On This Day in Pan -- The Legendary Herman “Rock” Johnston

-
On this day April 30, 2001, Herman Johnston, who rocketed to fame from his native Trinidad with his innovative work on the steelpan music instrument, loses his battle with cancer at age 63.

During a career that catapulted him from his native Trinidad to appearances at the United Nations, Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall and with the Boston Symphony at its summer festival in Tanglewood, Mr. Johnston's repertoire spanned musical genres, including rock, spiritual, classical, show tunes and Caribbean folk melodies.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Steel Talks (WST) extends Happy Birthday greetings to musician, historian, ace composer and master calypsonian “Crazy” - born Edwin Ayoung

-
Image
  Happy Birthday to Edwin Ayoung  March 19th When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to composer and performing artist “Crazy” - Edwin Ayoung  Edwin Ayoung or “Crazy” - born Edwin Ayoung in 1944, on Maraval Road in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad of a Venezuelan mother and Trinidadian father of Chinese descent, was - in his youth - as skilled and competitive in his country’s national pastime of cricket, as he has been now for years as a world-travelled musician, performing artist and composer. Though dubbed “The Loveable Lunatic of Soca,” Ayoung has time and again not been given his due in his native land, yet remains one of the most commercially successful artists on the international soca scene. An experimentalist, he pioneered the unique musical genre known as Parang Soca and played a leading role in promoting Chutney Soca. Crazy would go on to sing several monster smashes in parang soca, including Cold Sweat, Muchacha and Homemade Wine. More on Crazy Related content...
Read more

Band From Space - sung by “Crazy”

-
Image
‘ Band From Space ’ sung by “Crazy” 2023: Tune of choice  |   LH Pan Groove  -  Trinidad & Tobago Panorama Tune of Choice 2013 |  Our Boys  |  Couva Joylanders  -  Trinidad & Tobago Tune of Choice 2007 |  Desperadoes |  Renegades  |  Pan Glow  |  Pamberi  |  San City Steel Symphony  | - Trinidad & Tobago Tune of Choice 2007 |  Pantonic |  Adlib  |  Sesame Flyers  |     D'Radoes  | - New York   Tune of Choice 2007 |  Pantasia |  Real Steel  |  Croydon |  Glissando  - United Kingdom lyrics and more ‘Band From Space’ Music by Amrit Samaroo Lyrics by Edwin “Crazy” Ayoung ‘ Band From Space, ’  Amrit Samaroo explains, is a true ‘pan song’ in every sense of the word. He wrote it for the New York stage side steelban...
Read more

Champion Panorama Drummer -- 2020 - 2016 Desperadoes Steel Orchestra - Gregory Pegus

-
Image
“ OMG - thanks guys! This what y’all looking at here is a gift from GOD, and it’s not what you do, but is how you do it - is that makes it look easy.     “ And don’t forget it’s a lot of hard work to play with the steelband, cuz it’s more people you have to look after, so your responsibility is much more ... so take your time and pay attention and you’ll find your way.”  Desperadoes Steel Orchestra /  “ More Sokah ”  / Panorama Final 2020 Quick Oral Bio “Well I’ve started playing from very young with CARIB Tokyo . That was my first band from the age of seven years old. I also played with some schools at that time - until I was able to practice with the big band.   “I got my first break in 1985 with the Pan Is Beautiful Music Festival - And my first time playing for the Panorama that same year. The arranger, Mr. Ray Holman ...
Read more

The legendary Clive Bradley speaks on Women in Pan - Women’s Month - Their Voice, Their Life, Their Dreams, Their Passion, Their Story

-
Image
  When Steel Talks - Reboot Clive Bradley - Memories and Current Thoughts Related to Women in the Steelpan World Clive Bradley with the women of Pantonic New York, USA -  “The first time that I remember seeing women play Steelpan was around 1968, somewhere around there - when three women joined Desperadoes; one of them was Ursula, on the tenor pan, and she still plays with the band today. The other, Carol, played tenor pan too, and the third, whose name I can't recall right now, played the Bass. It was a sort of status symbol for those guys because there were not too many bands with women playing. They were good players. As a matter of fact, I believe that Scrunter (Owen Reyes Johnson) wrote Woman On The Bass for particularly that girl.” ---  Clive Bradley See more
Read more

When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to scholar, panist, and performing artist Deja Cain

-
Image
Deja Cain June 26th When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to panist  Deja Cain    Currently, Deja is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts with a specialization in Music at the University of Trinidad and Tobago hoping one day to become qualified in her craft... See Bio Related content: Meet Deja Cain of Trinidad & Tobago - Steelpan Performing Artist   September by Earth, Wind and Fire (Steelpan Cover) performed by Deja Cain See more breaking news
Read more

When Steel Talks (WST) extends Happy Birthday greetings to scholar, MagnaCumLaude, Navy vet and ace panist Leah Wilson

-
Image
Leah Wilson June 16th When Steel Talks extends Birthday Greetings to panist  Leah Wilson “*Sigh and smile* Bass is BAE! I must admit when I first was introduced to steel pan, from an optical perspective the bass was the pan I did NOT want to play. It looked so “obzocky” and “cumbersome.” Then I was left no option but to play the 6 bass and I was hesitant, but as soon as I played the first song I learned “Feeling hot hot hot” I knew that the bass and I would have an everlasting bond. This pan is truly my love.” --  Leah Wilson   It’s a serious love affair between her and her bass. You only have to watch her perform once and witness the joy and exuberance she has for the art form. In an exclusive interview with When Steel Talks - panist Leah Wilson shares her reflections, experiences and views on Pan, and the steelpan art form overall. ...
Read more

Champion Panorama Drummer Roger Anthony Bethelmy - Desperadoes Steel Orchestra 1977, 1983, 1985

-
Image
Roger Anthony Bethelmy Roger Anthony Bethelmy Born: February 10, 1947 - Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies Education: St. George's College, Kingston, Jamaica 1959 -1964 College Prep - Business Professional Musical Experience The Winston Turner Quintet - Jamaica Hilton Hotel - 1967 - 1968  The Billy Cooke Trio - The Runaway Bay Hotel - 1968 - 1969  The Caribs - The Sheraton Kingston Hotel - 1969 - 1973  The Dizzy Gillespie ABC-TV Special - Kingston, Jamaica - 1972  The Hubert Laws Concert - Kingston, Jamaica - 1971  The Chris White Concert - Kingston, Jamaica - 1972 Recordings EDDIE KENDRICKS - Boogie Down - Motown  IKE & TINA TURNER - Nut Bush - U.A. LETTA MBULU - Letta - A&M RECORDS  ROD STEWART - Foot Loose & Fancy Free - Warner Brothers  ROD STEWART - Blondes Have Mo...
Read more

PanoGrama secures international television deal

-
Image
  When much of the world faced the heights of COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns in 2020, PanoGrama emerged as an innovative option to fill a void left in the steelpan community, and the wider society. The virtual steelpan competition, which debuted on Instagram and featured many regional and international pannists, has since expanded its delivery to YouTube and Facebook. It returns this year not only to social media, but it is set to be distributed via television internationally.   PanoGrama 2022 – The World Cup of Steelpan will be broadcasted on One Caribbean Television, a channel that is dedicated to uniting the Caribbean by providing a platform to highlight the beautiful people and places of the region. Its signal airs in 19 countries across the world including the US, Canada, and across the Caribbean. Some countries in the Caribbean where the channel is shown are Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts...
Read more