My heartfelt Condolences and that of the BP Renegades Steel Orchestra go out to the family and friends of the late Edwin Pouchet; as well as to his band, Silver Stars with whom Renegades sheared a close relationship. May you Rest In Peace Brother; I will always remember you as a sincere friend and an excellent steelband arranger and administrator.
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Region’s Largest Steelpan Festival Returns to Chicagoland
Great Lakes Steelpan Festival Returns to Crystal Lake for 2014
Potts & Pans is proud to announce that the Great Lakes Steelpan Festival is coming back to Crystal Lake on April 12, 2014. After an incredible inaugural year in 2013, the Great Lakes Steelpan Festival is back and even bigger than before! At this one day only festival, attendees will have the opportunity to hear 7 bands from across the midwest, an 80+ piece steelband, and world renown educators and performers giving workshops and performing at the evening concert! There is no other festival of this nature and magnitude in the area, and it only comes once a year.
Crystal Lake, IL - April 12, 2014 - http://www.steelpanfestival.com - Great Lakes Steelpan Festival is coming back to Hannah Beardsley Middle School in Crystal Lake, IL on April 12, 2014. The festival is open to all music lovers and starts with free band performances at 9:00 am and concludes with an evening concert starting at 8:00 pm.
In 2013, Potts & Pans hosted the inaugural Great Lakes Steelpan Festival. The festival was a huge success and participants and attendees alike were raving about it for months to come. After taking part in the festival last year, Dr. Ellie Mannette (the inventor of the modern day steelpan) said “This group is the future of steelpan.” On April 12, 2014, the festival is returning to Hannah Beardsley Middle School in Crystal Lake, IL and is even bigger and better than it was last year! The 2014 Great Lakes Steelpan Festival (GLSF14) will be bringing together performers and educators from 7 states across the US. Guest artists include Gary Gibson, Freddy Harris III, Kurry Seymour, and Potts & Pans Steelband. GLSF14 is packed with free performances and educational workshops starting at 9 am and the day climaxes with an evening concert starting at 8 pm.
GLSF14 is the only music festival in Chicagoland specializing in the steelpan, the musical instrument from the caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago, also commonly called the steel drum. Throughout the day at GLSF14, attendees will hear music ranging from classical to calypso and even original compositions that were written specifically for this festival. The event is hosted by a local Not-For-Profit organization, Potts & Pans, Inc. NFP (http://www.pottsandpans.org) and is supported in part by The Steelpan Store (http://www.steelpanstore.com).
From steelpan aficionado to casual music lovers alike, GLSF14 is sure to deliver lasting memories and leave attendees yearning for next year. No matter what prior exposure audience members have had to the steelpan, GLSF14 will make every person in the room think a little differently about the instrument and what it is capable of. For more information about the festival, contact information or to purchase reduced fare tickets, please visit http://steelpanfestival.com.
About Great Lakes Steelpan Festival
Great Lakes Steelpan Festival was created to fill the void in top level steelpan performance and educational events in the midwest. Created by two midwest panists, that decided to start GLSF in order to create a closer option for bands like theirs, after meeting in Virginia for a different festival.
Media Contact:
Matt Potts
815-245-3624
matt@pottsandpans.org
On behalf of Desperadoes Steel Orchestra our condolences are out to the family and friends of the late Mr. Alonzo Jones. Mr.Jones was a bassist with the Phase II Steel Orchestra, and will be buried in Trinidad, on March 17th 2014.
Trinidad%20All%20Stars%20-%204th%20Gen.docx
Trinidad All Stars: Four Generations of Sailors
From the 1930’s under the leadership of people like “Sagiator” Drayton to Eric Stowe, “Big-Head” Hamilton Thomas, Prince Batson and Neville Jules the great Trinidad All Stars has remained firmly committed to the Carnival Arts. This band from Hell Yard could not do otherwise, it is their CORE VALUE, their raison d’etre, the reason to be. The following is a quotation from their hopefully soon-to-be-published History Book titled: “Men, Mettle & Metal – the Birth of Steel-Drum Music and the History of Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra: “The lesson to be learnt is that Panorama should not be the ‘be-all and end-all’ for steelbands that are serious about the Carnival tradition and their institutional presence therein; furthermore, that the commitment to this tradition and to such a presence during Carnival pays off at the end of the day. All Stars has gained tremendously from such a commitment; every year collecting prize monies both for playing music and masquerading at the various judging points while other steelbands simply fold up after Panorama and J’ouvert until the following year. All Stars has over the years reaped a financial bonanza as a result and has been placed on a sound financial footing that is unmatched by any other steelband…” Beresford Hunte, the present Captain is never tired of saying to reporters that “All Stars is not a Panorama band, All Stars is more than that, much more…” In 2012, All Stars placed 6th in the Band of the Year competition, in 2013, the band was placed 3rd, now in 2014, it is the Band of the Year. It was not a fluke, not a surprise to anyone following the trajectory. The section leaders must be commended for their efforts and, most of all, tribute must be extended to the section of young Drum-Majorettes who performed at the front of the band on both days; amongst them were the grand-children and great grand-children of ‘Big-Head’ Hamilton Thomas namely Ms Lorraine Lamont, Mallorey-Marie Elizabeth Lamont and Alexxandria-Maria Shaniah Lamont – the fourth generation of Sailors from Hell Yard. All praises!
Bukka Rennie.
On behalf of Desperadoes Steel Orchestra and the pan world at large our condolences go out to Mr. Kenneth "Panam" Clarke on the passing of his loving mother, Mrs. Dorcas Clarke-Charles, who passed on at Mt. Hope Hospital, Trinidad in the morning of March 8th 2014.
As the pan world knows, Mrs. Clarke's son, Kenneth, is the youngest pannist at 9 years old that toured with the great North Stars in 1964.
May Mrs. Dorcas Clarke-Charles, RIP
We underestimate how sweet pan really can be, if played the right way.
Just after backing up a calypsonian the host decides to put the pannist on de stop and see if he can handle, what you think.... Freestyle!!
