12-Bass Magic - Desperadoes

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Captured by Dawad Philip

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A look at the new panyard under construction for Desperadoes Steel Orchestra by Sharmain Baboolal

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Here is an exclusive look at the TT$14 million panyard for the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra which has been homeless for several years, but which was gifted this piece of real estate at 25 Nelson Street in Port of Spain. When completed it will be the first steelband facility of its kind, anywhere in the world, occupying one and a half acres of land. Take a tour with me below: Under construction new Desperadoes Panyard
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Remembering Lt. Joseph Nathaniel Griffith and TASPO

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by Roger Gibbs - Singer-Songwriter-Guitarist at Shak Shak Provided by and published with the expressed permission of, the author Lt. Joseph Nathaniel Griffith Joseph Nathaniel Griffith brought a vision and musical rigor to the steelband concept. In 1951, steelbands were basically rough musical percussion collectives, fit for street Carnival but little more. The top steelbands of the day were made up of a number of lead pans or ‘ping-pongs’. These lead pans played melodies in unison with limited alto versions adding a few harmony notes. The rest of the band was made up of biscuit tin drums with 2-3 notes each adding some basic lower parts and accompanied by an assorted percussion. The sound of this early steelband music was raucous, lively, spontaneous, polyphonic, polyrhythmic – but also very uneven in tones, lacking instrumental clarity and pitch, and with inconsistent balance and blend. Add to that, steelpan protagonists had reputations as hooligans and lawbreakers and were not consi
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Patron of the Arts Artistic Bursary 2023 designed to assist aspiring panists across the Caribbean and beyond

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The Artistic Bursary 2023 award is designed to assist aspiring panists across the Caribbean and beyond in pursuing studies leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Performing Arts (BFA) with specialisation in Music (Steelpan) or the Advanced Pan Fellowship Program Certificate at The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).  The Award  The award will provide three (3) individual grants of USD$5000 to the first prize winner, USD$3000 to the second prize winner, and USD$2000 to the third prize winner. These amounts are to assist in covering the cost of tuition, travel, accommodation and course material for their first year of study.
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PRESS CONFERENCE Hosted by PAN TRINBAGO MEMBER BANDS November 9, 2021

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  MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL MEDIA OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO PRESS CONFERENCE – Newtown Playboys Pan Theatre Hosted by PAN TRINBAGO MEMBER BANDS November 9, 2021 Our purpose today is to present a balanced view of the current circumstances within Pan Trinbago, and to highlight acts of violations of Pan Trinbago’s Constitution committed by the Beverley Ramsey Moore led Executive during their term of office. The entire constitution document is available for review at  https://www.pantrinbago.co.tt/Overview/TheConstitution.aspx . Presenting below are excerpts of current and relevant circumstances affecting the operation of Pan Trinbago. Pan Trinbago Constitution dated 1986 states: ARTICLE 7 – STRUCTURE - The organizational structure of the Association shall be composed of: a. The General Body b. The Central Executive Committee c. Regional Committees PART A. THE GENERAL BODY i. The General Body shall consist of all classes of members of the Association. ii. Each member steelband shall elect two (
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When Steel Talks (WST) extends Happy Birthday greetings to scholar, educator, exceptional musician, music director and champion Panorama arranger James Clarkson

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James Clarkson   April 21st When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to panist James Clarkson James Clarkson was born in Grenada on 21 April 1943 and has had a distinguished lifelong career in music with early exposure at the age of 12. He later joined the band of the Royal Grenada Police Force, appeared on stage with his father’s band, and by 17 was a member of the band of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force as lead arranger and first trumpet player. By 23 years of age, he was the Director of Music of the band of the Royal Grenada Police Force, and soon became the arranger for the very successful Republic Bank Angel Harps Steel Orchestra , a post he still holds today. The Officers and Ranks of the Royal, Grenada Police Force (R.G.P.F.) take this opportunity to thank Commissioner James Clarkson OBE, QPM, Lmus, F. Sci, for his invaluable contribution to to the R.G.P.F and to wish him a healthy and productive retirement. James Clarkson with daughter Ayana  Panorama Championships Gr
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Dane Gulston - External Relations Officer of Pan Trinbago has resigned

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  Breaking News To: All Member Bands of Pan Trinbago Members of the National Community Date: November 5, 2021 Subject: End of “TERM OF OFFICE” I am writing to officially announce that my term of office as the constitutionally elected External Relations Officer of Pan Trinbago has ended effective October 27, 2021. When I was elected as the External Relations Officer Pan Trinbago, it was for the term October 28, 2018 – October 27, 2021. The election for that term was in compliance with the constitution of the organisation, and it was expected that all executive members elected at that time would either seek re-election in 2021, or leave office on time as required by the constitution. It is my understanding that the outgoing President Beverly Ramsey Moore and six members of the outgoing executive have gone rogue and refused to leave office. This follows an earlier announcement by the Secretary Denise Hernandez dated September 20, 2021 that the executive agreed that the constitutionally du
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New York Steelband Panorama is a different animal

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No New York Panorama Brooklyn, New York, USA -  It’s easy to be angry. Sometimes it seems like our entire culture is being destroyed right before our very eyes. This year’s lack of a Panorama in New York is disappointing on so many dimensions. Even if we allow for some grace in the post-COVID (is it really post?) come-back era, if we look far enough down the road we can see that pan as we know it is irreparably damaged and changed when we don’t hold the competition. We can’t blame this all on gentrification and neo-colonization. see more
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St. James Carnival 2023

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Carnival will come early in St. James as Traditional Carnival characters take over St. James. Characters like Baby Dolls, Perriot Gerenades, Bats, Devil Mas, Fancy Indians, Fancy Sailors. Jab Jabs, Dame Lorraines, Minstrels, Clowns, Moko Jumbies and many more will converge at the St. James Amphitheatre & Park, Western Main Road, St. James, as the St. James   Social And Cultural Committee in collaboration with the National Carnival Commission Regional Carnival stages its Traditional Ole Time Competition. In addition to the above, there will be more than fifteen (15) categories open to both junior and senior masqueraders. The event, almost twenty five (25) years since its inception, is carded for Wednesday February 08, starting time 7:00 pm. Admission is free. Open to school children, individuals and groups, the Carnival staple brings the historical element of the Festival to the fore. Registration for both adults and children is free and can be done at either at Crosby’s S
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Merrytones Steel Orchestra - In the Spotlight - Eric McAllister speaks

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  Merrytones Steel Orchestra - Trinidad Then, Now and Beyond C. Phillips, Basement Press Corp. ©2005 When Steel Talks - All Rights Reserved Former captain Eric McAllister takes pride in introducing his band, Merrytones Steel Orchestra in Trinidad, to the global pan community. He presently plays the quadraphonics, a physically demanding instrument. McAllister is now part of the executive management of the band. Merrytones Steel Orchestra is a three-time winner of the Panorama title in the small conventional steel orchestra category - 1995, 2004, 2005. In the years prior to 1995 Merrytones was a large band, the category which usually fields up to one hundred players and over. When McAllister joined Merrytones in 1974 (his first panorama), the band then had a membership of about 50-plus members. Their competitive fortunes began to look up in later years, toward the end of the decade. In 1982 - in the Pan Is Beautiful II competition, they placed fourth, then took third
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