While you're there check out the Live Feed and see what Panorama is all about (BIG steel band competition - biggest in the world and it's on RIGHT
NOW!......we hope to make it there one day - the steel band I play in up here that is.)bobalooie57 - 5-3-2011 at 06:27 PM
Wow, macboy, you play a steel drum? Did you make it yourself? I just watched about 10 min. of the carnivaltv livestream, and all I can say is WOW!
I just saw about 100 drummers(?) beating out quite a tune, and it was great! I bookmarked the page, will probably watch more later. Thanks!macboy - 5-3-2011 at 08:21 PM
Been glued to it all afternoon and for the next couple hours before it's over. The BIG bands just started so if you think the 100 member bands were
something......well.
The biggest we ever got was 23. Need 25 to go down and compete in the small band competition. We were SOOOOOOO close. It woulda been amazing. The
band's now down to nine or so but it fluctuates regularly.
It's amazing. I gotta see this live one day.
Didn't make my own pan - they come right from Trinidad (and a Trini living in Toronto). I bought one a few years into my playing career. Waited three
years for it. Over $3000. Nice drum but wow......I almost forgot about it when it arrived! The one I play in the band is called the Guitar Pan - it's
a dual drum, about 1/3 to 1/2 of a full drum. And yup - these things are seriously made outta old oil drums. Even the new ones - still made from used
oil drums.cheezycheese - 5-3-2011 at 08:47 PM
That's awesome macboy !!! How did you get into this...?cheezycheese - 5-3-2011 at 08:54 PM
Im not sure if you are aware of the LARGE carribean community here in NYC (particularly Brooklyn). Well there is a big parade on labor day yadda yadda
yadda, but the night before the parade is Jube(Joo-bay) where all the bands jam and compete. Boy you wanna talk about some serious jammin. This goes
on aaalllll night. If you can ever be in NY around labor day that is the place to be.macboy - 5-3-2011 at 09:08 PM
Ah.....J'ouvert - fond memories of our own little J'ouvert here and yes.....nicely insane but nothing like in T&T right now. Basically this party
is just starting in Trinidad right now and will go ON for what seems like forever. ANd as soon as it's over they all start
I think New York has a world Pan Comp too, don't they? I think all the West Indians went either to NY or Toronto. Lucky for me one of the
players/arrangers made his way to Fort McMurray and then Edmonton where he started the band....I think 30 years ago? My old boss took me to a summer
arts fest here way back when, got me hammered and then gave me the rest of the day off....but I couldn't drive anywhere 'cuz I was hammered. I
wandered around and saw a few players busking, asked how I could learn and the response was "Join the band". I said "no, I just wanna learn how". They
said "Join the band".
I joined.
Took a few years off but am now getting right back into it. Love it too much to not have it be part of my life....I just have to find balance because
it was actually kiting in part that took me away from the steelband (We practiced EVERY Friday and Sunday and I just couldn't commit my weekends when
the wind may be blowing).
Funny enough - I first fell in love with it when I was a kid and saw a steelband on Super Dave. Who knew some white boy from Canada would have a bit
of "rhyddim". Took me a while to get it but I did.
(To this day I haven't learned to play "Copacabana")
