Notes

Global  - Neville Jules turned 82 last week.  At the Duke Street panyard, even the young players call him Cap. They see him around Hell Yard, a shrine to pan, but can’t fully fathom his weight. Founder of Trinidad All Stars, Jules led the band and arranged its music for 25 years or so. In either capacity, Cap wasn’t easy. If he were alive, badjohn Big Sarge would tell you he owed his failed confrontations with his nemesis to band discipline. And Invaders, the Harps of Woodbrook, can testify, though begrudgingly, to his groovy road music.  As sweet as a lickin’.

Cap migrated to the States in ’71, and many a band was glad, not for him, but for that.
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Maryland, USA  - Holiday weekend - check; great weather - check; spacious venue - check; dedicated steelband event organizers - check; eager and talented groups of steelpan musicians, anxious to unveil their repertoire - check; delicious and irresistible Caribbean-style cuisine for purchase - check; enticing carnival costumes for the upcoming Carnival on display - check; overall well-produced event, chock full of steelband music - check; enthusiastic crowd of steelband music lovers - check!!  And so it was that all was in place for the 11th annual Steelband Jamboree unveiled by the committed organizers and hosts of the show - Pan Masters Steelband Organization (PMSO).

As timely as one thirty in the afternoon early-bird patrons, some with their own chairs slung over their shoulders, could be seen making a beeline for the best spots in anticipation for the jamboree performances to come. PMSO members scurried about putting final touches on everything that would go in to the staging of what would overall be a great show.
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Maryland, USA - When Steel Talks (WST) departed Brooklyn at 5:40 a.m. to catch the 8:05 Washington-bound Amtrak train stopping off at 11:04 a.m. in Maryland - the site of the 2009 Pan Masters Steelband Jamboree.

WST left with a lot of anticipation, in terms of expecting much from what this year’s line up of steelbands would present. In addition to many of the Maryland-area steelbands, this year Long Island-based ADLIB Steel Orchestra - the 2008 New York panorama champions - would be participating. And based on past performances, the expectations were high for a very entertaining event. After all this was the 11th annual steelband jamboree. Simply put: if you don’t know what you are doing by now, you will never know.
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Global - The time period is whenever - the setting and place is wherever - and the agenda is good music. That’s pretty much all you need to know about producer, performer, composer and recording artist Andy Narell's latest project called the “University of Calypso” - soon to be released on the Heads-up label. This time Narell teams up with noted Calypso singer “Relator” (real name Willard Harris) to produce another musical nugget that showcases the steelpan instrument and it's often associated sidekick, Calypso music, in a major way.

According to the Heads-Up promotional material, ‘Relator, a major known talent of the Calypso music genre brings his special brand of storytelling, humor and musicality to the project. What’s more, 15 unforgettable compositions by legends of calypso such as Lord Kitchener, Lord Melody, Mighty Terror, Roaring Lion, Spider, and Relator himself - are presented by the Narell/Relator tandem.’ We indeed concur.

In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks (WST) Andy shares his thoughts on this, his latest musical venture, and a host of other steelpan music matters.
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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.
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New York, USA - In a couple of days the legendary Mr. Neville Jules will celebrate his 82nd birthday.

There are a collective few who bear the distinction of being universally recognized as members of that unique, and special fraternity we at When Steel Talks refer to as Giants and Titans of “Pan and the Steelpan Movement.” Through their intellect, talents, genius, innovativeness, sacrifices, foresight and leadership they forged a path to greatness for a marvelous invention known as ‘Pan’ - all the while showcasing the genius and indomitable spirit of man.

Mr. Neville Jules is without doubt one of these Titans.
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New York, New York - The NYU Steel Pan Ensemble, under the direction of Josh Quillen, recently took the stage of New York University’s Loewe Theatre to present an evening full of music for steel band. In addition to his work with So Percussion, Quillen has performed with numerous steel drumming ensembles all over the country, and brings his diverse knowledge of the instrument to the ensemble.
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Denmark - His bio states that the sound of Trinidadian steel drums are reinvented and combined with contemporary pop music to create the global fusion that is the outcome of his approach - and that he is an accomplished steel panist, singer and songwriter who continues to push the boundaries of modern music with his very own brand of global music, which is “steel drum textured, vocal layered and steeped in the traditions of American Rock, Funk, R&B, and Jazz.”

All of the above is very true - but there is much more to Gregory Boyd - the artist. He has that intangible and unquantifiable quality that makes one go “wow.”
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Massachusetts, USA - Over the most recent decade Boston has experienced fluctuations in steelpan musicianship. In the last year there have been two heartening developments which manifest themselves at the 7th Annual Spring Concert of Steelbands. There is an increase in the number of ensembles and a movement to change the pan teaching paradigm.

As a pan music enthusiast, I have observed other conditions that impact the sound of Boston pan, and Sunday’s concert also presented the differences in various dimensions. Pan Xpressions is the smallest group and most recently formed. One recalls Panazz Players at an Xpressions performance and its presentation maintained that perception.
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Vancouver, BC, Canada - Filmmaker Ricardo Scipio has announced that his third feature film, “Finder of Lost Children” will be premiering at the Hollywood Black Film Festival in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Theater #1, Wednesday, June 3, at 3:00 p.m.

