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New home for Highlanders

Loop Entertainment 

December 5, 2023 10:41 AM ET

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Camille Robinson-Regis cuts the ribbon at the handing over ceremony for the newly-constructed Highlanders Pan Theatre and Learning Centre.

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Camille Robinson-Regis cuts the ribbon at the handing over ceremony for the newly-constructed Highlanders Pan Theatre and Learning Centre.

The Highlanders Steel Orchestra officially has a new home. 

The newly-constructed Highlanders Steelpan Theatre and Learning Centre was officially handed over to the band on Friday by the East Port of Spain Development Company Ltd (EPOSDC), as part of the Company's Panyard Upgrade (PAN-UP) initiative. 

The panyard is located on the Eastern Main Road in Success Village, Laventille, at a site that was once a gas station. The gas station had been abandoned for over 20 years.

Highlanders Manager Robert Hernandez said the band petitioned the National Petroleum Company (NP) for use of the site and after some four years of "intense negotiation", was finally able to secure a 99-year lease of the land. 

The band then approached the EPOSDC with its plans for construction of the Steelpan Theatre. 

He said the facility was envisioned as a safe space for the youth of Laventille and East Port of Spain, where they don't have to worry about "borderlines" and negative influences. 

"What we are doing here in Success Village, Laventille is working on bridging some of the gaps that exists among the various pockets of our community," he stated. 

"You have youths who don't leave (their) areas. Youths in Rock City that do not come down to the Main Road. You have youths from Beetham who don't cross the Main Road.

"We set about to establish the Highlanders Steel Orchestra as a safe space in our community. The overriding mission was to create a space where we can bring youths from all the various communities so that they can focus on music."

Hernandez said music has the power to unify. 

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"When youths come in a panyard, they tend to leave all the baggage at the door. There is a harmony and a love and a synergy that exists in panyards and we are committed to making this space that type of facility."

Managing Director of the East Port of Spain Development Company Dr Deborah Thomas-Austin encouraged the band to make the best use of the facility, which she said was not just a steelpan theatre but a community hub to host learning initiatives.

"Our panyards are community spaces, they should be safe spaces especially for our young people. They should be safe spaces for learning and for earning. Panyards play a vital role in community development and community integration," she stated. 

Minister of Housing and Urban Development Camille Robinson-Regis also hailed the opening of the theatre as a positive addition to the Laventille area and said it must not be just a storage space for steelpans. She called on the nation to recognise the positive things happening in Laventille.  

"When something happens in Laventille - good, bad or indifferent - the entire nation has an opinion. So, too, I call on the entire nation to take note of what your Government is doing here today through the East Port of Spain Development Company Ltd." 

Robinson-Regis noted that the EPOSDC, under her Ministry, has invested over $13 million in the PAN-UP project.

The company has upgraded seven panyards to date: Desperadoes, D Untouchables Pan Groove, Blue Diamonds, Harlem Syncopaters, Laventille Serenaders, TT Music Stars and Highlanders. 

Robinson-Regis said that in the coming year works are scheduled to upgrade the panyards of Courts Sound Specialists, Royal Stars Symphony, Casablanca and Tokyo steelbands, all within East Port of Spain.

The upgraded panyards contain classrooms, conference facilities, covered practice areas and rehearsal spaces, storage rooms and other amenities, inclusive of WiFi connectivity. 

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Anthony 'Muffman' Williams: a tribute

Kim Johnson tells us in his book, The Illustrated Story of Pan: Second Edition that,

"Anthony 'Muffman' Williams is arguably the most important panman in history, because of his brilliance as an inventor, tuner, arranger and captain. He introduced the use of oil drums for the background pans, the cellos and bass, and then he put them on wheels so the heavy oil drums could be played on the road. He discovered harmonic tuning, in which more than one tone could be hammered into a note; and from that insight he created the now-standard 'fourths and fifths' arrangement of notes on the tenor pan. He was the first to experiment with oversized pans. As an arranger, Williams set a standard for how a band should sound, how the sections should be voiced in an ensemble, that is unsurpassed. His arrangements for the first two Panorama competitions created a template still followed. As a captain, his band was one of the most well-organised welfare-oriented, progressive ensembles."

