Web Posted - Tuesday November 30, 2021
When Steel Talks

Historic Day for Barbados Celebrated with Steelpan Instrument

Pride of Nationhood: Declaration of the Republic and Installation of the President of Barbados

The National Youth Steel Orchestra of the Republic of Barbados

Bridgetown, Barbados, W.I. - Barbados replaced Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as head of state, forging a new republic with its first-ever President, Her Excellency Sandra Mason (the former Governor General), and severed its last remaining colonial bonds nearly 400 years after the first English ships arrived on the Caribbean island.

....Several artists, including Barbados’ 100-plus-player National Youth Steel Orchestra, performed as part of the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony events to mark the birth of the new Republic of Barbados on November 29, 2021.
More, see video

Web Posted - Saturday November 27, 2021
The Guardian

‘They’re enjoying themselves a bit too much!’:   the steel band leader getting Stockport dancing

Janice Turley has led the band of visually impaired players for 10 years – for free. The Guardian Angel helps her repair a beloved childhood toy

Janice Turley runs the steel band for the visually and hearing impaired in Stockport every Tuesday

Stockport, Greater Manchester, England - When Janice Turley was 39, she was focused on her career as a teacher – perhaps a little too focused. She’d retrained after bringing up her children and was in her second year as a primary school teacher in Hulme, Manchester. Often she’d put in 70-hour weeks. One of the school governors said she needed a night off.

The governor took Turley to see a steel band at a local school. It was taught by British-Trinidadian musician Arthur Culpeper, one of the pioneers of steel band music in the UK. The room was big and draughty, but the atmosphere was brilliant. “There was a chattery buzz,” says Turley. Learning to play steel pan was addictive. Culpeper was gentle and patient with newcomers. “Arthur stuck me on the bass,” Turley remembers, “I never looked back.”

Thirty years on, and Turley, now 69, teaches steel pan to a group of 15 visually and hearing impaired adults down the road in Stockport.
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Web Posted - Sunday November 28, 2021
When Steel Talks

Pan In Motion Meets the Challenge of Performing in the Age of COVID

performances by: Steel Sensation, Pan Evolution, Garvin Blake, Frankie McIntosh & Josh Quillen

Steel Sensation

Brooklyn, New York, USA - ....Pan In Motion, the brainchild of Kendall K. Williams whose stated mission it is to “promote Steel Pan while creating opportunities and providing resources for those with a love and passion for the instrument that will enable them to make their visions become reality,” has taken the charge in providing innovative and creative solutions to navigate this ‘new normal’ performing environment. 

 In this regard, Pan In Motion streamed a pre-recorded collection of performances featuring some of Brooklyn’s outstanding steelpan musicians and orchestras. This project was labeled Homegrown 2 with performances by Steel Sensation, Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra, a solo by Josh Quillen and a duet by Garvin Blake & Frankie McIntosh.
More, see video

Web Posted - Friday November 19, 2021
Loop News

Ancilla Kirby challenges negative perception of Laventille

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - ....Ancilla Kirby, who hails from Success Village, Laventille, has a dream of helping the masses – especially marginalised groups - and she believes that politics is the stepping-stone to achieving this.

....Kirby, who has a degree in History from the University of the West Indies (UWI), has been accepted to the UWI’s Cave Hill campus to pursue law.

....She said she will continue to challenge the negative perception people have about Laventille.

“It’s been identified as a place where there are a lot of social ills. On the news, if something negative has happened, the area would always would be first and foremost in the headline. But, crime doesn’t pinpoint a single area.”

She said when she started searching for jobs, she encountered a lot of discrimination.

“I went through having my resume turned down, and even sent back to me, both based on the area I am from and because people felt that a History degree would not be useful. I even experienced some of this with educators. I was treated differently; I was treated as if I had a learning disability.”
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Web Posted - Friday November 19, 2021
When Steel Talks

Happy Birthday to Opera Singer/Performing Artist Anne Fridal - November 19

Opera singer Anne Fridal (right) with the late Clive Bradley

United Kingdom - When Steel Talks (WST) extends Happy Birthday greetings to Anne Fridal.

