Morgantown, West Virginia – Dr. Ellie Mannette’s 13th Annual Festival of
Steel brought Trinidad’s Ambassador to the United
States, Her Excellency Marina Valere and a number of
legendary performers, including Ray Holman, Robert
Greenidge and Jeff Narell to Morgantown’s Historic
Downtown District July 3-9th - to celebrate the legacy
of Dr. Mannette and Trinidad’s musical gift to the
world: the steel pan.
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Trinidad’s Ambassador to the United States, Her
Excellency Marina Valere (center) is pictured at the
Festival of Steel’s VIP Reception with Dr. Ellie
Mannette (right of Ambassador) and the 2005 ‘Festival of
Steel Faculty (pic left to right) Chris Tanner, Jim
Munzenrider, Tom Miller , Ray Holman, Jeff Narell,
Robert Greenidge and Alan Lightner. |
This year’s Festival of Steel also brought nearly 75
people from all across the United States for a workshop
and concert series focused on the art of playing the
steel drum instrument and further solidified the growing
relationship between Mannette’s adopted home Morgantown,
WV and his homeland, Trinidad and Tobago.
Ambassador Valere paid homage to the steel pan and
Trinidad and Tobago as keynote speaker at the Festival’s
VIP Banquet, Thursday, July 7 at the Historic Clarion
Hotel Morgan. Earlier that same day, The Ambassador was
special guest at a luncheon, sponsored by WVU’s Creative
Arts Center and Morgantown’s Chamber of Commerce, where
Morgantown City officials welcomed the Ambassador to the
area. Morgantown was recently voted one of the best
small towns in America and is increasingly interested in
developing a substantive economic and educational
relationship with Trinidad and Tobago, as evidence in
comments made by the Mayor of Morgantown, Ron Justice;
Scott Rotruck, Director of the Chamber of Commerce, and
Stacy Brodak, Director of the Visitor’s and Convention
Bureau and others.
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Ray Holman (left) Robert Greenidge (center) and Jeff
Narell headline the Festival’s Faculty Showcase on
Thursday, July 7, at downtown Morgantown’s Rosewood
Theatre. |
The Ambassador ended her full day of a luncheon,
banquet, and media interviews by attending the
Festival’s Faculty Showcase, 8p at Morgantown’s Rosewood
Theatre. This perfomance featured faculty luminaries (Greenidge,
Holman and Narell – to name a few) playing original
music and demonstrated their enviable skills.
Dr. Mannette, who now lives and teaches in Morgantown,
used the occasion of this year’s Festival, to announce
the launching of his new non profit, The Mannette
Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to promote the
educational, scientific and entrepreneurial viability of
the steel drum instrument – while preserving the legacy
of the creators and will be directed by Kaethe George,
Mannette’s long time business partner.
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Ambassador Marina Valere (center) meets with Scott
Rotruck (left) Director of Morgantown’s Greater
Chamber of Commerce and Dr. Ellie Mannette at the
Festival of Steel’s temporary offices at the
Historic Clarion Hotel Morgan.
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The Festival of Steel is hosted each year by, Mannette
Steel Drums, Ltd., a local company that is one of the
largest producers of steel drums in the world and is
founded by the legendary Dr. Ellie Mannette, “Father of
the Modern Steel Drum” and Kaethe George. Mannette Steel
Drums, Ltd., is joined by West Virginia University and
the City of Morgantown, to support and promote this
annual event.
“Steel Drummin’ Downtown” was the theme of this year’s
Festival, which attracts professional musicians, music
educators, students, and enthusiasts from all across the
United States – indeed the world! The participants have
not only a wide age range -(from about 10 years to
nearly 70 years) - but also cover a wide range of
musical experience – (from complete novice to consummate
professional performer). The Festival has been growing
in popularity and has something to offer everyone. In
fact, over the last few years the event has grown into a
strong family venue, where parents travel with their
young people to experience the workshop together – as
evidence by a 22 member group of children and parents
traveling from New Mexico.
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Festival participants take a break before Finale Concert
preparation to take a group shot. The more than 70
participants spanned a wide range of ages (from 10 years
to almost 70) and musical experiences (from complete
novice to experienced performer). |
Guest faculty Greenidge, Narell and Holman were joined
by Tom Miller, Alan Lightner, Jim Munzenrider and Chris
Tanner. Many of the faculty have returned several times
over the Festival’s 13 year history, with Tom Miller,
San Fransisco resident and recording artist/educator -
holding the record, having been involved since the
Festival’s inception 13 years ago.
The Festival week culminated with the Festival’s Finale
Concert, Saturday, July 9, 2005 at the Ruby McQuain
Amphitheatre. All Festival attendees participated and
played on more than 200 drums where a variety of songs
included: classical piece- Giordano’s “Caro Mio”, Hip
Hop’s – “Get busy”, by Sean Paul and Bossa Nova great
Louis Bonfa’s, “Samba de Orfeo” - along with an
acoustically intense rendition of Rudder’s, “The Hammer”
and Holman’s “Life’s Too Short”.
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Dr. Ellie Mannette (far right) is pictured with his
staff of Master Builders and Tuners at Mannette Steel
Drums, LTD. (Pictured left to right) Chanler Bailey,
President/CFO; Jon Vehse; Eric Fountain; April Moncrief;
Glenn Rowsey and Robert Davis. |
mannette steel drums
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