Toronto’s Afropan Steelband helps Bermuda Celebrate 400th Anniversary

Hamilton, Bermuda, W.I. - Very much in the belief that “you have to know where you come from in order to know where you are going,” as Bermuda celebrates its 400th Anniversary, they have chosen to include African traditions during the Bermuda Day Parade on Monday May 25, according to the Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation and the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs. In this vein, the island welcomes stilt-walkers/Mocko Jumbies from Africa and St. Kitts, and Toronto’s very own Afropan Steelband as the country seeks the fabled advantage to “look into the future.” ....Bermuda welcomes both the Mocko Jumbies and Afropan Steelband for Bermuda Day 2009 - the latter upon their arrival on May 21. Joining other celebrants, the steelband plays on the road for Bermuda’s Heritage Day on Monday, before returning to Toronto, Canada on May 26. click for more

Replies

Claudius Phillips May 21, 2009 at 5:56pm

This is a remarkable feat givenBermuders recent History and its exclusion of africans as a general rule.
Kevin Gowrie May 21, 2009 at 2:03pm

Good day guys, my apologies if I stepped on anyone's toes. It was not my intention to spark a debate about the merits of panists and orchestras worldwide watever their origins. I simply made what I believe to be a genuine observation and I did ask the question. Anyway I do admire the work that guys like earl and paul is doing and I salute you so no disrespect to players or organizations. And by the way I'm trini too, and I've been around panyards and panorama competions for the past 30 yrs, except for the last seven during which I live abroad, but I do go home yearly. No hard feelings, one love, let pan continue to be the winner, pan is meh jumbie!
Joseph Jackman May 21, 2009 at 9:30am

Some of the postings to this thread are so typical of some West Indians, They put their mouth in action before puting their brains in gear!
Earl is a friend of mine, and as mentioned he lives pan! you cannot be more Caribbean than that family!
- st clair balthazar > Joseph Jackman May 21, 2009 at 10:07am
  
  i would like to apologise to any one that this has offended i think the gist of the conversation was not ntended to insult anyone especially the steelband players and afropan and of course Earl la piere, so there is no use for us to hurl insults at each other I think mr Gowrie made a good point in reference to our neighbours not realizing that the island of bermuda is to far North 600 miles due east of cape hattaras in north carolina to be considered part of the caribbean and Mr smith is perfectly right, Bermuda Is not part of the Caribbean. But this topic is a healthy topic for all Steel bands in the americas because all our various promoters who does not see the steelband as an integral part of their Carnival productions will always keep the steelband in the background. New generation branches is located in Orland florida has been in existence for the last twenty two years and has had the opportunity to be actively involved in many great steelband activities just this past weekend we promoted a weekend of pan at our pan yard with great success that involved bands from the state of florida i have been involved in pan all my life and will continue to do so promoting our national instrument as one of the greatest musical instrument in the twentieth century,with this said i leave you with great respect.
  - Mr. Riteous > st clair balthazar May 21, 2009 at 1:46pm
    
    My respects to you as well Mr. Balthazar, you should know that my play with word wasn’t meant to harm, I was just defending a plan that has been about 3 years in the making. And its hard to feel guilty, because opportunity knocked and you were there to open the door. Looking back now I realize that.. I too must Apologize.. too quick to judge without knowing. But the call of the drums is unforgiving and you know very few of us ever truly get appreciated or paid, for some it’s the pursuit fame, for others just to convert someone new and show them the versatility of the instrument and yet others the joy to teach and pass on the knowledge
    But for me and my big mouth
    Its all about the late night going over the song
    The correcting of the notes that were wrong
    The knocking of the pan, that turn into a pound
    In your head… while you in bed.
    The getting up late, the reaching to work late
    The falling asleep on the train
    The feeling of pain..in your leg.. while you beg
    That tonight Earl don’t take too long, to finish the song
    The ringing in my ears that wont go away
    The cussing from the wife when you ent hear what she say
    The kids who notice that you never dey
    Cause you always home late worried about the band’s fate
    The falling asleep with a nice plate of food in your hand
    Sometime you so tired you cant stand up and be a man
    The patient wife who understand
    That its Caribana again and after all you are a pan man
    So she meet you by the door put your pan sticks in your hand
    While you look her dead in her eye and say
    “ Darling …this is meh last year wid the band”
    
    So I do hope you stick around doing what you doing for a long time still
    God Bless!
    Alex
Kevin Gowrie May 20, 2009 at 6:19pm

Nuff respect to the steelpan and steelpan players world over but why would Bermuda bring a steelband from Canada to celebrate it's 400th anniversary. What about their caribbean neighbours, especially knowing that the instrument was invented there (trinidad) , maybe I'm missing something, I think it's an insult to caribbean people.
- Mr. Riteous > Kevin Gowrie May 21, 2009 at 1:30am
  
  Mr. Gowrie sa I think you really dont Understand
  We in Afropan REPRESENT the Caribbean
  We have Grenadian, St Lucian, Bajan, Antiguian,
  Ah Tobagonian, a lot ah Trini Man & Woman and even 2 Jamacians
  It have a girl does come all the way from Japan,
  Boy! she heart shape like a tenor pan, so she have to qualify as Caribbean Woman
  We arranger. He born in Trini but now live in the Cayman
  Spend bout 40 years of he life as a Canadian
  Creating what is today Afropan,
  That gave birth to a few other Canadian steelbands
  He also introduce Pan in every little area that he can
  So Kevin, So St. Clair. I want YOU to tell me as man
  What have YOU ever done for PAN ?????
  To qualify you to even comment on My Band
  Participation.....in a Bermudian...., Celebration
  
  Dont Worry Paul I got your back!
  Alex
- st clair balthazar > Kevin Gowrie May 20, 2009 at 7:42pm
  
  this has always been the mind set of caribbean people we will forsake what is right at our door step for something considered foreign or out of town i have personally experience this in florida
  where a band was brought from out of state at an astronomical cost when they could have hired a local band for a lot less and close to the same calibre with all due respect to the canadian band but i think you hit the nail right on the head, hats of to you kevin Gowrie for your keen observation.
  - Kevin Gowrie > st clair balthazar May 20, 2009 at 8:07pm
    
    thanks for the support st clair, you can expect to hear more from me!
Mr. Riteous May 20, 2009 at 6:09pm

Big Up Afropan !!
Yes that's My Band
I could tell you dat seriously as man
And its not because I'm Trini and suppose to love Pan
Its because we push and promote the pan culture every chance we can.
Forsaking sleep, work, boyfriend and even we woman
For the sweet pleasures of caressing we steelpan
While joining in the Celebration
In the Cultural Heritage of the Bermudian
Recognizing 400 years of existence, as a truly wonderful Nation.

Yeah ! Yeah !