Notes

Destra Garcia as you have never heard her before
- her love for the SteelPan instrument, the passion & pain behind her songwriting

Global - Destra Garcia of Trinidad and Tobago is one of the most successful and popular SOCA music artists in the world. Like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Mary J and others, Destra has cultivated and maintained a special bond with her adoring young fans who make up a large percentage of her following.  In addition to her steady stream of music hits known throughout the Caribbean and abroad, Destra is a major and regular contributor to the steelband music as a songwriter of tunes that have been routinely adapted for the steel orchestra.

In an exclusive, no-holds-barred interview with When Steel Talks (WST), Soca Diva, songstress and steelband music songwriter Destra Garcia expounds on her special relationship and love affair with the steelpan instrument, the music and culture.
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Great Steelpan Events:  

Steelpan, Technology, the 2009 PhotoPlus Expo
- and You
 

New York, NY - When Steel Talks (WST) is among the press corps at the PDN International Conference and PhotoPlus Expo, Jacob Javits Center, New York. We are here to mingle with manufacturers, observe, question and explore their philosophies and their new digital imaging products and accessories that have, and will continue to have, such a great impact on our story - the story of the global steelpan culture, art form and community.

Indeed, the tens of thousands of people who are part of our global WST network on Facebook, Ning, PanOnTheNet and more, have come to expect - in addition to full articles - high quality images, photos that tell a story about the art form, its practitioners/ musicians and fans.

We, When Steel Talks, are now equally as famed for our steelpan photography, as we are known globally for state-of-the-art recordings, video, and audio production and news coverage. Photos bring text to life - just as the key to a superior video is superior audio. Without those great, eagerly-anticipated images from our WST pan-photographers our articles would be - well - simply a grouping of characters on a screen enrapturing readers, but still leaving much to their imagination - and awaiting that final touch - photographs - to be truly brought to life.
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Bandoleros invade Brooklyn and Capture New York Championship - Sonatas Steel Orchestra style
 

New York, USA -  This one will be talked about for ages. Years from now children will ask their grandparents with great intrigue - “Were you there when dem Bandoleros called Sonatas Steel Orchestra from Brooklyn, Crown Heights, descended on the Brooklyn Museum grounds and captured New York?” And thousands will respond “yes, I was there, I saw and heard it all, it is a night I will never forget.”

With a blinding flurry of 32 second-notes (demisemiquavers), perfectly synced musical jabs that would make Muhammad Ali blush, mixed in with an overhand crushing right cross, followed by a wicked volley of musical chromatic triplets to the head - plus the dynamic delivery of a visual and choreographed set of body dips, twists and turns, finished off with solid blows to the midsection -- 1-2-3- it was over! Down and out for the count.
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Sonatas Win 2009 New York Panorama

New York, USA - Click for results

Sonatas drop
the “Wow” factor
on Panyard audience
 

New York, USA -  In addition to it being panorama time, it was pan yard recording night for the mighty Sonatas. Always up for the challenge and looking to be innovative and new, Sonatas again surprised all present. Indeed, this one was special. Sonatas had a visual impact move planned to literally stop people in their tracks.

....It is a known fact that one of the best times to catch the bands is when they are getting ready and are being recorded by Basement Recordings. The appointed time was 9:00 p.m. but at 8:15 the yard was packed and buzzing. And by one minute to 9 the full complement of 100 players of Sonatas’ finest seemed to be in place and raring to go as their musical director and arranger Yohan Popwell ran them through some last minute updates.
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The House of Champions
- CASYM, Sonatas, Despers USA, Pantonic
 

New York, USA -  The New York middle leg or ‘day two’ of the “great weekend of pan” was matched, held and sustained at the Pantonic launch. Ironically or coincidentally, while it was not originally planned that way - this launch could easily have been named the “launch of champions.” All four of this event’s participants are past New York panorama champions. Moreover, among active bands, these distinguished steelband music franchises cover every single panorama win to date except one....

