Web Posted - Tuesday
July 7, 2020
When Steel Talks
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
Desperadoes Steel Orchestra legend Mr. Dennis “Tash” Ash has
passed. “Tash,” as he is fondly known, has been playing with
Desperadoes since 1961. Of the steelpan, “Tash” said “The
instrument is an instrument of PEACE, on earth!”
more
Web Posted - Monday
June 29, 2020
When Steel Talks
Celebration of Women and the Steelpan Art Form
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Her vision for Pan - “For the national instrument to be treated as such, for pan men and women to be secured after retirement, for steelpan to reach as far as being featured on the Grammys and also to be a popular instrument which artists from across the world would use to create their music.....” -- Ronica Gordon
She has had many rewarding experiences through her life long
association with the steelpan instrument. In addition she has
been a member of a couple of the greatest steel orchestras in
the history of Trinidad and Tobago Pan. In an exclusive
interview with When Steel Talks - panist Ronica Gordon shares
her experiences, views, reflections and dreams on Pan, and the
steelpan art form overall.
read more
Web Posted - Monday
June 29, 2020
When Steel Talks
New York, USA - J’Ouvert City International has announced its plans for the 2020 festival usually held in the pre-dawn hours every Labor Day. “As our State, our nation and our world continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all challenged to find creative means of expression and honoring our traditions. J’Ouvert City International is no different in this regard.
“....On the morning of Monday September 7, J’Ouvert City International and our affiliate organizations will host a Press Conference and breakfast to honor our Heroes.
“....special honor will be given to Martin “Dougie” Douglas,
Hansel “Hanny” Leon and Oscar Williams three icons of the
J’Ouvert Steelband movement who we sadly loss to the coronavirus,
as well as Mr. Neville Jules one of the notable pioneers and
innovator in the steelpan community died in early February.”
read more
Web Posted - Saturday
June 27, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - Following are the full Finals results, in the three categories of the International 2020 Pan Ramajay Competition - Soloists, Duos and Quartets. Panists representing the USA topped all three categories. Exodus Steel Orchestra is the producer of Pan Ramajay.
The performances of the finalists were streamed online on
Saturday June 27.
get full results in all categories
Web Posted - Saturday
June 27, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - The 2020 International Pan Ramajay Finals are being live streamed, featuring steelpan performers from around the world in three categories. Ten Soloists, five Duos and five Quartets will display the musicianship of some of the finest steelpan musicians on the planet.
Visa recently announced its support of the Pan Ramajay
competition - the Virtual Edition. Pan Ramajay is the brainchild
of, organized and produced by, Exodus Steel Orchestra.
see show
Web Posted - Saturday
June 27, 2020
When Steel Talks
New York, USA - Edward Clarke Jr, (Eddy/BassMan From Hell) born and raised in Brooklyn, New York is from a family of Jamaican decent. At the age of 10 he started learning how to play steel pan at Winthrop Beacon. Six bass was the first instrument he learned during Saturday programs and fell in love playing and learning new music. Because of school, he had to stop playing steel pan in order to continue his education.
Later on, he went back to play.
read more
Web Posted - Saturday
June 27, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - Eljhaie Brathwaite
hails from the beautiful islands of St. Thomas in the Virgin
Islands. He is heading into his senior year of his undergraduate
jazz studies at George Mason University (GMU) under the tutelage
of Victor Provost. Music and pan have shaped Eljhaie’s life at
an early age in that it aided in overcoming his childhood
developmental condition that presented challenges for him while
in elementary school. Music gave him a sense of confidence that
he didn’t have elsewhere. The young Eljhaie was able to hold his
own in music classes and also in the pan yard. As time went by,
Eljhaie caught up with his peers in the classroom and excelled
academically and knew that music was the contributing factor to
this success.
read more
Web Posted - Friday
June 26, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - “Visa is proud to support Republic Bank Exodus Pan Ramajay and bring experiences as unique as the Trinidad and Tobago DNA.” – said Waldemar Cordero, Head of Marketing for Central America and Caribbean, as he announced Visa’s support for Pan Ramajay 2020 – The Virtual Edition.
Pan Ramajay was started in 1989 in the Exodus pan yard in Tunapuna with Samaroo Jets and Fonclaire sharing the top honors, in the then-10-player band competition. Fast forward to 2020, and
it is now the weekend of the Grand Finals of this year’s competition, which started with over 200 entries in three categories: soloists, duos, and quartets.
read more
Web Posted - Friday
June 26, 2020
News & Record
Greensboro, North Carolina, USA - When Tracy Thornton first heard the banging in his head, he hammered it out on heavy metal, beating it into shape with a variety of local headbangers. But a chance encounter with Calypso percussion in a rock song changed the path of his life and career.
