New York, USA - The Brooklyn, New York Pan Yard of Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra was broken into during the very early morning hours of Thursday August 19, 2010 and vandalized. The perpetrators left the yard in disarray and completely destroyed the electrical fittings and extensions put in place to facilitate lighting for the band’s nightly rehearsals.
Band leader Keith Marcelle (and also President of USSA [United States Steelband Association]) told When Steel Talks (WST) that the acts bore the markings of deeds done “with complete malice.”
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Visiting Steelband Players fear that Homeland Security is coming to pick them up
Those who encourage unacceptable behaviors, those who instigate, agitate and act out bully or malicious behaviors do not understand the nature of the belly of the beast. When people threaten others and hours after that threat, a pan yard is destroyed, it makes you wonder. Is the beast within the agitator rising? Is the agitator losing all sense of morals, defiant of rules and regulations? The beast that rises within allow one to believe that he/she can get away with destruction of people’s property, that he/she can continue to do things that will harm others. That they are beyond the rules of society, believe it is ok to act out in a negative manner such as; the instigating a takeover of the second largest event on Labor Day and asking the police to ARREST the members of the organizers of J’Ouvert if they came out on that morning to host their competition that they have been doing for the past 20 years, not taking into consideration what could have occurred if the police had carry out his wishes. By refusing to except that democracy prevails when he was defeated in steelband election. And the latest behavior, THE THREAT TO CALL HOMELAND SECURITY ON EXCHANGE CULTURAL YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAME FROM TRINIDAD & TOBAGO to perform for Panorama, because they are not performing with his steelband. Ironically, the steelband group the visitors chose to play with, after the first night of practice someone destroyed the panyard. All the electrical wires were ripped out, toilets. etc, what a coincidence, it makes you think. Ah the beast within the belly. The agitator also conducts good behavior, however, the nature of the bad behavior which hurts people overrides the good behavior.
The above mention behavior’s belongs to Anthony “Ike” Hinds of Dem Stars, I included a few because there is a link to my theory of the belly of the beast. He negated on a verbal contract to bring the 30 young people to New York to perform for this year’s Panorama, Hinds send a letter of invite and the group was waiting for more pertinent information to submit all the documentations to immigration for approval of the visas, the group leader tried for three months to contact Hinds but was not successful. He then decided to reach out to other band leaders for help. They responded to the player’s cry gathered all the documentations needed, invitation letters, housing stay and send them to Trinidad which was submitted to immigration – the players were granted visas. Two apartments were rented from them fill with food and the necessities.
When Hinds learned that the players were in New York he immediately contacted the sponsoring groups and said that his letter was instrumental in bringing up the players and they should be playing with his band. A letter standing by itself does not warrant receiving a visa, remember he did not follow up on his promise, he did not put out the money to accommodate young people but yet he felt they are his PROPERTY AND CANNOT PLAY WITH ANY OTHER GROUP. He also informed the sponsoring groups he will call HOMELAND SECURITY ON THE YOUNG PEOPLE if they do not release the players to him. Are we not living in modern times – is human being considered property? The sponsoring groups will not bend to threat, will not yield to the bully tactics. The instigator, agitator or the bully does not do his dirty work, within the theory of the belly of the beast he sits back and allow others to do his/her dirty work, therefore, he remains free from wrong doing. Endangering people’s life and destroying the very fabric of our culture that we have promoted in this country and have adopted as our home.
It is insulting for an author to suggest that our young people who attended a practice session were hungry, they are thieves and made a conscious decision to vandalize property is “nuts”. Sesame Flyers has been in existence for several years, what level of thinker are you? I believe your name is Gospel pan, if you are thinking in that manner you do not need to be around our young people, stay away from them. Our young people are not thieves, they are not mad people, 90% of them are in school, yes, things are hard however, their parents are hard working people. The young panists in our cultural movement do not think or act in that manner. That line of thinking comes from the same line that the police commissioner is using, it is ok to stop and frisk our young black men and keep records that will harm them for the rest of our lives. The agitator is controlling your thinking. This has type of incident has never happen to Sesame Flyers before, coincidence this monstrous cowardly act took place the first night the young people practice. And for a fact Ike Hinds has been calling the leader of group stating that he is going to call HOMELAND SECURITY TO HAVE THEM DEPORTED, THE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AFRAID. My fellow people this is not a joke, these are dangerous moves and must not be condone. When I hear one of us say they will call HOMELAND SECURITY ON ANOTHER, it burns my skin, it lynches me, it makes me run through the marshes, I can feel the whip of being a property. I am asking steelband leaders to host a series of discussions around this situation. This one must not be swept under the rugs and say “you know how Ike is, he will not do it, that’s just ole talk”
Our community is growing into a wealthy community, our culture plays a major role in that growth, I am pleading with those who have control in our cultural community be careful with the loose talk because there are those who are weak and they will fulfill the loose talk task – SUCH AS THE DESTRUCTION OF A PAN YARD
Remember the beast belly can develop maggots
I truly believe that you have a good heart and that you wrote what you believe to be true; in fact, I believe most of what you wrote, but I have a problem with two things.