The film features an original pan score by Danish recording artist/ panist/arranger/composer Sune Borregaard.

Created without any funding, and relying solely on the loyalty and support of a volunteer cast and crew, the film was shot in 26 days in and around Vancouver in the spring of 2007. Scipio previously wrote and directed the feature films “When” and “Watershed.”
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France - Many times in the arts you come across talent and work that are so compelling that words are not needed, and language is not a barrier. Indeed such is the case with the work of François Lachèze.

François, who is a steelpan lover and former pan player has graciously agreed to allow When Steel Talks (WST) to spotlight his work, passion and love for the steelpan artform through his images.
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The first concerto ever written for steelpan and orchestra

Illinois, USA - “Concerto for Steelpan and Orchestra” - the work of composer and educator Dr. Jan Bach of Northern Illinois University (NIU) - was most recently performed by NIU baccalaureate and soon to be Masters candidate, panist Mia Gormandy. Originally written for then student, world-renowned panist Liam Teague (and now-Assistant Professor of Steel Pan and co-director of NIU’s steelband) back in 1994, it has since been performed throughout the USA and as far afield as Prague, capital of the Czech Republic.

Dr. Bach has taught at NIU for almost forty years, and has under his belt a comprehensive body of work written for nearly every acoustic instrument and/or ensemble, including eight or nine solo concertos with orchestra and five brass quintets. He has since additionally penned the thirty-minute “Songs of the Streetwise,” for choir, soloists, and a small steelband with percussion, based on poems by Chicago’s homeless people. This illustrious and innovative musician/educator shares with When Steel Talks the impetus behind his initial involvement with the steelpan, classical music written for the instrument, and his overall thoughts on the movement to date.
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Andy Akiho rewrites script for the steelpan instrument at the Manhattan School of Music

New York, USA - There have been many, many great musical moments in the history of New York and this past Friday another great moment occurred at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music (MSM). Indeed, the institution has a ninety-year history of music-making in New York City.

New York may always be known as Bradley’s town - so named after the late great master arranger - but on this Friday night in upper Manhattan, the Big Apple belonged to Andy Akiho and his superb collection of talented fellow musicians. Moreover, the music and performances on this evening at the MSM blazed a new path and understanding for the steelpan instrument as part of the institution’s revolutionary Master of Music Contemporary Performance Program.
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Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Trinidad and Tobago missed a golden opportunity to ‘sell’ steelband to the visiting heads of states who came for the 5th Summit of the Americas. Try to imagine the level of publicity that could have been generated if we had given a tenor pan, a stand, a case and a pair of sticks to each visiting head of state.

Look at the sudden rise in popularity of a book given by Mr. Chavez to Mr. Obama, it became an instant bestseller. All the front pages of our dailies carried a photo of the US president playing a batting stroke with his gift from Brian Lara.

These two incidents indicated to me that we are still a bit shy when it comes to our national instrument. It would have cost us a miniscule part of the summit budget to have our finest Tuners prepare thirty-three tenors for the visitors - each engraved with the head of state’s name to personalize the gift.
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Texas, USA - The 12th annual Inside Out Steelband Festival featured Leon “Foster” Thomas performing his original music last week at the One World Theatre in Austin, Texas.

This event showcased steelbands from McCallum High School, Covington Middle School, and Bowie High School alongside a world-renowned steel drum performer. Previous years have featured Ray Holman, Liam Teague, Tom Miller, Ras Iginga, and Andy Narell.
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New York - Steelband arranger and guitarist Scipio Sargeant passed away earlier today. Scipio “Skip” or “Sarge” Sargeant was born in Trinidad. At an early age he distinguished himself as one of the top musicians in his home country. As co-arranger for Despers USA, Sargeant won a record five of the orchestra’s six consecutive New York Panorama Championships from 1993–1998.

When Steel Talks extends condolences to the family of Scipio Sargeant..
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  Massachusetts, USA - This past weekend the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) held its annual ’Campus Preview Weekend (CPW). This is the annual 4-day weekend when high school seniors who have been admitted to MIT come to campus to visit and see what the school has to offer in every possible area of college life. And once again the steelpan instrument became a significant part of this landscape as hundreds of students, parents and faculty became fixated on Pantonic Steel Orchestra as they performed their varied repertoire in two sets on this beautiful Spring day in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Trinidad -  Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra did the Southland in Trinidad proud on a beautiful April 15 evening when they performed Georgia On My Mind as their tune of choice for the ‘Pan In The 21^st Century’ competition. The band retained the lead position gained coming out of the semis to capture first place. With 284 points, they beat out rivals and crowd pleaser Silver Stars (2009 Trinidad & Tobago Panorama champions) by one point for the top prize of TT $65,000.

Silver Stars was playing Bohemian Rhapsody by rock band Queen when they ceded the coveted top spot.
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New York- “400 Questions & Answers On Pan” is a rich resource that connects the threads between the history and accomplishments of the steelpan movement and its people.

Often, many of us wistfully wonder out loud “if only I had the time to” or “if someone only would or could do” this or that - all would be right in the world, or at least it would be a major contribution to wellness of man. Well, in the genre of the steelpan music instrument Ian Franklin put “ifs” aside, and has accomplished just that with his latest publication “400 Questions & Answers On Pan.”
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