Thrice and Counting: Pan is at Lincoln Center and There to Stay
New York -
Ralph
K. Ramsey (left), president of Abstract Entertainment Inc. (AEI) is the
man behind the scenes that has put pan in Lincoln Center for
three years in a four-year period. The inaugural year was
2004, when the pride of Long Island - ADLIB Steel Orchestra, was
part of a fabulous line-up which included pannist extraordinaire
Garvin Blake and Friends, Liam Teague and Arturo Tappin, and
Andy Narell and company. The place was Lincoln Center's
Alice Tully Hall. That year many attendees came in
wonderment, amazed that a show filled with so many major pan
artists was uncompromisingly featured at one of New York city's
iconic venues. And in keeping with the grandeur of the
event, one of the legends of the steelpan movement, Emmanuel
'Jack' Riley was one of the first two recipients of AEI's Life
Time Achievement Award. The other was world-famous drummer
Max Roach who many years ago declared that "Pan should be on a
world stage!"
The next
year was
2006,
and pan and jazz once
again
were featured, this time at the Rose
Theater in Lincoln
Center's Frederick P. Rosehall. The audience on hand included returnees from the
2004 show premiere, and also some newcomers who had only heard
of its success, read reports and viewed pictures, and who were
determined not to be out of the equation in the second round.
This time around, pannist Robert Greenidge mesmerized the
audience with the Caribbean All Stars, and acclaimed UK-based
pannist Rudy Smith wowed his devoted fans who made sure they
were part of the audience that year, for the opportunity to
catch Smith in concert outside of the UK circuit. The AEI
Life Time Achievement Award Recipient that year was Patrick
Thomas.
And once more in 2007 history repeated itself
for a third year. Robert Greenidge returned to Lincoln
Center again, this time to the Allen Room, with the
Caribbean All Stars, and this time
acclaimed soca artist David Rudder commanded the second portion
of the show. The latter was brought back on stage by the
determined audience who demanded more of him, despite it being
past the official end of the show. Neville Jules, another
living legend and repository of historic knowledge in the pan
movement took home the 2007 Life Time Achievement Award
(left).
And the crowd overall? Well tickets were completely gone
two weeks before the show. No amount of cajoling and hope
would work for those who were not fortunate or savvy enough to
procure the tickets available on a first-come, first-served
basis. It is a certainty, that for 2008, those particular
folks, and others, will be first in line even before tickets
officially go on sale...
Yes, Ralph Ramsey has done what few others
would have had the vision, and heart to do, once, twice, let
alone thrice, in the entertainment capital of the world.
The AEI executive remained steadfast in his vision to share a
mainstay of Caribbean culture and bring it to a stage befitting
of its stature. But then again, he chose the perfect
vehicle - the steelpan instrument, the only acoustical
instrument to be invented in the twentieth century, and enjoying
a continued explosion on world stages. And yes, Pan is on
stage at Lincoln Center, and is there to stay.
Ralph
K. Ramsey (left), president of Abstract Entertainment Inc. (AEI) is the
man behind the scenes that has put pan in Lincoln Center for
three years in a four-year period. The inaugural year was
year was
