V ÂEaster on SteelÊ thrills its audience
THE VINCENTIAN. FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2013. 13.
Arts
The 2013 ‘Easter on Steel’ concert of the C W Prescod Primary School (CWPPS) was well received and maintained the high standard set in previous years. Staged on Tuesday 26th March at the school’s premises, the event, which began in 2008, was another high quality exposition of talent by students, many of whom were performing in front of an audience
for the very first time. Experiencing the ‘Easter on Steel’ for the first time was the school’ s new principal, Yvette Antoine. A lover of music herself, Antoine expressed pleasure in her new experience at the institution, noting that events such as the ‘Easter on Steel’ help to provide a varied approach to the school’s curriculum.
Antoine has readily embraced the diversity of the music programme at the school which, in addition to lessons in steel pan playing, also includes mass singing, playing the recorder, the boom drum and the soon to be unveiled, the marching band. The steel pan programme is compulsory for students from Grade 4 to 6. Antoine praised music
Students executing their skills on pan at the 2013 CW Prescod Primary’s Easter on Steel.
teacher of the school, Kesslon ‘Taffa’ Wilson, for his untiring work in ensuring that the 2013 ‘Easter on Steel’ was a successful undertaking. Thrilled by what she was hearing, Antoine endorsed the event by singing along with the students as they rendered their songs. And, in keeping with the occasion, all songs played were reflective of the Easter season. Among those played were ‘Majesty’, ‘Lord I lift up your name on High’, and a medley of choruses done by teachers of the school. The Easter on Steel was the second musical event staged by the school in four days. On the previous Friday, the music festival was hosted at the New Testament Church at Wilson Hill. The CW Prescod Primary School is the schools’ reigning panorama champions, a title the institution copped for the first time at the 2012 national Carnival celebrations.
Hearts of Steel returns by KARISSA CLARKE The South East Steel Orchestra promises that the second edition of its ‘Hearts of Steel’ production will not disappoint. To be produced under the theme ‘Come The South East Steel orchestra has grown in a short Explore…’ , ‘Hearts of space of time from being a junior, small band, to being Steel 2013’ promises, able to compete among the seniors. according to the band coof the instrument, emphasize the at the ordinator and musical director, Aquatic Club, Marla Nanton, “to be educational influence of music on emotions and behaviour, and highlight the and will yet exciting; funny yet clean.” socio-cultural significance of the receive Nanton described the steel pan art form.” sponsorship production as “an embodiment of The second edition of ‘Hearts of from the creative arts,” adding that, Steel’ comes in a year of special ScotiaBank, “it’s a package of mainly music, through its theatre and dance in which music; significance for South East Development Inc. (SEDI), the Bright Future more so steel pan music takes organisation that gave birth to Programme. precedence.” the South East Steel Orchestra. She promises that the 2013 edition will, “present the steel pan This year marks the 5th Marla Nanton, Co-ordinator, anniversary of SEDI. within the context of the modern promises that Hearts of Steel ‘Hearts of Steel’ 2013 is world, demonstrate the versatility scheduled for April 27th and 28th will be educational and exciting.
Yvette Antoine, Principal of CWPPS, has embraced the music programme in place at the school.
Oscar James: Filled with ‘resilience’ RESILIENCE is the message that emanates from an album of that same name. It was released earlier this year by Oscar James. This latest creation is a continuation of James’ musical journey which started in the 1970s. He was a foundation member of the band Affetuosos, and songs like ‘People ah run from Babylon’, and ‘Feeling and Emotion’, composed and sung by James, stand out as masterpieces from that band and have become treasures of Vincentian musical archives. James considers ‘Resilience’ to be his “best work,” and he is Oscar James continues satisfied with and inspired by the final to add to the musical cut, which features richness of SVG. Frankie McIntosh on keyboards and Trinidadian saxophonist Gerald Rampersaud, with additional keyboard work by his son. In addition to playing bass on all the tracks, James sings all the songs and provided harmony for ‘background’ vocals. The album has nine songs and two versions, including ‘You are the moon’, ‘Resilience’, ‘King Solomon’, ‘In the hood’, ‘Jah Light’, ‘Ethiopia’ and ‘Wilderness’. Recordings were done at James’ Menelik Ethiopian Studio in New York. “It took me four years to do this recording,” James exulted. “I wanted to get it right,” he added. He is appealing to radio personalities to “pay attention to ‘Resilience’. Give it some airplay.” The album is, according to James, unapologetically a collection of reggae songs, representative of the type of reggae made popular by the iconic reggae stars like Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. It digs deep into the consciousness of the singer/songwriter, Oscar James, and is lined with positive messages in a world that is otherwise challenging. A listen though, is enlightening as it is easy on the ear.