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Desperadoes Coming to the USA

Posted by Ian Franklin on June 2, 2010 at 11:52am

To the Pan diaspora of Florida; Desperadoes will be performing at the St. Petersburg Carnival.

They are scheduled to land at Miami Airport on June 11th 2010.

Love, Peace and Pan,

Ian

Matt is in Trinidad

Posted by The Steelpan Store on May 12, 2010 at 10:32am

Hi everyone,

Matt Potts, the owner and creator of The Steelpan Store, has finally made his way down to Trinidad. He will be studying pan down there until June 22. He is keeping a blog going, both text and photos, so feel free to follow along and make comments. The blog is at steelpanstore.com/blog, or you can click on the link on the homepage of steelpanstore.com. If you happen to be in Trinidad while he's down here, feel free to send him a message and see if you can set up a meeting time. He's always looking for new people to meet!!

The Steelpan Store

RENEGADES SHINE AT EIGHT OF HEARTS

Posted by Michael Marcano on May 12, 2010 at 10:21am

Renegades put down a performance worthy of their, world-class billing at the fabulous, “Eight of Hearts Steelband Concert” on Saturday 8th May, 2010, on the grounds of the Laventille Community Complex. The fifth act to take the stage, the East Port of Spain band kicked off their thirty-five minutes set with Jorge Ben Jor’s ‘Mas Que Nada.’ They next performed Chopin’s ‘Grande Valse Brillante’ under the baton of Desmond Waithe and followed this with Bob Marley’s all time greatest hit, ‘No woman no cry.’ They took the tempo up a notch with ‘Columbian medley’ — a perfect set up for the coupe de theatre that was to come next. Desmond Waithe returned to the stage and conducted the band as they accompanied soprano, Renee Solomon in a thrilling vocal and steel treat of the Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli Golden Globe Award winning Song, ‘The Prayer,’ which drew sustained applause from the appreciative audience that included Member of Parliament for Laventille West, NiLeung Hypolite and master artist, Leroi Clarke. The band then closed with its 2003, Pan in the 21st Century winning arrangement of Joey Lewis’, Pint of Wine, which, for the first time that evening, saw patrons abandon their seats to dance in the aisles.The show, produced by the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation, featured eight of the best steel orchestras in Trinidad and Tobago and got off the ground promptly at the 7:00 PM scheduled start time. The rejuvenated, Solo Harmonites got things going with a splendid performance before a decent sized audience that grew to near full capacity as the show progressed and included the President of the Senate, Senator the Honorable Danny Montano and his wife who were there for part of the show. Harmonites was followed on stage by the pride of Laventille, WITCO Desperadoes. The southland was represented next by TCL Skiffle Bunch, delivering - like all of the orchestras that evening - a diverse repertoire including their 2009, Pan in the 21st Century winning selection, ‘Georgia on my Mind’.The event was a very well put together affair (notwithstanding the hot drinks in the bar) and the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation is to be commended, especially for their thoughtful gesture of presenting each female patron with a rose in commemoration of Mother’s Day, celebrated the following day. Two stages were used so that there were no gaps between appearances — as one band performed, the next was able to set up behind a drawn curtain. Pan fans were thus treated to their fill of pan music for just over six hours, before the show ended shortly after 1:00AM. BY then they had heard from the likes of Caribbean Airlines Invaders, Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars — whose signature tune, ‘Woman on the Bass’ also had patrons dancing in the isle and on the perimeter. Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, and reigning National Panorama champions, PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars were the final acts during which they each played a shortened set before engaging each other in a shoot-out.

PanGanG leaves pan-kultur

Posted by WerNer on March 14, 2010 at 1:18pm

The Youth Steel Orchestra PanGanG will leave the pan-kultur panyard at the end of March.
They are now part of "Calysonic - Institute for SteelPan and Calypso" in Dortmund, Germany. They followed their captain Werner M. Weidensdorfer, who is the musical director of Calypsonic e.V.
Their URL PanGanG will continue to present the developement of the orchestra with infos, pictures, audio and video. For more information you can also visit Calypsonic.

Choy Aming.. The Passing of the man..

Posted by miguel reyes on March 13, 2010 at 9:00am

A man passed away that some may know from back in the days of the '' Penthouse '' down town

Port Of spain , TnT. his name is CHOY AMING ...

He took alot of guy to the island of Bermuda and gave them the opportunity to see what life was like outside of

Trinidad and Tobago, including myself. he brought the cultures of his home land to the people of the island

along with his brother ( mas maker ) Neville Aming and family. and for years our music and costumes paraded on the streets of Bermuda every May 24th. ( Bermuda Day ).

I have alot to thank him for, lord know where i would be today had it not been for that trip that i and many

like me, befor and after made. from the 60s to just afew years ago.

R I P. Sir.

I Thank You...

God Bless..

Miguel.

Would pan die in Trinidad if there was no Panorama

Posted by Ken Greene on February 25, 2010 at 1:02pm

Please convince me that the steeldrum can flourish without Panorama.

