WST Newsfeed
Web Posted - Saturday
October 30, 2021
When Steel Talks
Steelband Arranger Ray Holman Accepts Honorary Doctorate
Image: UWI screengrab
Global - On the morning of
Saturday 30 October 2021 at 10:00 a.m. AST, acclaimed steelband
arranger, composer, educator and performing artist Ray Anthony
Holman was awarded the honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by The
University of the West Indies (The UWI) at its 2021 virtual
graduation ceremonies at the Faculty of Humanities and
Education. This the St. Augustine Campus of the
educational institution, located in Trinidad & Tobago.
Web Posted - Thursday
October 28, 2021
When Steel Talks - Reboot
A look at Champion Steelband Arranger
Len “Boogsie” Sharpe
Global - Len “Boogsie” Sharpe was born on October 28,
1953, and started playing the steelpan at the age of four. By
the time he was a teenager he had mastered all the voices and
different styles of the pan family. By the early seventies,
following the pioneering work of Ray Holman in 1972, “Boogsie”
became renowned as a composer and arranger of his own music in
national competitions, in both the classical and calypso genres.
From that time to the present, he has continued to compose and
arrange music for PHASE II PAN GROOVE Steel Orchestra, the band
that he co-founded in 1972, and of which he is Chairman and
Musical Director.
Web Posted - Thursday
October 28, 2021
When Steel Talks
‘Billie Jean’ - Phase II Pan Groove - Len “Boogsie” Sharpe
LIVE at the Queen’s Park Savannah - 2005
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
....The place is the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain,
Trinidad - the home of the steelpan. The event is the annual Pan
In The 21st Century competition... Present are the greatest
steelbands and arrangers/composers on the planet. ....Len
“Boogsie” Sharpe is one such, and on this night would add more
lore to his already legendary status and career.
Mr.
Sharpe with Phase II Pan Groove, would capture second place.
The music and arrangement of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’
delivered by the legendary arranger and his orchestra, are now
classics in their own time.
Web Posted - Thursday
October 28, 2021
When Steel Talks
Happy Birthday to the legendary Len “Boogsie” Sharpe - October 28
When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to panist, champion
arranger and performing artist Len
“Boogsie” Sharpe.
Leave message & greetings
Web Posted - Thursday
October 28, 2021
When Steel Talks
Happy Birthday to Composer, Panist, Educator & Arranger
Kendall Williams - October 28
When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to composer, panist, arranger and performing artist Kendall
Williams.
Leave message & greetings
Web Posted - Wednesday
October 27, 2021
When Steel Talks
Honorary doctorate for Steelband Arranger Ray Holman
Global - Acclaimed steelband
arranger Ray Holman is among four people who will receive
honorary degrees from The University of the West Indies (The
UWI) at its 2021 graduation ceremonies..
At the 10:00 a.m. AST ceremony for the Faculty of Humanities and
Education on Saturday 30 October 2021, Mr. Ray Anthony Holman
will be awarded the honorary Doctor of Letters (DLitt).
Web Posted - Wednesday
October 27, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live
the Experience
Pantonic Steel Orchestra - “Live Yuh Life (Like Yuh Playing
Mas)” - Video
Panyard Recording
New York, USA - Basement
Recordings captures Pantonic as they prepare for the 2013 New York
Steelband Panorama competition one day before the event. Pantonic
Steel Orchestra performed a Seion Gomez-arrangement of “Live Yuh
Life (Like Yuh Playing Mas).”
Web Posted - Sunday
October 24, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live
the Experience
NYU Steel Ensemble performs “Don’t Speak”
New York, USA - When Steel Talks captures NYU Steel Ensemble
as they perform “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt at the 2016 NYU
Steel Ensemble Spring Concert held at the the Frederick Loewe
Theatre on the campus.
Web Posted - Wednesday
October 20, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live
the Experience
ADLIB Steel Orchestra - “Big People Party” - (‘Cool Down’
version - Video)
Panyard Recording
Long Island, New York, USA - Basement
Recordings captures ADLIB as they prepare for the 2014 New York
Steelband Panorama competition shortly before the event. ADLIB
Steel Orchestra performed an Amrit Samaroo-arrangement of “Big
People Party.” This is the ‘Cool Down’ version..
Web Posted - Monday
October 18, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live the Experience
Congratulations to Wilfred “Junior” Kieal - 2021 Miami Panorama Champion
Arranger
Wilfred “Junior” Kieal
Brooklyn, New York, USA -
When Steel Talks (WST) extends congratulations to Wilfred “Junior” Kieal on his victory with Metro Steel Orchestra, as 2021 Miami Panorama
champion
arranger.
Web Posted - Sunday
October 17, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live
the Experience
Metro Steel Orchestra - “Tell Me Why ” - (‘Panyard’
version - Audio)
Panyard Recording
New York, USA - The year is
1990; the place is Panorama night at the Brooklyn Museum, and
master arranger Clive Bradley is about to win his third New York
Panorama with this arrangement. Bradley captures the crowd
before the intro is even completed.
Web Posted - Wednesday
October 13, 2021
When Steel Talks - Reboot
Baldwin Spencer - Former Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda speaks on the Moods of Pan Steelpan Music Festival - and on Barack Obama
A When Steel Talks Exclusive
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. -
He is deep intellectually, articulate, forward thinking, charismatic, pragmatic and nationalistic. He is a man of many skills and talents. He is equally at home in the panyard as he is in a room filled with the world’s Heads of state. He is a lover of the steelpan instrument, and ‘panman’ himself. He is the
former Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks, on the morning immediately following the close of the Moods of Pan 2008 festival, the Honourable Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer shares his thoughts about the three-day Pan fest, and US President-elect Barack Obama.