The Greensboro native was rocking out behind the drum kit for heavy metal bands when he heard Jane's Addiction's “Jane Says” in 1988. Drummer Stephen Perkins used a steel pan drum in the cut from the band’s debut, “Nothing's Shocking.”
....Thornton started doing clinics across the country, from middle school to high school to college kids, teaching and performing with them. He had gotten a big national push from the release of '06's “Pan for Punks: A Steelpan Tribute to the Ramones.”
He says he did it as a goof, thinking a couple of friends might like it. “The Ramones camp got it and before I knew it, I had their publicist and I was in Spin magazine with it, and Kurt Loder from MTV was calling me about it.”
....“If people want to put together a project and they need two steel drum players, or 150, I can do that.”
Even in the COVID-19 situation, Thornton recently pulled off a steel pan gathering.
“We did a quarantine video, released it last week, and I thought
I'd get maybe a few people who wanted to do it. But within two
weeks, we had 125 pan players from all over the world playing
‘Baba O'Riley’ with Stephen Perkins from Jane's Addiction on
drums.”
read more
Web Posted - Friday
June 26, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - Domenic Lewis’s
introduction to steelpan came at age 13 during secondary school
in his native Barbados, where he fell in love with the
instrument. It was during this time that his playing spanned a
range of musical genres from classical, to jazz, to gospel, to
pop. Since then, he has performed all over the United States and
the West Indies, including with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks
Orchestra.
read more
Web Posted - Friday
June 26, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - Kaijah Codrington is
currently an integral performing member of the Codrington Pan
Family, a musical family who began their journey as a
functioning ensemble on the streets of Port of Spain. The
family, being of modest background, shares a special bond that
holds fast to this day. Kaijah, the third son, as well as his
other brothers and sisters were trained by their father, Cary
Codrington. At the tender age of 5, Kaijah began learning his
first song on the tenor (soprano/lead) pan. Often, Kaijah, along
with his siblings, would have competitions among themselves to
become the champion soloist at the home.
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday
June 24, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - Maico Miyamoto is
definitely a panist who is being counted among the
‘First-of-Firsts’ in Steelpan history, relative to Pan Ramajay,
an initiative conceived, developed and produced – in 1989 by
Exodus Steel Orchestra of Trinidad & Tobago. Maico has become
the first Japanese panist to ever compete in the Pan Ramajay,
and made it to the finals of the June 27, 2020 competition in
the ‘Soloist’ category. Maico’s love for music began at a young
age, and led her to the piano, marimba and chorus.
read more
Web Posted - Wednesday
June 24, 2020
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Steelband rehearsals can now resume.
A post on Pan Trinbago’s Facebook page on Wednesday said after intervention by Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore, steelbands can resume rehearsals under protocols established by the Government.
The protocols are a maximum grouping of 25 people....
read more
Web Posted - Monday
June 22, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - Performances in the
last of the three categories in the semi-final phase of the
International 2020 Pan Ramajay Competition have been publicly
shared with the global steelpan audience in an online stream by
Exodus Steel Orchestra, organizer of the event. Five of the
Quartets from the semi-finals now join the finalists in the
other two categories - Soloists and Duets - for the final round
of competition, scheduled for June 27 beginning 8:00 p.m. EST.
get results, see performances
Web Posted - Sunday
June 21, 2020
When Steel Talks
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. - ‘I
Call Him Dad’ is the Father’s Day Online Concert organized, and
with performances by, Hells Gate Steel Orchestra. In
tribute to Fathers around the world on Father’s Day, musical
performances were showcased by one of Antigua & Barbuda’s
premier steel orchestras. The event featured Zahra Lake, Khan
Cordice, guitarist/vocalist Annia Matthews and more.
see performance
Web Posted - Sunday
June 21, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - The Semi-Finals
results for the Duets in the 2020 Pan Ramajay Competition are
now known. Ten pairs of steelpan musicians made it out of the
preliminary round of the category, with the final five Duets now
moving forward to the finals, scheduled for June 27 beginning
8:00 p.m. EST.
get results, see performances
Web Posted - Saturday
June 20, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - This is a listing of the Semi-Finals results, in the Soloists category, of the steel pan musicians participating in the 2020 Pan Ramajay Competition. Panists representing multiple countries initially took part in the preliminary round.
