FEATURED ARTISTES

Branches Pan Groove Steel Band

In 1977, the band "Roots" was formed by a number of West Indians who emigrated to the US and resided in the Boston area. These immigrants brought with them steel drum of Trinidad and Tobago. "Roots" in the beginning was an old time steel band. It played the folk and calypso sounds of the Islands. In 1983, it incorporated modern and classical music in to its repertoire evolving into the conventional steel band that it is today and changed its name to "Branches Pan Groove Steel Band".

Over the years, hundred of youth have joined Branches, and in 2007 there are sixty members ranging from in age seven to adult. Ninety percent of the members are under eighteen years. These dedicated young musicians rehearse six hours each week and during the summer period as many as 18 hours.
http://www.branches-steelband.com/aboutus.htm

St. Cyprian’s Church – Its Origin & Celestial Inferno

The first decade of the twentieth century saw the largest exodus of people from the former British West Indian Islands [and Guyana] to the shores of the United States. Although most of them settled in the Harlem and Brooklyn areas in New York, a considerable number came to the state of Massachusetts settling primarily in Boston and Cambridge. Concurrent with this movement came also African Americans from the southern states, some of whom were Episcopalians. The West Indians, who were predominantly Anglicans, and their African American counterparts, immediately sought membership in the Episcopal Church. Unfortunately, they were to experience the effects of racism and prejudice in a place where they least expected it – the church.

Many of them recounting their first experience at worshipping in an Episcopal Church describe not only a cold reception, but in many instances explicit rebuff that bordered on disdain. According to one founding member – "What we needed most was a sense of fellowship, a feeling of belonging and continuity. For us the church was the obvious place to turn to for these experiences but it provided none of these things." They recount stories of having to sit in segregated areas or the not so subtle message that they were not welcomed. It was out of this context of discrimination and humiliation that these Black Episcopalians decided to ban themselves together and to begin the process of building and owning their house of worship. It was out of these circumstances that St. Cyprian’s Church took its origin.
http://www.stcyprians.org/history.html

St. Cyprian’s Celestial Infernos Youth Steelband of Roxbury, Massachusetts
Photo: Michael C Smith

North Shore Caribbean Crystal PanJammers

The North Shore Caribbean Association, Inc., was founded in 1996 to promote and preserve Caribbean heritage and culture on the North Shore of Massachusetts. A major goal of NSCA was to find ways to share the rich culture of the Caribbean and to teach children of Caribbean descent about their heritage. This has led to the formation of the North Shore Caribbean Crystal PanJammers.
http://bostoncarnival.com/sharingculture.htm

Justin Petty

Justin A. Petty is the music director of Branches, Celestial Inferno and Crystal Pan Jammers graduated from the Berklee College of Music. He started playing the steelpan instrument in St Thomas, Virgin Islands in 1984 and joined Branches in 1997. Justin is Professor of Broadcast Media Technology at Roxbury Community College, Massachusetts.

Ron Reid’s Sunsteel Caribbean Sextet

A graduate of Berklee College of Music and Tufts University, Ron is now an Assistant Professor at Berklee, teaching arranging, ensemble and steelpan performance. He maintains an active career as a performer, which has included concerts with Randy Weston, Carmen Lundy and Chick Corea. He performed in the American Repertory Theatre’s production of Walcott’s Steel and was musical director for the Trinidad Theatre Workshop’s productions of Joker of Seville and Dream on Monkey Mountain at Boston’s Huntington Theatre. He is founder and musical director of the Pan-jazz sextet, Sunsteel. The group, formed in 1987 performed throughout New England and Maine and conducted numerous workshops on steelband and calypso music. The band’s first CD, Calypsoldier was released in 2000. Ron currently plays bass and double-second pans with David ‘Happy’ Williams’ J’ouvert. The ensemble was featured in a successful three-night run at the Lincoln Centre in New York in October 2002.

Playing in the background is "Savannah Dance" from Calypsoldier by Ron Reid & Sunsteel