In spite of the late start, steelpan fans were treated to a classic show. Anytime you bring the likes of CASYM, Sonatas, Despers USA and Pantonic together, one is in for a memorable musical experience. These four organizations represent the big guns of North American pan.
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The Sounds of the Hill
Come to Brooklyn
- Steelpan Music in the Yard
Despers USA successfully launches
the great steelband music weekend
 

New York, USA -  The New York leg of the “great weekend of pan” took off with a bang. Despers USA’s Bedford Stuyvesant’s panyard aka ‘the Pan Loft’ lit up the night under the overhead projection of a full moon that illuminated their facilities as the organization’s launch for the steelband music panorama season commenced.

The warm Summer night weather with an intermittent cool breeze, the jam-packed panyard in the later hours - with throngs of die-hard steelpan music aficionados - and of course the stellar pan music - were all there.  The only thing missing was that classic vista from the hills of Laventille looking out over the capital of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and the Caribbean waters (the Gulf of Paria). On this night, directly through the decades of sacrifice, steadfast and unwavering efforts of Despers USA, we find ourselves in another distinguished community treasured for great steelpan music, talent, tradition and high culture - Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York.
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The Bradley Years: A Fine Sampler from The BOSS
 

Global - I don’t know how smart a move it was to request a review of The Bradley Years CD by someone who, in the “Brados” composition a couple of years ago wrote lines like, “Major force/You really was de boss” and “Gifted for days/So deserving of praise”. Not much doubt, for sure, about where this reviewer’s head is with respect to Clive Bradley’s abilities.

Be that as it may, I was constrained to recall, in listening to this recording of Pantonic Steel Orchestra executing Bradley’s arrangements, something he reportedly said some years ago regarding a competing band’s Panorama piece: ”They’re putting too much music in the music.” While it probably would have been seen as a derisive comment, especially by the targeted arranger and his minions, Bradley’s pithy summation at once spoke to what on the one hand has plagued many a Panorama arrangement, and his own very lucid understanding of what such an effort should entail. Bradley studiously resisted putting too much music in the music.
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President Richards and First Lady host Panorama Winners
 

St. Ann’s, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Panorama winners, finalists, members and officers of the steelband fraternity were hosted by Their Excellencies, Professor George Maxwell Richards and First Lady Dr. Jean Ramjohn-Richards, at President’s House, St. Ann’s, recently.

The reception was in honor of the National Panorama Champions i.e. Silver Stars, CLICO Sforzata, Arima Golden Symphony and La Horquetta Pan Groove.

Patrick Arnold, President of Pan Trinbago, in thanking Their Excellencies for their hospitality for the third consecutive year stated that this gesture by the Head of State was important especially for the young people.
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Kadeem Alleyne in the Spotlight
A Steelpan man - and more...
 

New York, USA - Meet Kadeem Alleyne - this 19 year-old Berklee College of Music student is perched to add his name to the growing list of under-thirty steelpan musicians who have expanded their outlook and focus to incorporate multiple aspects of the music performance and entertainment industry.

He is one of a fresh and young group of devoted, gifted, intelligent and forward-thinking steelpan musicians all over the globe who have already begun to leave an indelible mark on the present and future of the steelpan instrument, music genre and culture. While they all stand on the shoulders of the magnificent accomplishments and great sacrifices of the pan people of the past, make no mistake - they are charting and navigating a new course with their own ideas, concepts and expectations.  WST takes a look at the path of Kadeem to this point in his journey.
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Results from Pan Alive 2009 in Toronto, Canada Steelband Panorama
Salah’s Steelpan Academy Wins
3^rd Consecutive Steelband Music Title!
 

Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Congratulations are in order for Salah’s Steelpan Academy which won its third consecutive title at the annual Pan Alive Competition held last night at the Lamport Stadium. The Montreal-based steelpan music organization edged out New Dimension Steel Band by just three points. The record-setting third consecutive Pan Alive title was the second ‘top honor’ in 2009 for Salah’s Steelpan Academy which also captured the Montreal 2009 Panorama title in July.
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Hell’s Gates Steel Orchestra Wins Antigua & Barbuda 2009 National Panorama Title
Khan Cordice is winning arranger!
 

Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. - Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra - the oldest band in Antigua & Barbuda, made history again for 2009 by copping Panorama championship honors, beating out four other competitors. And they did this with the youngest arranger in the competition - Khan Cordice - at their helm. The 2009 Antigua & Barbuda National Panorama was held at Carnival City (aka the Antigua Recreation Grounds), St. John’s, on the penultimate night of July with a large crowd of music lovers in attendance. Five steel orchestras participated in this year’s show - Ebonites, Gemonites, Halcyon, Harmonites and Hell’s Gate. Ebonites performed well-known Antigua calypsonian the Mighty Swallow’s Rudeboy Bacchanal (from 1983), as arranged by Aubrey “Lacu” Samuel.
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Condolences to the family and friends of Jay Mckenzie

New York - When Steel Talks extends our condolences to the family and friends of Jay Mckenzie of Sesame Flyers Steel Orchestra.

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CSI Steelband Trust appears at the 5th Afrique-Carib Festival
 

Netherlands - After months of planning and laborious work by their pannists, CSI Steelband Trust was ready for their Festival performance in Almere, Netherlands. On Saturday the 4th July 2009 all twenty-four members of CSI arrived at their panyard based in the Ravenscourt Theatre School in Hammersmith, London in the wee hours to load their coach and start their eight hour journey to Holland. Their journey from Hammersmith to Dover was uneventful with everyone catching ‘forty winks’ owing to the early start. Once on the ferry to Calais, France they came alive exploring the duty free shops and restaurants on board. A card game with the loser drinking a glass of water was soon introduced. The journey time elapsed so quickly that they were all surprised that they had reached the French coastline in such a short time. The English Channel was very calm on that morning.
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BOMB Competition precedes
2009 Grenada Steelband Panorama
Angel Harps come out tops
 

St. George’s, Grenada, W.I. - The Steel Pan was in the spotlight last Saturday as a very exciting weekend of sweet pan music started the build up to Spicemas and Panorama 2009. The 2009 Bomb Tune competition that formed part of the Panorama Launch produced a show of extremely high standard, and an astounding turnout of patrons. The Tivoli Hard Court in St. Andrew’s was the venue that played host to the eight steelbands which will compete in the 2009 Panorama finals on Saturday August 8^th at the country’s National Stadium.

Performing an Andy Chichester arrangement of August Is The Time, Republic Bank Angel Harps came out on top. They were followed by New Dimensions and Rainbow City All Stars, respectively.
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Siparia Deltones Steel Orchestra taking Pan from Siparia, Trinidad to Ontario, Canada
 

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - The Siparia Deltones Steel Orchestra will perform for audiences totaling approximately 40,000 in Canada next month. They will perform at the Barrie Caribbean Festival (Caribfest) and will also be the featured guests at the One World International Drumming Festival. The Trinidad and Tobago Entertainment Company Limited (T&T Ent) has helped to support the Orchestra’s two-month stay that will include performances and workshop facilitation. 

....The workshop series will include elements of steelpan history, awareness and maintenance, making of the steelpan, steelpan playing techniques, the science of music, performance and steelband arranging.
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STRANDED! NYC Bands Marooned
2009 Harbor View Festival Steelbands Reign
 

New York, USA - The bake and salt fish (another great Caribbean dish) was simply awesome. Just writing about it - is making me yearn for some more right now. The weather and ambience were spectacular. Location - central Brooklyn, New York outside Utopia Pan Soul - The Next Generation’s panyard. And therein lies the problem. The geographical locator for this story was suppose to say ‘Baltimore, Maryland.’

This year When Steel Talks bummed a ride with part of the New York contingent of steel bands participating in Baltimore’s annual Harbor View Festival. As in the past the event featured groups from the Northeast region of the USA - D.C., Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. The groups were competing for the Carlos Lezama Challenge Trophy and the Pan Trinbago People’s Choice Award.
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Salah Wilson:
a Man with a Vision, a Plan and
a Point of Execution
 

Montreal, Quebec, Canada - The steelpan music movement - or the world for that matter - has never had a shortage of dreamers and procrastinators who can always find a reason why something ‘cannot happen.’ However, there are a distinct few individuals who consistently buck that notion, by their simple know-how to get things done.

Upon meeting Mr. Wilson you come into the immediate realization that this is one serious hombre. His years of experience in the steelpan music movement have bolstered him with as many years of knowledge, as to what he can reasonably expect from a given situation and more importantly - what it would take to get to the next level. He exhibits those qualities that most successful people have, which are - an expectation for success, a taste of success, and a non-failure option.
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