Organized by Exodus Steel Orchestra, one of the premiere music
organizations in the land of Pan, Trinidad & Tobago - the
competition runs through June 27. The results for the second
phase of competition for the Soloists, were released Saturday
June 20, immediately after a compilation of pre-recorded
semi-final performances was streamed online. The top ten
Soloists move on to the Finals on June 27.
get results, see performances
Web Posted - Friday
June 19, 2020
When Steel Talks
New York, USA - “The instrument is amazing as is; however, it’s the organizations and people of power that give it the wrong attention.” - Earl Brooks Jr.
The name “Brooks” resonates deep and loud in the world of Pan. There is the iconic Earl Brooks Sr., and his son Earl Brooks Jr. who has charted his own lane to greatness. Moreover Brooks Jr. has secured his props the old-fashioned way - he earned it.
With a touch as smooth as felt, like Muhammad Ali - he can float
like a butterfly or sting like a bee, as he executes the most
challenging of musical passages. Indeed, the thoughtful and
forward-thinking Earl Brooks, Jr. through his experiences,
musical excellence and competence, brings a lot to the table.
And this bodes well for the next generation of steelpan
musicians. Earl Brooks Jr. talks succinctly about his love
for pan, his dad Earl Brooks, Sr., and more, in this exclusive
When Steel Talks interview.
see interview
Web Posted - Sunday
June 14, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - These are the Preliminary results, by category, of the steelband musicians participating in the 2020 Pan Ramajay Competition. The panists, who are representing multiple countries, competed as Soloists - Duets - Quartets.
Organized by Exodus Steel Orchestra, one of the premiere music
organizations in the land of Pan, Trinidad & Tobago - the
competition runs through June 27th and the first phase results
were released via video on Sunday June 14, 2020.
click for results
Web Posted - Saturday
June 13, 2020
When Steel Talks
Annise “Halfers” Hadeed - Arranger
Global - Why steel bands?
“I’ve been doing that since I was in Trinidad as a little kid. One of the hurtful things when I came to England was that I had to leave my pan and my dog behind.” ... Billy Ocean
Born Leslie Sebastian Charles in Fyzabad, Trinidad, in 1950, to
Grenadian parents, the man known to the world as mega musician Billy
Ocean moved to Romford, Essex, England, with his family at the age
of eight. Initially a calypso-crazy kid who later soaked up the
influences of soul singers like Otis Redding and Sam Cooke (in
addition to pop groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones),
Ocean enjoyed his first taste of success in the mid-seventies with a
two-year run of catchy, Motown-influenced UK Top 20 singles -
peaking with the Number Two pop smashes ‘Love Really Hurts Without
You’ (1976) and ‘Red Light Spells Danger’ (1977).
see
performance
Web Posted - Friday
June 12, 2020
When Steel Talks
Celebration of Women and the Steelpan Art Form
New York, USA - After ten years with one of New York’s powerhouse steel orchestras, Tamika Alexander could be described as being ‘Despers USA to the bone!’ She is impassioned about, as she calls him “My big time Arranger! Odie Franklin” of Despers, while also cherishing arranger Marc Brooks, who gave her her first lessons on the instrument at age six. For Tamika, it’s all about her love for the steelband and her ‘Pan’ family.
In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks - the dedicated
performing artist talks about her journey in pan to date, and
hopes for the future of the steelband art form and community.
read more
Web Posted - Thursday
June 11, 2020
When Steel Talks
Clive Bradley - Arranger
Global - The Four Pillars Of Steel... A Repertoire Championship 2011 - a performance by Desperadoes Steel Orchestra.
“Many bands show greatness periodically but I must admit my bias for the consistency of Desperadoes. For decades they have proven superiority in tone production, arrangements and discipline. Ever since I heard their arrangement of Sparrow's
‘Mr. Walker’ decades ago, the unique runs of the cellos, the counter melody of the double seconds or tenors
- boy, I instantly shifted from a Starlift fan to a devout Despers.”
- Bob Diaz
see
performance
Web Posted - Wednesday
June 10, 2020
Daily Chronicle
Scyamore, Illinois, USA - Jesse Wiemer-Hastings, a graduate of DeKalb High School (DHS), is the recipient of the 2020 Palmer Family Music Education Scholarship award.
Historically, the scholarship recipient is honored at the first DeKalb Municipal Band concert of the year at Hopkins Park, with the $3,500 scholarship award from the DeKalb County Community Foundation. This year, because of COVID-19 precautions and social distancing restrictions, the June concert will not take place.
Wiemer-Hastings plans to attend St. Olaf College in the fall of 2020, pursuing a degree in music education. His interest in music started with his parents, both of whom are musicians....At the age of 7 his mom started him with cello lessons.
