United Kingdom - The first time I saw Despers (the legendary Desperadoes Steel Orchestra hailing from Laventille in Trinidad), I was with my brother Norman in 1981. They were performing at the Birmingham Odeon, as part of their UK tour. The whole aud
Read more…Mia Gormandy in Concert - Northern Illinois Panist Shines
Illinois, USA - “The thing that has impressed me the most about Mia has been her personality. In addition to her talent and work ethic, she is a wonderful person to be around. When Mia first
Celebration of Women and the Steelpan Art Form Keva Margetson Antigua & Barbuda- The late Keva Margetson of Antigua was an avid supporter of all the historical and cultural things that make people of the Caribbean both unique and great. There are th
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Many can talk the talk - but few can walk the walk. Panist Jonathan Scales without a doubt is ‘walking the walk.’ On his sophomore release called Plot/Scheme, Scales takes the listener not only into unexpected territory, but clearly uncharted real-es
Billy Ocean ON TOUR WITH EBONY
Why steel bands?
"I've been doing that since I was in Trinidad as a little kid. One of the hurtful things when I came to England was that I had to leave my (steel drum) pan and my dog behind." ... Billy Ocean
Ebony St
The Dedication of Debra
Pan Player, Arranger & Educator
United Kingdom - Debra Romain is a dedicated pan player in the UK. A classically trained musician, Debra has been teaching pan in schools and within different bands she has spent time with, fo
The Calypso and its derivatives remain that intrinsic, artistic thread that weaves the creative cloth of history, documenting and storytelling through live performances for the masses. The late Lord Blakie was one of the true great masters of this cr
Read more…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 panoram
Read more…DeKalb, Ill. — Less than a minute after Robert Chappell first heard steelpannist Liam Teague’s “hands like lightning,” the Northern Illinois University professor knew what he must do.
“When Liam first came to NIU in January of 1993, everybody obviou
Panman Ian Beckles gets his wish LMS experiences Carnival 2K9 Trinidad - Carnival 2009 has become a time to remember for peripatetic pan tutor - Trinidadian Ian “Cokie” Beckles, and the nineteen members of the Luton Music Service (LMS) for whom he
Read more…The Rainmakers - A Production
by Steelpan Women
Trinidad - The Rainmakers (the result of a collaborative production between two steelpan women: Franka-Hills Headley and Dr. Jeannine Remy) comprises of the San Fernando-based Golden Hands Steel Orches
A British Pan Woman
Rachel Hayward
United Kingdom - This March marks the 25th anniversary of my involvement with pan. Forty years ago pans were introduced into British schools through the efforts of renowned pan pioneers such as Gerald Forsyth and
Panorama on the Net 2009
In the last few weeks, hundreds of thousands of pan historians, fans and players hooked into the When Steel Talks online network and site seeking to gain and/or share information on the panorama happenings, and become associ
An Analysis and Review of Trinidad and Tobago’s2009 National Steelband Panorama by Dr. Jeannine Remy Trinidad, W.I. - The format of a panorama tune has evolved because of the early innovations of arrangers who actually gave the judges ideas for the
Read more…Panorama 2009 - Oui Foote! By Queen Macoomeh According to de ole kaiso "Ah wasn dey, Ah wasn dey" but ah still see it an hear it doh. If yuh see me. I in meh duster, two pair'ah socks, vicks all up nearly in meh pweffen. Ah coughin an sneezin an wat
Read more…Trinidad, W.I. - The stars came out, and they did shine!! Silver Stars Steel Orchestra, that is. Making history as they did so, the band which calls Tragarete Road in Woodbrook, Trinidad their home, had three “firsts” at the end of the competition.
Read more…With a score of 469 Silver Stars Steel Orchestra became the new champions of the large bands category in the Trinidad and Tobago steelband panorama competition. They edged out the defending champions Phase II Pan Groove by a point. This victory is th
Read more…Arrangers Yohan Popwell and Terrance “BJ” Marcelle prove their musical mettle in the final phase Trinidad and Tobago - Unlike the old days when panorama competitions ran much later into the wee hours of the morning, results for the finals of the med
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There are musical compositions, arrangements, and performances that are undeniably musical gems. Moreover they are true classics that have weathered the test of time. These classics continue to shine irrespective of the era, changes in musical taste