Web Posted - Wednesday
October 13, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live
the Experience
CASYM Steel Orchestra - “Big People Party” - (‘Cool Down’
version - Video)
Panyard Recording
New York, USA - Basement
Recordings captures CASYM as they prepare for the 2014 New York
Steelband Panorama competition shortly before the event. CASYM
Steel Orchestra performed a Duvone Stewart-arrangement of “Big
People Party.” This is the ‘Cool Down’ version.
Web Posted - Monday
October 11, 2021
When Steel Talks
Congratulations to panist & arranger Mickiel Gabriel on his
performing arts degree - Music
Mickiel Gabriel
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
When Steel Talks (WST) extends congratulations to panist &
arranger Mickiel
Gabriel on receiving his performing arts
degree in music.
Web Posted - Sunday
October 10, 2021
When Steel Talks
Happy Birthday to musician extraordinaire and educator
Lakeisha Danglade - October 10
When Steel Talks extends very Happy Birthday Greetings to musician
extraordinaire and educator Lakeisha Danglade.
Web Posted - Sunday
October 10, 2021
When Steel Talks
Pan Trinbago’s Central Executive says decision to postpone
2021 Convention, AGM, Elections received 70% Endorsement from
members
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. -
“Pan Trinbago Inc have remained quiet for some time because our
focus remains on the WORK of our organization.
“However, numerous calls have been made for us to step in and
rectify the many lies that continue to surface.
“The decision of the Central Executive to postpone the 2021
Convention and AGM amid the present circumstances, has received
70% Endorsement from its members.
“If 70% of the organization's members endorse this decision,
then why are persons with agendas continuing their efforts to
place a negative narrative to the public?”
Web Posted - Sunday October
10, 2021
When Steel Talks - Reboot
‘Columbus Lie’ by the Mighty Shadow
Global - The late great
calypsonian “Shadow” shares the true history of Christopher Columbus via a
live performance in Canada, 1994.
Web Posted - Wednesday
October 6, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live
the Experience
Pan Rebels Steel Orchestra - “On De Road” - (‘Panyard’
version - Audio)
Panyard Recording
New York, USA - This is Pan
Rebels Steel Orchestra performing a Garvin Blake-arrangement of
“On De Road” by Ronnie McIntosh. Pan Rebels was captured by
Basement Recordings in their panyard, a few days before they
took the stage for the New York Panorama.
Web Posted - Tuesday
October 5, 2021
When Steel Talks
Meet Astor Johnson - Humming Bird Medal Gold Awardee -
Founder of The Astor Johnson Repertory Dance Theatre of Trinidad
& Tobago, and more - UpClose!
a Von Martin Interview
Global - “....I see the
pan music as any other form. I have worked with a little with
Earl Rodney and some of “Boogsie” Sharpe′s music as well - I
find them very progressive - very lending towards dance
movements, I think mostly because of the way they take a melody
and then they would do a lot of counter structures and phrases
within the melody - the same way one choreographs.. ...However
what I would like to see done is a little more on the
educational side - this is why I think your program dealing with
the evolution of pan is so important. The majority of the
younger choreographers and dancers are strangely enough not very
knowledgeable about how pan came about at all.
“You would be surprised to know that if you ask them,
they simply do not know.. Interestingly enough, I am involved in a
project now... to get a possible television program that we want to do
in dance depicting how this whole thing started, the pan movement, the
era has probably arrived when we are going to get into this kind of
exercise. Really educating the public as to the evolution of pan. ...You
find that today there is a lot of lack-luster interest in the pan -
probably for Carnival, yes -- outside of Carnival, no. I am very
obsessed with the idea that the reason for this is a non-knowledge - no
information really about what the pan is about - an awareness about
where it came from, how important it is to us, what a great contribution
it is by Trinidad & Tobago. You know the old story when you live by the
sea you take it for granted everyday... ...the same way with us; we have
something, the steelband, here, that is so vital and yet taken for
granted.” -- Astor
Johnson
“...Johnson danced as a youth with the Burey Thomas and
the Julia Edwards dance companies before leaving Trinidad in the mid-1960s to
pursue a degree.” -- Ronald C. Emrit - panist and Trinidad & Tobago
Cultural Historian
Web Posted - Sunday
October 3, 2021
When Steel Talks - Feel the Music - Live the
Experience
Moods Pan Groove - “Ben Lion” -
(Video)
Panyard Recording
New York, USA - New York’s
Moods Pan Groove performs “Ben Lion” as arranged by the great
Robert Greenidge. Basement Recordings captures this performance
a few days before they take the stage for Panorama 2002.
Web Posted - Friday
October 1, 2021
When Steel Talks - Reboot
Meet Woman in Pan Nakiya Athina de Freitas - Antigua & Barbuda
Celebration of Women and the Steelpan Art
Form
Antigua & Barbuda, W.I. -
“I would tell any young female panist to go for
it. If it’s something you love and enjoy, don’t let anything
deter you from that passion. You will face many ups and downs
and you will feel like giving up, but just keep going.”
She is focused, driven and extremely talented.
And represents the future of Pan. She is a music
major who has firm ideas on the way forward in
Pan. In an exclusive interview with When Steel
Talks - Nakiya Athina de Freitas shares her
feelings, experiences, and insight into the
Steelband music art form and more
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