Beyond Kissing Babies - Shaking Hands, Visiting Steel Orchestra Panyards and Broken Promises

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 When Steel Talks

Beyond Kissing Babies - Shaking Hands, Visiting Steel Orchestra Panyards and Broken Promises

The Death March of New York Pan and Culture



Pictured:  Brooklyn Navy Yard - scene of crushed steelband instruments and racks - photo courtesy Noah Smith

Brooklyn, New York, USA - ....From 2014 to present Eric Adams has served as Brooklyn’s Borough President. His fortunes have gone very well politically in that period. And unless there is an unforeseen upset Eric Adam will become the next mayor of New York City in a day or so. Conversely, the fortunes of the New York steelband community has gone south in that same time period, becoming progressively worse. Indeed, there is enough blame to go around - from sleazy and corrupt promoters of pan events; envious, inept, distrustful, and short-sighted band leaders, and, of course, traitorous politicians.

Will the neglected New York steelband community finally benefit from Eric Adams if he becomes Mayor of New York City, where they didn’t while he was Brooklyn Borough president? His promises went unfilled since then; so what’s in store for the steelband art form’s community and future in New York?

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