High accolades never to be surpassed as a pioneer.

His passing this morning leaves a major gap in the ongoing conversation on and contestation around the idea of steelpan as more than accompaniment for revelry. Pan is more than the cliché sound of the Caribbean, it is more than an iconic image of tropical fun so popular in island tourism adverts from the middle of the 20th century coming forward. It is the soul of a people, of a nation. The pan's symbolism as national instrument, born not by official fiat, but by a transcription of an excerpt of a former Prime Minister's 1992 Independence Day speech, is not to be taken for granted here in T&T. Anthony Williams, and his pioneer posse you know the names. Buy Kim's book if you don't! — began all this conversation of what is our gift to the world, our opportunity to be a trailblazer in a world leaving behind "small places with simple people" (yuh done know who write that Nobel phrase). His passing today still leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of those who know that the "traditional knowledge for making a steelpan and its role in the music and festivals of T&T" should be on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, an action still remarkably left wanting all these years after our country's ratification of the Treaty governing these matters, in 2010, I believe. (Wake up, Mr. Minister!) His innovation of the circle of fifths on a pan was unwisely patented in the US by a fresh water Yankee in 2004 and successfully challenged by the T&T government and revoked by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Anthony Williams, unfortunately, lived in a time when the "audacity of creole imagination" was looked down on. His genius was not the conversation of industry. His genius never made him a millionaire. His genius was not the asset that our country would try to tap into for inspiration and profit. Today, as we reflect on his life and contribution, let us remember his significance in shaping a modern T&T by the unintended consequence of his innovation with an oil drum and the idea of music, and how we have made it part of our intangible cultural heritage. Rest in Peace Anthony 'Muffman' Williams.

©2021, Nigel A. Campbell. All Rights Reserved.

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Congratulations to the Republic of Barbados:

Congratulations to Barbados on becoming another Republic in the Caribbean. Let us wish Barbados success in its endeavors. On observation, I was hoping to see steel pans in Barbados’s military.

The steel pans are permanent features in Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda militaries. Although Trinidad and Tobago invented the steel pan, the steel pan is the strongest symbol and the greatest identifiers of Caribbean people. Barbados took the opportunity to honor one of its illustrious daughters, Rianna. Rianna ambassadorial connections is a blessing to Barbados.

Sincere good luck to President Sandra Mason and Prime Minister Mia Muttley of Barbados.

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OCALA STEEL ORCHESTRA INC UPDATE4

We have obtained our 501(c)(3) status and are now ready to seek grants and sponsorships for our organization. Our goal is to host educational workshops and purchase steelpan instruments etc.

Additionally, we invite you to mark your calendars for the International Jazz, Art & Blues Fest Ocala on April 30th, located at Tuscawilla Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave, downtown Ocala, FL 34470.

We are also excited to announce that our website, www.ocalasteelorchestra.org, is currently under construction.

To learn how to play the steelpan instrument for free, please sign up to become a member by emailing us your name, number, and age at oso@ocalasteelorchestra.org.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFsToyAzImg

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On November 13th, we welcome Mr. Sean Thomas, from the Ocala Steel Orchestra Inc. Mr. Thomas became a graduate of the “Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance”, now known as the “Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance” in Boston https://hancockinstitute.org/alumni/, Thomas refined his musical aesthetic under the tutelage of Jazz Masters including Tom Mc Intosh, and Ron Carter, Thelonious Monk Jnr., Barry Harris, Max Roach, Lewis Nash, and Wynton Marsalis.
He toured India and Thailand with the Thelonious Monk Jazz Ensemble under the direction of distinguished Jazz Masters: Carl Atkins, Thelonious Monk Jnr., Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter, and performed both drums and steel pans at the Snowmass Jazz Festival in Aspen Colorado, India & Thailand. Following this exposure, Sean began his journey as a composer, musician, performer, arranger, inventor, entrepreneur and educator.
Please, join us! - Rotary Club of Ocala's Weekly Meeting - Monday at 12:15 PM at the Ocala Golf Club, 3130 E. Silver Springs Blvd. https://buff.ly/44LZpqX #ServiceAboveSelf #PeopleOfAction #Ocala
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THE FIRST STEELPAN PODCAST INTRO

"Swing Swing Blues" is an original composition written by Sean Thomas and played on double seconds steel pans. It serves as the first steelpan podcast intro on the Ocala Arts & Entertainment Podcast, which was founded and is hosted by Sean Thomas himself. The recording also features the talented bassist Brandi Disterheft and Lawrence Leathers on drums. With its unique sound, the composition showcases Sean's exceptional skills and creativity as a steelpan musician. This intro adds a touch of Caribbean flavor to the Ocala Arts & Entertainment Podcast, making it an exciting and diverse platform. Click on the link below to Swing!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjYTXlMWRHw

© 2018 Sean Thomas. All rights reserved12393758668?profile=original

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A virtuoso performance

On Saturday, November 6th, 2021, Professor Liam Teague of Trinidad and Tobago displayed a masterful pan performance in a NIU Faculty Steel Pan Recital. He was immaculately dressed. His chrome pan shone as if it was a mirror. The sound of his pan induced the taste of honey . He played the standardized cycle of fifth treble pan. He opened the recital with percussive strokes on the side of the pan. Then the professor dazzled the listening audiences with lightning runs and stalk virtuosic glissandos. Later in the recital, professor Teague was well supported by cello, violins, viola, harp, piano, and percussion. Professor Teague Faculty Steel Pan recital was a precursor to pan playing in the twenty-second century.

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Congratulations to Halcyon Steel Orchestra for receiving the Institutional National Honor in Antigua and Barbuda. The Halcyon Steel Orchestra has served the Antigua and Barbuda tourist industry with high distinction. They entertained thousands of tourists on tourist boats and also in hotels. They are synonymous with Sherly Heights, a magnetic venue for tourists and local patrons. The Halcyon Steel Orchestra performed in many countries promoting Antigua and Barbuda. Halcyon took scores of idling youngsters off the street and taught them to play the steel pan. So far, Halcyon won panorama championships thirteen times.

The Halcyon Steel Orchestra holds the record for winning the panorama championships four consecutive times in Antigua and Barbuda. For example, they won the panorama in 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995. Victor ‘Babu’ Samuel of Antigua and Barbuda arranged the four consecutive winning panorama tunes.  Other notable arrangers that arranged for Halcyon steel Orchestra were Gerald ‘Belly’ Charles of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr, Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe of Trinidad and Tobago, Devon Bachelor, Fitzroy ‘Blakey’ Phillips, Curtis ‘CC’ Cochrane of Antigua and Barbuda.

Politician Selvyn Walter of Antigua and Barbuda was the founder of the Halcyon Steel orchestra. After Halcyon Steel Orchestra was formed in 1971, Dr. Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago engineered Sponsorship for Halcyon.  He successfully convinced YDelima to Sponsor Halcyon Steel Orchestra. As the years progressed, Halcyon received sponsorship from various businesses. Some of the businesses were LIAT, Corn Producing Service, Hadeed companies, Antigua Masonry Products, and Bryson’s Digicel.  In 1971, pan tuner Norman of Trinidad and Tobago made the band’s pans. Soon After,  former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Dr. Baldwin Spencer became the manager of Halcyon Steel Orchestra.  James ‘Tanny’ Rose, Melvin Simon, Walton Theodore, Mr. Dublin, and the Kirby brothers are some of the many persons that served the Halcyon Steel Orchestra very well.

