TTCSE at
recent
performance
at
Fiesta
Plaza,
Movietowne,
Trinidad
Global
- The
Trinidad and
Tobago
Chinese
Steel
Ensemble (TTCSE) has
been hard at
work
polishing up
their
already
noteworthy
repertoire
and
presentation for an
upcoming
tour to the
Republic of
Ireland
later this
month.
On May 15, the
steel
orchestra will participate in
the
Dublin Summerfest
at St.
Stephen’s
Green from
3:00 to 4:00
p.m. This
was arranged
through the
kind
courtesy of
Trinidad
and Tobago’s
Consul to
Ireland, Brian
K.
O’Farrell.
May 17 will
see the
band being hosted by Fr. Senan
Murray, an
Irish Holy
Ghost (Spiritan)
Father who
spent many
years in
Trinidad and
Tobago. Just
before
returning to
Ireland
Murray had
been the
scoutmaster
of the First
Trinidad Sea
Scouts at St.
Mary’s
College in
Port-of-Spain,
and then served
as parish
priest at St
Mary’s
Parish, St
James.
The steel
ensemble
will appear
in concert
in the
parish of Askeaton,
Limerick -
where Father
Murray has
been since
2006 - at
the parish
church.
The
Bicentennial
Chinese
Steel
Ensemble
in 2006,
as the
TTCSE
was then
known
The Trinidad
and Tobago
Chinese
Steel
Ensemble
already
boasts a repertoire
spanning
Chinese
music,
contemporary
classics,
modern pop,
and of
course vintage kaiso and
soca.
Naturally,
for their
Irish tour, the
group
shrewdly
added
well-known
Irish tunes
such as
Wild Rover,
Black
Velvet Band, Lord
of the
Dance, Phil
the Fluter’s
Ball and
Molly
Maloneto
to
its music
inventory -
a move which
will be
highly
appreciated,
and their
performances
all the more
enjoyed, as
the steel
ensemble
tours Ireland.
The group
was first
conceived on
March 26,
2006 and
known then
as the
Chinese
Bicentennial
Steel
Ensemble
(CBSE)
(pictured
above).
As the
first-ever
Chinese steelband,
the group
came
together
when the
Chinese
community in
Trinidad and
Tobago
celebrated
their
bicentennial
- the two
hundredth
anniversary
of their
arrival on
the shores
of Trinidad
and Tobago.
Last January
the steel
ensemble
joined with
China’s
visiting
Tianjin Song
and Dance
Troupe,
for the
honor of
performing
at the
residence of
the
Ambassador
of the
People’s
Republic of
China to
Trinidad and
Tobago.
The band
is
headquartered at
34 McDonald
Street, Woodbrook,
on the
outskirts of
Port-of-Spain,
Trinidad,
where ‘Learn
To Play’
classes are
conducted in
its
comfortable
air-conditioned
band house. The
ensemble is
of course available to
play at
private
functions
and events,
and may be
contacted
through Noel
at 1 (868)
758-4099.
Kenneth
Chang On
Public
Relations
Officer
T&T Chinese
Steel
Ensemble
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