NIU Steelband fall 2009 concert: November 22nd

Posted by Liam Teague on November 4, 2009 at 12:59pm

NIU Steelband, Steelpan Studio and All University Steelband present its 2009 fall concert under the direction of Cliff Alexis and Liam Teague on Sunday November 22nd at 3pm. The concert takes place at NIU School of Music’s Boutell Memorial Concert Hall and will showcase a wide variety of musical styles including classical, jazz, calypso and mazooka.The event will also feature gifted steelpan player and composer, Gary Gibson. The Seattle-based musician has released four recordings which have drawn the praise of steelpan aficionados as well as the jazz community for his unique approach of applying sophisticated jazz harmony and inflection to the infectious traditional forms and rhythms of the Caribbean. Gibson’s most recent award from Trinidad came as a composer; he was the 1st Prize-winner in two out of three categories of the 2008 "Symphony and Steel" orchestral composition contest.The concert will be streamed on the web and can be found at: www.niu.edu/music/media/webcasts.shtml.

Pan Sonatas Supremacy

Posted by Kurleigh Lowe on September 16, 2009 at 2:37pm

It has been nearly two weeks since the Pan Sonatas Steel Orchestra was decided as the 2009 New York Panorama champions. There is no doubt that Sonatas was among the top three bands that night -- the other two being CASYM and ADLIB steel orchestra. However, it was surprising that Sonatas won by such a wide margin in a competition where many thought it was a toss up between the top three.Speaking with folks on the grounds of the museum Panorama night, many persons were picking any one of this big three to win -- each with their own specific reasons:"Sonatas had a better development of the piece.""CASYM got de fire.""ADLIB was crazy -- he mixed the DISNEY theme song in there!! CRAZY!!."These are some of the arguments I heard speaking with various persons I met that night. Personally, I felt CASYM was best that night -- but what do I know? The judges placed them third! Casym executed their passages with a clarity that sounded superior to Sonatas and ADLIB. I felt ADLIB was doing too much too often -- sometimes, less is more. Click here for full blog.

Untitled

Posted by François Lachèze on May 9, 2009 at 11:13am

REQUIEM FOR PANORAMA

Posted by Tony Blackman on April 29, 2009 at 3:03pm

REQUIEM FOR PANORAMAWords of a SoothsayerBe wary of the side effects of Panorama……Last year I wrote about Panorama in a mood of reminiscence, the big yard, grass track, dust in yuh face, North and South Panorama, Thursday night semi finals etc. and the fact that sooner or later, Panorama, and the monster it has become, will inevitably send all bands into extinction, as is the case with those from the Southern region. This region had more than enough steel bands, players and general participation from as far as POS, to host one of the heaviest zonal prelims and finals of that era. This region broke through as upset winners as early as the third edition of the national finals in 1965, and were the ones to watch until their last time in winners row 1975. Presently there is difficulty in making it to the finals, and they were unable to represent their zone at the two national finals held in the southland in 07and 08. Nonetheless there is virtually no more competition from the South, now it is all about North and the big 5, what a thing, but, kudos to South’s saviour Clive Zanda and Deltones POS 09For the Umpteenth TimeTo reiterate, we all know the reasons for the apparent demise of Pan music, as the preferred music for Carnival. We agree that this is so because of the electronics, the DJ’s, the new Soca and road march choices, the divorce of pan and calypso, and of course Panorama. Going to the panyard was a treat, plenty music, now we go to hear one tune. On the road tune after tune, now if the steel band comes out at all, and plays with any enthusiasm, you are lucky. This year I am ashamed at the sub standard and dismal road performances from the big 5. Some of the blame rests with the overpowering by the electro sounds, but, the steel band’s role as the pied piper is no more, as they continue to fail at making onlookers leave the pavement and join in for a chip to eternity. So since Panorama is the be all and end all, and has dug and partly covered a grave so deep and wide enough to fit the entire steelpan diaspora, well pan lovers, what is the next step?Symptoms, Problems, SolutionsDownturns, downsizing, cutbacks and meltdowns, are some of the buzz words and solutions of the global political, business and financial outlook. Similar strategies have also been adopted by the world governing body, however, looking at Pan from a marketing perspective allows for this definition of the problem, and analysis of the situation. They have failed to understand the nature of the problem, before attempting to solve the related problems. It is important not to confuse the symptom[s] with the problem[s], hence the importance of defining the Pan problem firstly. The governing body is having trouble selling the Pan product, maintaining its respect, and bailing it out of Carnival extinction. This does not mean that there is not a need or appetite for the Pan product; therefore, the problem may simply be the marketing mix. Mistaking symptoms for problems has lead to misguided decisions and serious mistakes. International marketing analysts claim that as much as 50 percent of a successful product's actual price is the marketing. Consequently, the segment who wins the marketing game generally will capture the larger share of the market, as is the case with Mas and music in the fete and on the road.Therefore, small, medium and large, 35, 65 and 100 players, judging in the panyard etc. is purely damage control, and will not save Pan or take Panorama to another level. We returned to the big yard for C2K9, and what was new or different? There was change, rearrange but everything remains the same. Now is the time to become market oriented, and address the needs of the stakeholders, the internal and external customers of the steel band. Notable example, the prestigious X band, respected and admired for their structure, governance and marketing skills, were embarrassed internationally for attempting to play with more than 100 players, why, because that segment of internal customers, the players and arrangers, did not arrive at a consensus on the downsizing, therefore size does matter, big band is big band. And further to this, the eventual winners of the medium category, who currently have enough players on the bench to field another medium band, was denied entry to the big band category for some lame reason, despite the fact that there are not even enough big bands nationally to stage a preliminary round, since they all go forward automatically to the semi final..Marketing works like Magic:Did Silver Stars win Panorama by 1 point based on music and competition categories only? I will not subscribe to that. Reflect on their pre carnival marketing model, Ray Funk and his lengthy historic print media sequel, the sale of their annual Pan and Parang, Alvin Daniel and Mark Loquan CD launches, the press releases, and the hype in general. By the time they hit the savannah stage, they had already won the support of the people, the press and the politicians, as was evident with the crowd response, and the buzz after the semi final stage in which they placed 5th, by the judges, and 1st by the people. Leading edge marketing is what it took for this steel band to regain big band respect and status, and the said marketing is needed for Pan and Panorama to go forwardThe external customers are indeed suffering and disgruntled, the audiences, the supporters, the sponsors, the international market, has anyone taken into consideration their views or their needs? The sponsors and the international market are key players in rescuing Pan from this predicament, get in bed with them. How else could you gain their support and respect without proper market analysis and business planning? Your organization suffered a crushing oversight in the UWI G Pan, the National Steel Symphony and UTT projects. As a reactionary measure you launched a National Youth Steelband. Wake up guys; study the business models of the foreign Pan movements, and local organizations e.g. the hosts of the Trinidad and Tobago Steelpan and Jazz festival. Begin believing in miracles, you will walk on water, and resurrect the national instrument. Nevertheless, you deserve a great deal of compliments for your commitment and efforts over the years, so to be reasonable and impartial, you will be allotted 3 years instead of 3 days, to raise pan from the deadProduced and Compiled by……………….D. Anthony BlackmanCopyright Reserved…………………………..March 4th 2009

