It's about time That Steelband People Speak Out. Every Year Steel-bands in NY Preparing for Panorama Competition are Harassed by The NYPD Shutting downs the Bands in the Middle of Their Practice Sessions.
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Tru Dat... That has been the experience of many of our expat folk as a migrant to foreign shores... More reasons to enjoy the limes when back home of a visit,ent...
If this goes on even in industrial areas, then the problem is not imagined it is real. In TO, AfroPanYard is in such an area and community relations are respectable. Rehearsals and blockos are off-hours and the end of practice, we head home for the next day's work, which is good.
Cecil hinkson > Andre-Roger DelleviAugust 26, 2014 at 5:38pm
The long and short of this situation is, we are a people that like to lime, take a drink, and talk shit by the pan yard, when you live in a strange land they don't have anything like that, so when they see you doing yuh stuff some feel intimidated others are jealous and want to shut you down. You have to start early so you could finish early.
Mercer Ramdoo > Cecil hinksonAugust 30, 2014 at 1:04am
Cecil, if they start early and finish early, they'll find something else to bitch about. OK, they do not have to be LOUD to sound good. The double parking and the fragrance of piss are annoying factors. We have to make it work, but trinis have strange ways of mucking things up.
It's Harassment. Even Steel bands that Rehearse in Industrial Areas are Shut Down. It's A Power Trip by the Powers that be. They think that whenever Young Black People are Gathered there must be Trouble. So they show who is in Control. I know this for Sure by seeing their Actions through the Years.
Bertel Gittens > VALENTINE YOUNGAugust 26, 2014 at 1:35pm
Reminds me of the history of Capt. Baker back in those days.
There is Lack of Tolerance towards the Steel Bands. Most of the People who are not of Trini decent are Less Tolerable. They Consider the Steel bands to Be a Noisy Bunch of People making noise on Steel Drums. No one considers the Revenue that The Panorama Brings into the City. They throw away the Baby with the Bathwater. Cultural Conflict.
Constantly harassed by police? Not really... the few times we have been shut down the police have been professional about it, simply coming in and saying we need to pack it in for the night 'cause it's after eleven, the agreed-upon cutoff time between bands and the police (in certain areas of Brooklyn at least). In fact a stronger case could be made that the neighbors are constantly harassed by steelbands and the level of volume they push every night. Especially now that bands have to relocate on an annual basis, you have neighborhoods that are used to the way things are and suddenly there is a steelband in their midst. Imagine if for years you go to bed every night at 10pm to wake up at 6am for work, and all of a sudden a rock band starts practicing every single night next door. Or a nightclub opens up downstairs from you. You would be less than pleased. I know it's fashionable to hate on the police these days but try to have some perspective. Myself, I'm thankful that bands are allowed to do what they do where they do it because to be honest, this is not T&T where late night steelband practices are commonly accepted; this is one of the densest residential areas in the world, where people from all walks of life are piled on top of each other. That steelbands can continue to practice their craft in the middle of all of that is astonishing and I hope it can continue, but casting blame everywhere is not going to help things. Like several persons here have said, try to fix it from within: set earlier start times, run practice more efficiently, cut down on the weed smoking, reach out to the neighbors. But don't curse the NYPD for doing their job.
Good post Noah, It was also said that a parking problem is created and additional noise from spectators, it's just that the authorities want the place shut down after 11pm, less police to be paid.
Replies
The long and short of this situation is, we are a people that like to lime, take a drink, and talk shit by the pan yard, when you live in a strange land they don't have anything like that, so when they see you doing yuh stuff some feel intimidated others are jealous and want to shut you down. You have to start early so you could finish early.
Cecil, if they start early and finish early, they'll find something else to bitch about. OK, they do not have to be LOUD to sound good. The double parking and the fragrance of piss are annoying factors. We have to make it work, but trinis have strange ways of mucking things up.
Reminds me of the history of Capt. Baker back in those days.
Constantly harassed by police? Not really... the few times we have been shut down the police have been professional about it, simply coming in and saying we need to pack it in for the night 'cause it's after eleven, the agreed-upon cutoff time between bands and the police (in certain areas of Brooklyn at least). In fact a stronger case could be made that the neighbors are constantly harassed by steelbands and the level of volume they push every night. Especially now that bands have to relocate on an annual basis, you have neighborhoods that are used to the way things are and suddenly there is a steelband in their midst. Imagine if for years you go to bed every night at 10pm to wake up at 6am for work, and all of a sudden a rock band starts practicing every single night next door. Or a nightclub opens up downstairs from you. You would be less than pleased. I know it's fashionable to hate on the police these days but try to have some perspective. Myself, I'm thankful that bands are allowed to do what they do where they do it because to be honest, this is not T&T where late night steelband practices are commonly accepted; this is one of the densest residential areas in the world, where people from all walks of life are piled on top of each other. That steelbands can continue to practice their craft in the middle of all of that is astonishing and I hope it can continue, but casting blame everywhere is not going to help things. Like several persons here have said, try to fix it from within: set earlier start times, run practice more efficiently, cut down on the weed smoking, reach out to the neighbors. But don't curse the NYPD for doing their job.
Well said
Good post Noah, It was also said that a parking problem is created and additional noise from spectators, it's just that the authorities want the place shut down after 11pm, less police to be paid.
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