Since its inception in 2001, the St James Community Improvement Committee, under the chairmanship of Earl Crosby, has struggled to stage its annual WeBeat St James Live event in June. It is now in its 15th year. But sadly, businesses which thrive from the committee’s strategic location in the busy western town have consistently refused to assist it.
The only St James residents who have consistently assisted Crosby and his committee have been Rent-A-Amp, Media 21 and Royal Bank (St James). Other regular sponsors have included NLCB, Carib and some government ministries. Years ago I recall Crosby telling me that the owner of a popular bar on the Western Main Road would offer one dollar for every bottle of beer he sold on the night of the steelband parade.
Thousands packed the street that night and the bar actually ran out of beers. Crosby is still waiting on the bar owner to keep his promise—and that was ten years ago.
This year, though, Crosby and committee will have fewer sleepless nights over sponsorship: the 2015 edition of WeBeat is being funded mainly by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and The Office of the Prime Minister. The WeBeat St James Live committee decided to invite 15 popular steelbands to participate in its street parade along the Western Main Road tomorrow night from 7 pm.
The 15 bands, plus five guests, are Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, Republic Bank Exodus, PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars, CAL Invaders, White Oak Starlift, Arima Golden Symphony, bp Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra, Brimblers, Harvard Harps, LA Creole Pan Groove, Musical Gems, Old Tech Steel Orchestra, Rhapsody, San Juan Eastside, Scrunters Pan Groove, St James Tripolians, Valley Harps, Carib Woodbrook Playboyz, D’Tunapuna Vibrations and Angostura Low Boy Truck.
Seven traditional mas bands, sponsored by the NCBA, will also perform. This year, steelbands will parade from East (Nizam Street and Western Main Road) to West (Salazar Street), stopping in front of the St James Amphitheatre, Western Main Road, where they will perform a tune of choice.
This year the WeBeat committee is hosting just two income generating events—tonight’s We Kaiso: Special Tribute to The Black Stalin, and Sunday afternoon’s We Cruise. We Kaiso: Special Tribute to The Black Stalin is being headlined by Pelham Goddard & Friends, along with Granny and Penny, at The Amphitheatre, from 8 pm. Sunday’s cruise is aboard the Treasure Queen, Pier 2, Chaguaramas; boarding time is 3 pm.
Pan meets brass
In more steelband news, Supernovas Steel Orchestra will host, today at 10 am, an ensemble concert with the University of T&T Brass Ensemble and the University of Delaware Percussion ensemble. The University of Delaware’s appearance is made possible through the United States Embassy in T&T. The concert is geared towards music students at secondary and tertiary level, and will be held at Theatre 1 in UTT (Napa) campus.
Tomorrow, the feature performance, with guest pannist Mia Gormandy and male vocalist Krisson Joseph (son of the Mighty Penguin), will be held at the same venue at 7 pm. Supernovas musical director Amrit Samaroo said this week: “We will be performing a varied repertoire of music which includes Verdi’s Force of Destiny Overture as well as Dr Jit Samaroo’s Song of Lopinot. Both pieces have been adapted by Aidan Chamberlain, professor of trombone/trumpet at UTT, and conducted by Ben Jackson.”
The concerts are free of charge to the public; however, there is limited seating capacity. Supernovas, which will be competing in next year’s National Panorama competition in the large steel orchestra category, remains at home in Surrey Village, Lopinot on Saturday, June 27, when Pan Trinbago Inc stages another edition of its Pan in De Countryside series of open air concerts.
Pan tours Cuba
A group of 33 steelpan music students and support staff from Success Laventille Secondary School will be embarking on a groundbreaking, pre-Independence cultural exchange visit to Havana, Cuba from August 22 to 30.
Simeon Sandiford, managing director of Sanch Electronix Ltd, said this was but one of the many deliverables of the Pan in Education curriculum that seeks to harness technology and indigenous rhythms to create globally competitive Caribbean music industry professionals. The initiative is poised to extend into the diaspora and wider international community.
He said on a recent business trip to Havana he formed a strategic alliance with P&G Travel, a hospitality service efficiently managed by Judy Gallant, a personable Canadian entrepreneur, domiciled in Cuba. “Sanch cordially invites you to visit Havana and support this fledgling group from East Port-of-Spain, an area that continues to contribute significantly to the history, evolution, revolution and development of the steelpan,” he said in a release.
“In their fervent quest for self-empowerment, these talented teenagers, who thrive on real-time challenges, are also determined to raise enough funds to build a high-definition audio/visual production facility at their school, and to commission it in time for the opening of the new academic year on September 1,” said Sanch, asking that those unable to travel can “make a token donation” in either of two accounts (one for $TT and the other for $US) opened by the school.
For those travelling from abroad, Sanch said Gallant can make reservations from anywhere in the world; there are a few rooms still available at The Inglaterra Hotel. In addition, he added, if anyone prefers to visit Havana to coincide with that of His Holiness Pope Francis in September, Gallant can secure accommodation at the NH Capri, near to The Nacional.