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OCALA STEEL ORCHESTRA INC UPDATE3

We've received our solicitation confirmation letter from Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. REGISTRATION#: CH71147.

Up next - 501(c)(3) status and onboarding of directors. Stay tuned for our upcoming fundraiser event scheduled for April 30th for International Jazz, Art & Blues Fest Ocala, Tuscawilla Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave, Ocala, FL 34470, downtown Ocala FL.

Our website that's being built is www.ocalasteelorchestra.org In the meantime: sign up to learn how to play the steel pan instrument FREE by emailing us your name, number & age to oso@ocalasteelorchestra.org

Check out the promo vid here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgGbuwvL_Kg&t=4s

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OCALA STEEL ORCHESTRA INC UPDATE2

Ocala Steel Orchestra Inc, update. We've received our Articles of Incorporation and EIN. Our directors have been installed and are dedicated towards leading the Ocala Steel Orchestra Inc. into the future.

These directors bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table and we are confident they will help guide our organization to new heights.

Stay tuned for upcoming events scheduled for Feb 18th at the Corkscrew Winery & Brewery downtown Ocala and April 30th for International Jazz, Art & Blues Fest Ocala, downtown Ocala FL.

Our website that's being built is www.ocalasteelorchestra.org

In the meantime: sign up to learn how to play the steel pan instrument FREE by emailing us your name, number & age to oso@ocalasteelorchestra.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE1bv3kI0x4

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Passing of Dr Anthony Achong

12393758259?profile=originalThe UWI Community mourns the passing of Dr Anthony Achong who passed away on June 29, 2020. DR Achong was an academic who devoted much of his research to steelpan technology.

He began his academic career in UWI Mona in 1970 where he started as a Part-Time Tutor in 1970 and then worked his way up to become a Lecturer in Physics in 1975 where he remained in that post until 1977. He came to The UWI St. Augustine as a Physics Lecturer in 1977 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2005. In 2002, he was appointed as
Head of the Department of Physics and served in that position until 2007.

Dr Achong's research interests were widely varied including: Screening methods for the detection of scoliosis, using Moire; Topography (medical physics); moisture adsorption/desorption properties of Tropical Woods (solar energy); astronomy and cosmology among other topics.

He is best known for his major research interest, focused on the Physics of Steelpan. In 2013, he wrote “Secrets of the Steelpan: Unlocking the Secrets of the Science, Technology, Tuning of the Steelpan.” This work that is widely cited and made him acknowledged by many as the “world’s top authority” in the specialised field of scientific analysis of steelpan instruments.  

May he rest in peace. 

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12393758458?profile=originalThere is this thing about books on the steelpan and the steelband movement. They are sometimes large books with plenty words. There are not that many books though; certainly, less illustrated coffee-table sized books have been written on the steelpan than on the electric guitar for instance, or the piano The thing is, Kim Johnson, pan researcher and author of this new book, The Illustrated Story of Pan, has already written three of those large coffee-table sized books. And to make matters worse for the idea of the proliferation of pan publications, he wrote the first edition of this book a decade ago in 2011. There is still a lot of work to be done. This new edition is updated with never-before-seen photographs, new ideas, clearer editorial. It is a renewed celebration of that “audacity of the Creole imagination,” as he brilliantly describes the steelpan, which one would be remiss not to have on their shelves.

Caribbean pride aside, having a book like this is a “must-have” for music lovers, for people curious of the “other”, for people looking for an exploration of the worlds outside the centre, for people looking to populate their “shelves as furniture and decoration”! Derek Walcott told us in his poem The Spoiler’s Return: “…as for the Creoles, check their house, and look / you bust your brain before you find a book…” Don’t be that guy! Get the book.