Since then, Wiemer-Hastings has been very active in the music
department at DHS. He played the tuba in the Wind Ensemble,
Marching Band, Pep Band and Symphony Orchestra. He played
trombone in the Jazz Ensemble and played the bass pans in Steel
Band.
read more
Web Posted - Tuesday
June 9, 2020
When Steel Talks
Maryland, USA - On May 23, 2020 the world lost Allan Turner and just a mere 10 days later, his son Brandon Turner was taken from us unexpectedly.
Allan, although not a pan player in the physical sense was an
extreme pan enthusiast/pan jumbie! Notably, he is a cousin of
Len “Boogsie” Sharpe. His apartment in Brooklyn housed the DMV
panists who traveled up to play for Panorama every
year....Brandon was an exceptional father, husband, son,
brother, and friend. He had a generous spirit, sharp wit, and
infectious laugh that will be greatly missed by all who knew and
loved him. He began learning to play with CAFE under the
tutelage of Leon “Smooth” Edwards.
read more
Web Posted - Tuesday
June 9, 2020
When Steel Talks
Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra
Global - The Rocket Pan aka Six Pan -- Invented by the late, great Rudolph Charles of Desperadoes Steel Orchestra.
In speaking to master arranger and performing artist Robert
Greenidge, the first musician to play this pan - he explained
that Rudolph was not necessarily seeking “loudness,” but rather
an all-round sonic impact of about three pans/instruments from a
single one – via the Rocket Pan, along with the resultant unique
tonal quality. The cones were added to the Six-pan afterwards to
simulate a whistling tone similar to what was envisioned from a
rocket. And thus we have - the Rocket Pan.
see
more
Web Posted - Monday
June 8, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - Twelve years ago today, June 8, the world lost a music maestro, a master performing artist. Frank “Crawl” Findley was pure poetry in motion. His effortless movements hid even the most difficult passages from the eyes of the uninitiated eyes. He mesmerized, fascinated and hypnotized us with his marriage to the nine-bass from the steelpan family of instruments.
“Crawl” played the instrument like it was meant to be played. Few have ever
commanded the touch and sound he elicited from the bass pan instrument. “Crawl”
was one of the all–time greats. In a word – he was the artist young players were
told to watch and emulate. It was a joy to watch him perform.
read more
Web Posted - Monday
June 8, 2020
When Steel Talks
New York, USA - ADLIB Steel Orchestra performs the classic “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye.
“Although the song was written and released over forty-seven
years ago on January 20, 1971, at the height of the Vietnam war
- it is perhaps as relevant today as it was back then, in light
of current events worldwide. The song could easily be a
referendum on the tortuous demise of George Floyd, who has
become a global symbol for police brutality and troubling race
relations.
see performance
Web Posted - Saturday
June 6, 2020
When Steel Talks
Denmark - “‘Purple Rain’ [by Prince] is one of those songs that I did not fully appreciate until the time was right. It simply was one of those nights where I was painting late in my apartment in New Orleans. Candles were lit all over and I heard the song on one of the local radio stations that decided to play full album tracks. The ending solo caught me and held me in suspense. I knew one day I was going try this song as a Steelpanist and Singer. But where?
“It just so happened I was performing with none other than a
traditional Jazz band in Hamburg, Germany and for a joke, I was
practicing the song in rehearsal. The band leader said “Let’s
play it!” I thought “Cool, let’s!” So I am working on how to
incorporate this into my future live shows. Here is a singular
version of the song - Music, Love, Peace, and Unity is my Goal.” Gregory Boyd
see performance
Web Posted - Wednesday
June 3, 2020
When Steel Talks
Global - Get the listing, by
category, of the steelband musicians participating in the 2020
Pan Ramajay Competition, organized by Exodus Steel Orchestra.
The panists, who are representing multiple countries, have
opportunities to display their skills in three categories:
Soloists - Duets - Quartets. The event runs from June 13th—27th.
access listing
Global
- PanOnTheNet/ WhenSteelTalks is Panorama
Central! Complete information on the 2020 season of the
Trinidad and Tobago National Panorama, and competitions:
Schedules, Orders of Appearance for preliminary,
semi-final and final phases for large, medium and small
conventional steel orchestras, and single pan bands;
arrangers’ bios, bios of steel orchestras; full results,
panyard addresses, history of previous Panoramas, and
much more!
see complete information
index
Web Posted - February
2020
When Steel Talks
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - At a glance and on a single page, access the comprehensive summary of results for the Small, Medium and Large conventional steel orchestras that participated in their respective categories in the 2020 Panorama.
Follow the musical journey of respective bands through all three
phases - compare side-by-side preliminaries, semi-finals and finals through data on
band info, scores, tunes of choice and arrangers - on one page.
access full summary