MEDIA INFORMATION

   518 Amboy Street · Brooklyn, NY 11212 · 347-693-7398

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                CONTACT: Gary Rogers, 718-342-3865

                                                                                            panrebel4life@yahoo.com

PAN REBELS STEEL ORCHESTRA LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING CD

WITH MAJOR CONCERT FEATURING PAN KAISO SUPERSTARS

NEW YORK (March 19, 2002) ¾ Mark your calendars now! That’s right...on Sunday, June 9, 2002 the Elite Ark in Brooklyn will be the site of an electrifying Steel band/Pan Kaiso extravaganza. The concert will mark the release of Pan Rebels debut CD entitled “It’s About Time”.  Scheduled performers include Happy Williams  (“The Prize”) and Emmanuel “Oba” Synette (“In My House”, “Picture On My Wall”). Candy Hoyte, lead female vocalist of the soca band Traffik will be performing her song, Savannah on Fire, which was penned by Pan Rebels founder and leader, Anthony “Pra” Trebuse. The song was selected by 10 time Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) panorama champions, Witco Desperadoes for their 2002 panorama tune.  Pan Rebels will also be performing some of the selections from their upcoming CD.

The project will consist of 4 of their panorama selections over the last decade featuring some of the great arrangers of the Steel band culture, including pan/Jazz recording artist Garvin Blake (“On The Road” by Ronnie McIntosh).  Famous pan composer, arranger and virtuoso, and Len “Boogsie” Sharpe (“In My House”) also provides the band with a masterful arrangement. Two-Time T&T Panorama champion arranger, Pelham Goddard (“Picture On My Wall”) and Pan Rebels’ own Anthony “Pra” Trebuse (“Misbehave”) showcase their arranging prowess as well.  The CD also features 5 newly recorded tracks featuring a potpourri of musical styles including pop, r&b, jazz and reggae.  Vocalist, Michelle Williams will also be featured along with Gary Rogers on trumpet as the band accompanies them both.

Pan Rebels recently celebrated 20 years as an organization and will be entering in their 15^th consecutive panorama competition in 2002.  Gary Rogers, who serves as Executive Producer on the project, also shared Executive Producer credits on The “United States Steelband Association (USSA) Panorama 2001” CD, which was released last winter.  That CD marked the first time in the history of U.S. steelband that a recording of the panorama was released.  “The production of the CD is long overdue, hence the title chosen by the band,” said Rogers.  “It’s really about time that we took this major step in the organization’s development.  We hope other bands follow our lead so that we can finally bring the level of respect to pan music that it deserves.”  He also promises that the second CD is already in the works and plans are being made to release it in the spring of 2003.

Trevor John of Basement Recordings, who teamed up with Rogers to produce “USSA Panorama 2001” produced the CD using state of the art digital technology.  With support from Yamaha Corporation Basement Recordings has worked with Pan Rebels over the past decade to capture the sound of the full panorama band, which has consisted of as many as 100 players.  By using Yamaha 20-bit digital audio technology, Basement has set a new standard in reproducing the tremendous range, dynamics and fullness of the sound of the steelband.

“We have developed a technique called a “Box-and-One” to record steelband music,” said Trevor John. “It’s Revolutionary. The technique allows the listener’s position to move from that of being a spectator to [being] a player in the band,” he added.

PAN REBELS STEEL ORCHESTRA, INC

Directors: A. Trebuse, C. Sharpe, G. Rogers, M. Williams, E. Reid