoted to his craft and contributed immensely to the
development and promotion of Grenadian culture, particularly
steelpan music.
The veteran musician enjoyed a music career spanning
approximately 50 years...He was renowned, nationally and
internationally, as a long-time leader and champion arranger for
one of Grenada’s most dynamic steel orchestras, the
New
Dimension Steel Orchestra.
read more
Web Posted - Monday
July 20, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global Deaths Due to Various Causes and COVID-19
Global - Data visualization
and storytelling - COVID-19 Pandemic deaths versus those of
other causes - globally.
click for animated graph
Web Posted - Sunday
July 19, 2020
The New Today
Ace panist loses battle against cancer
Grenada, W.I. - Grenada has
lost one of its most influential and pioneering figures in the
steelband movement with the passing this morning of
David “Peck”
Edwards who was associated for a number of years with
New
Dimension Steel Orchestra on Melville Street in the heart of the
city.
Edwards, a long-serving employee at the Ministry of Culture,
passed away earlier in the day after a battle in the last few
months against cancer.
In paying tribute to “Peck”, the former ace pan arranger for
Commancheros Steel Orchestra in St Paul’s, Cecil Noel said that
despite the great rivalry between them on Panorama night, there
was always an “excellent friendship” between the two of them
dating back to schoolboy days in the 1970s at the Grenada Boys
Secondary School (GBSS).
read more
Web Posted - Tuesday
July 14, 2020
When Steel Talks
St. Lucia Carnival 2020 Cancelled
Saint Lucia, W.I. - Taking
full account of the economic and public health implications
associated with the spread and containment of COVID-19, the
Government of Saint Lucia held several consultations with
representatives of the carnival community, regarding the best
possible strategy for Carnival 2020.
In so doing, the Government sought a broad consensus which would
serve the best interests of the festival’s presenters,
promoters, participants, producers and partners. It was
generally agreed that the global environment was still highly
unpredictable and that nothing should be done which would
compromise local efforts at containment.
read more
Web Posted - Sunday
July 12, 2020
When Steel Talks
When The Force Is With You - CrossFire Steel Orchestra and
National Geographic
New York, USA - “If you
strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can
possibly imagine.” In Star Wars the Master Jedi Obi-Wan
Kenobi says that to his evil foe Darth Vader...
Indeed, while the ruthless COVID-19 abruptly struck down and
removed Martin “Dougie” Douglas from our realm - now through his
‘ascension’ his mark, impact, and positive “Force” continues to
be felt.
Pan was his passion and his beloved CrossFire Steel Orchestra
was his baby. And there was simply nothing he would not do for
the success of his baby. While I never thought of the late
Martin Douglas as a master Jedi, his sprit continues to chart
new paths for heights from the great beyond.
read more
Web Posted - Friday
July 10, 2020
When Steel Talks
The Mindset Towards Steelpan Education in Trinidad & Tobago Needs a
Systemic Overhaul at the Government Level
OPINION - by Salmon Cupid
Toronto, Canada - Over the
years I have recognized that on social media, replying to
people’s comments is sometimes not advised. Everyone is free to
sit in the comfort of their home or workplace and type whatever
they feel. They speak with authority on topics that they are not
familiar with, whether it is factual or not.
I am very very very very passionate about Steelpan and Steelpan
education. I have been a Steelpan educator with the Toronto
Board of Education in Canada for the past 27 years. It hurts me
at my core, not the fact that Canadian kids are being taught
music through the use of Steelpan, but that this is not being
done in the motherland of the Steelpan invention.
read more
Web Posted - Friday
July 10, 2020
When Steel Talks
Meet Mikhail Salcedo of Trinidad & Tobago - Steelpan Performing Artist
& Educator
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
Mikhail Salcedo is a fusion/jazz musician. His compositions are
a mixture of genres (particularly calypso and jazz) that keep
his sound fresh and different. He recently completed a Diploma
in Music Performance from The University of Trinidad and Tobago
and is continuing his career as a musician and teacher. Growing
up on the sounds of The Manhattan Transfers, Frank Sinatra and
Sergio Mendez by way of his father and steelpan with his uncle,
Mikhail was eventually exposed to a very wide variety of musical
styles.
read more
Web Posted - Friday
July 10, 2020
When Steel Talks
Meet Cherise Thorne of Barbados - Steelpan Performing Artist
Barbados, W.I. - Hailing from
the beautiful island of Barbados, Cherise Thorne is an
up-and-coming pan soloist and arranger. Her journey with music
began around the age of 7, when her late grandfather, also a
musician, recognized her rhythmic capabilities and enrolled her
in private piano lessons. These lessons lit the spark that would
eventually blossom into a flaming passion.
....Music has been the main creative outlet for the majority of
her life and performing has provided countless opportunities to
transform her otherwise calm and reserved demeanor. Some of her
most memorable performances include those done at Pan Pun De
Sand...
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday
July 8, 2020
Caribbean Life
Staten Island politician Joe Borelli demands end to West Indian Day Parade, citing cuts to NYPD
New York, USA - A Staten
Island councilman is calling for the end to Brooklyn’s popular
West Indian Day Parade and all of its annual coinciding
activities — arguing that it requires a “beefed up and visible
police presence” the NYPD can no longer afford.
“Each year there’s several shootings and homicides surrounding
the West Indian Day Parade &
J’Ouvert. It’s a danger for cops, revelers & the public,”
wrote Republican Councilman Joe Borelli in a tweet accompanying
a letter addressed to NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.
....Borelli argues in his letter that the celebration’s violence is not confined to
the vicinity of the parade but can be felt throughout the neighborhoods and
precincts surrounding the annual celebration which he says is reflected in a
jump in shootings recorded over the holiday weekend annually.
read more
Web Posted - Tuesday
July 7, 2020
When Steel Talks
When Steel Talks extends condolences to the family and
friends of Dennis “Tash” Ash & Desperadoes Steel Orchestra
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
Desperadoes Steel Orchestra legend Mr. Dennis “Tash” Ash has
passed. “Tash,” as he is fondly known, has been playing with
Desperadoes since 1961. Of the steelpan, “Tash” said “The
instrument is an instrument of PEACE, on earth!”
more
Web Posted - Tuesday
July 7, 2020
When Steel Talks
A Look Back - 2013: OASIS Youth Steel Pan Ensemble - ‘Outstanding’
Brooklyn, New York, USA -
OASIS Youth Steel Pan Ensemble performs the classic party tune
“Outstanding” by the Gap Band at the 2013 CASYM band launch.
“....The biggest story of the night was Oasis Youth Steel Pan
Ensemble from New Jersey, who came out in full concert mode.
They were no joke. Their ten-song repertoire stretched the
expectations of a standard band launch performance both in terms
of musical sensibilities and performance. Led under the musical
directive of Sherwin Thwaites, he brought additional musical
colors and a thought process to the arena.”
see video
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 - February
2020
When Steel Talks
Complete Summary of Results of all Conventional Steel Orchestras - 2020 Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama
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 2020 Panorama.
Follow the musical journey of respective bands through all three
phases - compare side-by-side preliminaries, semi-finals and finals through data on
band info, scores, tunes of choice and arrangers - on one page.
access full summary