New York,
USA
-
Another
weekend
is upon
us, but
pan folks
are still
talking
about their
experience
last weekend,
conceptualized
and brought
to life
by Despers
USA.
On a sultry
Sunday evening,
‘R&R’ was
not for
‘rest and
relaxation.’
Rather it
signified
that R&B
and Reggae
ruled and
rocked the
Pan Loft
of Despers
USA, as
the panyard
of one of
New York’s
veteran
steel orchestras
is affectionately
known.
A great
evening
with a bit
of humidity
was the
backdrop
for some
very good
steelband
music provided
by four
of the region’s
top music
organizations.
An event
with a difference,
it was a
daring move
by the younger
members
of Despers
USA’s management
team - that
of having
only R&B
and Reggae
- sans soca
- reign
supreme
for several
hours.
With the
New York
panorama
season underway,
and band
launches
already
up and running,
there will
be without
a doubt
plenty of
soca on
steel to
sweat through.
But in this
R&R (R&B
and Reggae)
session,
it was the
music made
popular
by the likes
of Chris
Brown, Bruno
Mars, Cee-Lo,
Ne-Yo, Robin
Thicke,
Bob Marley,
JC Lodge,
Tarrus Riley,
Dennis Edwards
et al, which
had the
crowd moving.
CASYM
It was 9:00
p.m. when
CASYM gave
patrons
a fabulous
opener,
dropping
Bruno Mars’s
Grenade,
Commodores’
All Night
Long
and Cee-Lo’s
Forget You,
for a snappy
and cleverly-selected
first showing.
With the
musical
gauntlet
thrown down,
reigning
New York
panorama
champs Sonatas
Steel Orchestra
stepped
up to the
plate not
long after,
delivering
a cool,
rhythmic
session
for pan
lovers to
‘get their
groove on.’
It included
material
highlighting
the arranging
talents
of two members
of Sonatas’
robust stage
side, as
well as
the band’s
panorama
arranger
Yohan Popwell
(Just The
Two of Us).
Orisha John’s
work came
to life
in Seal’s
Free,
while a
swanky steel
version
of
She Ain’t
You
arranged
by Mark
Garceran
rounded
out the
band’s R&B
session.
Sonatas
Then came
the Queens-based
Steel Sensation
crew with
their deliberately
refined
approach,
taking the
opportunity
to deliver
both their
R&B and
Reggae sessions
in one go.
By the time
it was over,
the crowd
was loud
in their
applause
for the
music set
which showcased
Lost Without
You, Don’t
Matter,
Prison Walls,
Call On
Me, Jammin,’
Someone
Loves You
Honey, Forget
You
and
Could You
Be Loved.
Not to be
outdone,
hosts Despers
USA took
up the challenge
with their
R&B mini-marathon
featuring
Clement
Franklin’s
arrangements
of
One In A
Million
and
Don’t Look
Any Further,
and son
Odie Franklin’s
version
of
Can We Talk.
Steel
Sensation
The unique
musical
evening,
brainchild
of Despers
USA’s Kern
Simon, took
the innovative
event concept
one step
further.
Simon was
excited
throughout
the evening,
talking
to When
Steel Talks
(WST) about
what was
to come
next.
The by-now
fairly customary
camaraderie
prevalent
among several
of New York’s
younger
generation
of steelpan
musicians,
came full
circle in
Simon’s
idyllic
vision of
the coming
together
of a few
players
from the
other bands
in a jam
session.
Mikhail
Rodney
Becoming
temporary
“Despers”
for a few
minutes,
they got
behind the
instruments
of their
hosts for
the ‘jam.’
CASYM, Pantonic,
Sonatas/Steel
Sensation
- they were
all in the
line-up
as the music
flowed for
a short
while, just
before the
high-spirited
“Pan Ramajay”
allowed
representative
members
of each
music organization
- and a
few other
well-known
faces on
the Pan
music scene
- to individually
show off
their steelpan
skills,
to the immense
delight
of the crowd
on hand
- all to
Ne-Yo’s
hit
One In A
Million.
The “stars”
included,
but were
not limited
to Despers’
Wilfred
“Wiz” Kieal
and one
of their
phenomenal
veteran
players,
Sterling
“Sugars”
Sample,
Pantonic’s
Wayne Bernard,
CASYM’s
Natalie
Wint, and
Khuent Rose.
Impromptu
performances
from Earl
Brooks,
Jr. and
Duvone Stewart
who happened
to be at
the event
were also
crowd-pleasers.
After a
short break,
steelpan
player Mikhail
Rodney exchanged
his sticks
for a mic
as he rapped
through
a couple
pieces.
The versatile
Mustafa
Alexander
also had
his turn
on tenor
in the spotlight
as one of
the event’s
guest artists.
Additionally,
with fine
food and
drink to
be had,
steelband
lovers found
ongoing
opportunity
to have
both cravings
fulfilled
- culinary,
as well
as music
to the max.
Mustafa
Alexander
Before the
evening
of R&R was
over, the
audience
enjoyed
the return
of CASYM
for their
reggae wrap
up with
Jammin’,
She’s Royal
and
No Woman
No Cry.
In the same
order as
the first
rounds,
Sonatas
then sounded
out Marc
Brooks’
arrangement
of
Rockaway
and
Waiting
in Vain,
the oldie
goldie
How About
A Little
Love
from KC
and the
Sunshine
Band with
Yohan Popwell’s
touch, and
Gyptian’s
Hold Yuh
arranged
by Joshua
McPherson.
Despers
USA’s
Man Down
arranged
by Wilfred
“Wiz” Kieal,
and
Never Dis
the Man
along with
Too Experienced
arranged
by Odie
Franklin,
brought
the curtains
down on
this “New
York first”
of R&B and
Reggae on
Steel.
Kernel Simon
told WST
that feedback
on the show
was simply
great.
“People
were like
‘this was
one of the
best shows...!
A lot of
people have
been asking
for a recording!”
Kern shared
happily.
In Pictures