I have a problem with what you wrote about me and here's why...you misunderstood what I wrote.
Below are snippets of two of my posts that I made earlier.
In my post below I spoke about the possiblity of the deed being done by someone who does not play a pan:
"It's a real shame that human beings can behave that way; has anyone considered the possibility that it may have been done by none-pan people? I hope the instruments were safely locked away, otherwise it will be a big blow for the young people in particular..."
In this post below, I spoke about the possibility of someone walking in from the street doing it:
"I think we should reserve judgement until we know for sure what happened...for all we know, it could be folks who attended a practise session, saw where the food and T-Shirts were being stored & came back to get them. Times are hard and people are unemployed, so maybe these guys intend on selling the T-shirts and keeping the food...who knows?"
How on earth can you read that to mean Sesame Flyers Youths? Only a complete numb-skull would suggest that Sesame Flyers Youths broke into their own panyard to steal their own T-shirts and food and rip down wires/lighting for their own practice session. Anyone can walk in off the street and attend a Sesame Flyers practice, even crack-heads!....In fact, I was at the Sesame Flyers practice this morning at around 1am and the gate was wide open for anyone to come in and attend the practice...you really misunderstood what I wrote...I probably should have written it more clearly, but come on.
I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but come on now...you've got to give me some credit.
I don't know why you think "Ike" is controlling my thinking, but that assumption is wrong and I know you don't have a shred of evidence to back that up. However, what I will say is this...
If Ike was controlling my thinking, wouldn't I be a member of his band, DemStars?
If Ike was controlling my thinking, wouldn't I be practicing with his band for Panorama?
If Ike was controlling my thinking, wouldn't I at the very least hang around the band?
If Ike was controlling my thinking, wouldn't I have played at their last Panorama when Denzil arranged?
If Ike was controlling my thinking, why is it I've only visited their Panyard once for the year to help setup a computer?
Why would you think this?
Trust me, Ike does not control my thinking, you are wrong about that and you maybe wrong about your acusations of him breaking into the panyard, I don't know for sure because I wasn't there and I don't believe you were either and that's the other problem I have.
You have to remember that people are innocent until proven guilty; you were already wrong in regards to what I wrote because you were quick to judge without carefully reading my post or failed to ask me for an explanation. Even if Ike threatened to vandelize the yard, it still doesn't mean he did it, it would just make him a prime suspect, that's why we have "due process".
There always seems to be bachannal with pan, which is why I have distanced myself from it and since that time, I have made good progress working on my own personal projects...I only wish I had done it earlier. Every year it's the same nonsense...it's a real shame.
bugs
My warmest sympathy goes to the Sesame Flyers musicians and staff1 I hope that you wil make the extra effort to catch up with All you need again, and then make stunning performAnces to show what you are made of - I cross my fingers for you and want yOu to know that I believe you can make it! Show them what yu are made of :-)!!
Those, though, who did that, and who very obviuosly cone from a competitor orchestra, outed themselves as malevolently chldish in the worst sense, harmful for the Steel Pan community and definitely unworthy of playing this wonderful instruments They should be banned, and forced to switch to playing with garbage cans from now on, because this is how they acted here - like they were garbage! And I wish them loads of fun seeing who cones to see them play from then on - I have heard that rats are intelligent, so these idiots will have a hard time impressing even the rodent community with that they have to offer!
Jeez, this news REALLY tics me off ...If you find out who did this, LET THEM HAVE IT. Garbage cans. Full ones. I mean it!
Greetings from Germany to the Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestr and to all upright and devorted steel pan players,
~Michael
to be honest I can't see any band leader sanctioning this type of behavior; they may disagree with each other at times, but they are like brothers and they always lime together at some point or lend each other instruments and racks, etc. These band leaders have more integrity than that...at least, that's what I believe from being around them;
I think we should reserve judgement until we know for sure what happened...for all we know, it could be folks who attended a practise session, saw where the food and T-Shirts were being stored & came back to get them. Times are hard and people are unemployed, so maybe these guys intend on selling the T-shirts and keeping the food...who knows?
GP
bugs
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