Anne holds the distinction of being the first woman to have sung with almost every major steel orchestra coming out of Trinidad and Tobago. These steel orchestras include Phase II Pan Groove, Renegades, Desperadoes, Trinidad All Stars and Exodus. She also performed with New York’s CASYM Steel Orchestra.
Leave message & greetings

Web Posted - Tuesday November 16, 2021
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

NCC, interest groups in talks on Carnival for the vaccinated

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore will meet with the National Carnival Commission (NCC) on Wednesday to decide what kind of event is possible for a Carnival 2022, if there is one.

....Ramsey-Moore said whatever the pan body does will not be labelled a Panorama but just an event, though she stressed, “We look forward to any type of steelpan event that can generate revenue for Trinidad and Tobago.”

....“Panorama is not just going on stage and performing. Panorama is a community activity which starts months before the finals.

“Pan in itself is about large gatherings and all of that...We meet with NCC tomorrow to discuss an event that can take place in a bubble and also we are, at this time, trying to get as much pan people vaccinated as possible.”

Ramsey-Moore said there has been a serious pushback in the pan community and a questionnaire has been sent out to member bands to determine what percentage of its membership is vaccinated.
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Web Posted - Friday November 12, 2021
When Steel Talks

Pantonic Steel Orchestra - “In My House” - New York Panorama Performance

Pantonic Steel Orchestra with arranger Clive Bradley on stage at the 1999 New York Panorama

Brooklyn, New York, USA - This is the championship performance of Pantonic Steel Orchestra on stage at the 1999 New York Panorama, playing “In My House” arranged by the master himself, Clive Bradley.
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Web Posted - Thursday November 11, 2021
When Steel Talks - Reboot

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.
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Web Posted - Wednesday November 10, 2021
When Steel Talks

Pantonic Steel Orchestra - “In My House” - (‘Panyard’ version - Video)

Clive Bradley - Arranger

Pantonic Steel Orchestra with arranger Clive Bradley

Brooklyn, New York, USA - In 1999 master arranger Clive Bradley makes his triumphant return to New York after a seven-year absence. Mr. Bradley will lead Pantonic Steel Orchestra to their first Panorama championship.

Here, Basement Recordings captures the panyard performance of the orchestra’s Panorama selection, “In My House.”
See video...

Web Posted - Sunday November 7, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live the Experience

Metro Steel Orchestra - “Dingolay” - (‘Panyard’ version - Audio)

Panyard Recording

New York, USA - Shadow’s “Dingolay” as arranged by the late, great Clive Bradley, is considered by many to be one of his great masterpieces. The year is 1992, and Metro Steel Orchestra, under the musical guidance of Bradley, has won two consecutive New York Panoramas.
Listen

Web Posted - Friday November 5, 2021
When Steel Talks - Exclusive - Reboot

A Chat With Clive Bradley - Master Arranger, Composer, Producer - Up-Close!

An exclusive 2000 interview with the late great steelpan music arranger Clive Bradley

Global - Over the course of approximately a little over two decades, members of WST (When Steel Talks) interacted closely with the late Clive Bradley in various capacities - i.e., musicians, players, engineers and journalists. The following is one of a series of WST interviews with Clive Bradley that gives further and deeper insight into the man, his life and his music.

In this exclusive interview with When Steel Talks - musician, writer, composer and arranger Clive Bradley shares some personal philosophies, experiences, thoughts on the pan, music and the human condition.
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Web Posted - Tuesday November 2, 2021
When Steel Talks

Beyond Kissing Babies - Shaking Hands, Visiting Steel Orchestra Panyards and Broken Promises

The Death March of New York Pan and Culture

Eric Adams & Tony Joseph

Brooklyn, New York, USA - ....From 2014 to present Eric Adams has served as Brooklyn’s Borough President. His fortunes have gone very well politically in that period. And unless there is an unforeseen upset Eric Adam will become the next mayor of New York City in a day or so. Conversely, the fortunes of the New York steelband community has gone south in that same time period, becoming progressively worse. Indeed, there is enough blame to go around - from sleazy and corrupt promoters of pan events; envious, inept, distrustful, and short-sighted band leaders, and, of course, traitorous politicians.

Will the neglected New York steelband community finally benefit from Eric Adams if he becomes Mayor of New York City, where they didn’t while he was Brooklyn Borough president? His promises went unfilled since then; so what’s in store for the steelband art form’s community and future in New York?
See  more...

2020 Trinidad and Tobago National Steelband Panorama Info - Complete

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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