Northern Illinois University Steelband Concert this Sunday!

Posted by Matt Potts on April 25, 2009 at 12:00am

I wanted to make an announcement that the NIU Steelband is having a concert this Sunday, April 26 at 3:00 pm cst. If you can't make it to DeKalb to hear this group live, you can watch a live stream of it at:http://www.ustream.tv/channel/niu-som-officialI will also try to embed it into this post, so everyone can hopefully see it right here. You won't want to miss this concert, it will be great!

7th Annual PANorama Caribbean Music Fest!

Posted by Dave Longfellow on April 9, 2009 at 11:38am

Don't miss the 7th Annual PANorama Caribbean Music Fest, May 8-10, 2009 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. This year's events include our interactive steel band workshop featuring clinicians Alan Lightner, Tom Miller and Jeff Narell, adjudicated performances from 20 steel bands from around USA and the CLICO Sforzata Steel Orchestra from Trinidad and Tobego! Call 757-282-2823 for more information and to register. We'll see you at the beach!Thanks very much!

Time to learn music Theory and become musically literate. I have the tools to assist in this process contact me for more info or send me an email < salah@steelpanplus.com > visit my website < www.stee

Posted by Salah Wilson on March 17, 2009 at 7:50pm

Time to learn music Theory and become musically literate. I have the tools to assist in this process contact me for more info or send me an email < salah@steelpanplus.com > visit my website < www.steelpanplus.com >Steelpan Activist and Author : Salah A. WilsonThese are my books;1. "Steelpan Playing With Theory" - A comprehensive 400 page Steelpan text book that begins fromscratch all the way up to university concepts including introduction to the Jazz Language2. "The Steelpan Teacher's Manual" - A reference book to "Steelpan Playing With Theory" designed for ateacher or someone who wishes to start a Steelpan program in a public or private school.3. "Poco a Poco - Step by Step" - A compact 150 page Steelpan Text book that begins fromscratch and goes up to High School level with 13 arranged songs repertoire. CD included4. "The Steelpan Teacher's Guide" – A reference book to "Poco a Poco - Step by Step"designed for a teacher or someone who wishes to start a Steelpan program in a public orprivate school.5. "Music Scores I for beginners" - A series of Music scores arranged for Pans – 14arranged songs6. “Child’s Play I” - The first of a series of Steelpan text books designed for the first phaseof children (or adults) learning Theory music. “Child’s Play I” is as easy as it can comewith a total of 70 pages including five arranged music scores.THE FIRST THREE BOOKS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE IN FRENCH

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