Kim Johnson uses a phrase for the title of the first chapter of this book, “The Archaeology of Memory”. This is where I intersect with him. Some years ago just after the launch of the first edition, I showed Johnson a few photos that my late father took in 1961 of some kids playing those early instruments as a kind of entertainment or frolic at our house. Next thing I knew, I saw the picture at a lecture he gave on early pan. At that point, I knew our paths would cross again, as he formally requested to use the photos in this second edition. Pride and place is given to Danny Campbell’s photos of a memory lost to me, but not to time.

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Kids playing early pan in Trinidad, circa 1961. Photo by Danny Campbell

That is the power of the photograph over the written word. No matter how well constructed a sentence is, in my mind, it can not eclipse the proof of concept, the certainty of memory, the captured reality of a photo. Even if there were no words in this book — there are many, and all well written to capture a perspective unseen by many foreign researchers — the photographs in this book tell a story. An almost linear history of the evolution of pan is revealed, and the familiar exercise of seeking stories to go with images that many do with old family photo albums — or in modern times, photo and video sharing social networks — allows one to go into the world that created the steelpan.

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What was termed by a writer as those “urban yards, those laboratories of sweat and spit and fire,” where steelpans were created and nurtured become the backdrops for a visual narrative that suggests that there were also social situations, people and politics that melded to form a movement and an image that is more than the cliché of the Caribbean in those vintage Caribbean travel posters — a barefoot wide-brimmed hat wearing native playing a pan-round-the-neck.

Images and words here place the steelpan forward on the arc of musical instrument development in the 20th century and puts into context its place in the history of Caribbean independence and self-determination. We see in this collection of photographs, which is by no means an authoritative canon or an official source, and we read in the well researched and attested words, the power of determination to be more. A Caribbean circumstance of stolid repetition of Colonial manners — the Haitian Revolution and other smaller slave and labour rebellions aside — has marked our slow march to modernity and to self-sustaining normalcy in the 21st century. The steelband movement and the instrument’s evolution as determined by the pan people, celebrated characters and forceful figureheads who are all shown in this book, have taken that slow road to maintaining a dogged and sustained presence.

Creole audacity brought to the world an instrument and a movement, a community that removes barriers of race and class, importantly at a time of celebration of the West Indian brio. The denigration of past authors and travel book writers — VS Naipaul in The Middle Passage reminisced infamously, “the steel band used to be regarded as a high manifestation of West Indian Culture, and it was a sound I detested” — is superseded by the majesty given to the steelpan and the steelband in the words of and in the collation of memories by Kim Johnson here.

Memory, audacity, determination are celebrated in this book. Inclusion, too, that has allowed for modern jazz, world music and folk musicians to take the steelpan sound to a wide global audience. The timbre that resonates as a relaxing tone for meditative minds can also move masses to chip and jump and celebrate in our unique way. The Illustrated Story of Pan, Second Edition is the unravelling of all these parts that make the steelpan and the steelband movement significant and possible. If this book inspires long time pan people, limers, panmen, flagwomen, panyard crawlers all to tell their stories, to build those memories, to learn the instrument’s history, it has done a good job. If it inspires a new generation everywhere to take pride in the continuing evolution of Creole audacity, it is well worth the purchase.

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© 2021, Nigel A. Campbell. All Rights Reserved.

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OCALA STEEL ORCHESTRA INC UPDATE1

Ocala Steel Orchestra Inc, update on our first meeting. We successfully elected a group of dedicated and talented directors who will be leading the Ocala Steel Orchestra Inc. into the future. These directors bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table and we are confident they will help guide our organization to new heights.

Stay tuned for upcoming events scheduled for Feb 18th at the Corkscrew Winery & Brewery downtown Ocala and April 30th for International Jazz, Art & Blues Fest Ocala, downtown Ocala FL.

Our website that's being built is www.ocalasteelorchestra.org.

n the meantime: sign up to learn how to play the steel pan instrument FREE by emailing us your name, number & age to oso@ocalasteelorchestra.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaBtwBJu2VQ

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