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 SPRING
CONCERT -
a Caribbean Carnival !!!
May 4, 2002
- Saturday - 8pm
with Seattle steel drum band - The
Toucans
view
their website
LOCATION:
PAC Concert Hall on Western Washington University's campus
TICKETS:Tickets
may be purchased in Bellingham at the PAC Box Office (360) 650-6146),
Village Books, The Community Food Co-op and at Boundary Bay Brewery
and Bistro.
TICKET PRICES:
$14 Adults, $9 Seniors & Students, and $6 for Children twelve and
under.
PARKING:
Limited parking has been reserved for concert goers in Lot 17G
behind the Ross Engineering Technology Building.
See full
Campus map, Zone
3 for parking, Zone
2 for PAC.
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The
Kulshan Chorus goes on a
Musical Caribbean Carnival with the highly popular Seattle Steel
Drum Band - “The Toucans”
The
KULSHAN CHORUS is a vibrant and powerful 90-member community chorus
and has been called one of Whatcom County’s true treasures. In
the past the KULSHAN CHORUS has been heard with bagpipes, marimbas,a
hurdy gurdy, The Whatcom Symphony Orchestra, R & B, rock & roll,
and string bands. Now this colorful group will perform with
the exotic sounds of a STEEL DRUM Band, Seattle's TOUCANs.
The
Chorus will be singing many of your favorites, including Music Director
Roger Griffith’s arrangements of musical selections from the Caribbean
Islands.
Think
of an evening of these songs: Under the Boardwalk, Woman Piaba
from Harry Belafonte, Kokomo by the Beach Boys,
Here Comes the Sun & I Will from the Beatles, Imagine from
John Lennon, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Mr. Sandman from
the Chordettes, One Love by Bob Marley, Guantanamera,
Dancing in the Street, Rum & Coca-Cola, and Traveling Shoes.
It’s
an exciting mix of music that you will not want to miss. The whole
family is invited to the Chorus’s spring celebration to drive away
those winter blues.
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 THE
TOUCANS
The Toucans are: Rob Witmer playing melody on the Lead Pan, Pete
Remine playing Double Second Pans, Dave Pascal on Tenor Bass Pans
and Steve Moriarty on Drums.
These profesional musicians from Seattle, have been playing music
for Pacific Northwest crowds, events and gatherings for over ten
years. The Toucans learned to play the steel drums while in high
school, and perfected an upbeat style while in school at the Evergreen
State College in the late 1980's. They continue in 2002 with exciting
performances of Caribbean classics and musical standards in over
100 performances each year. In addition to performing on "pans"
these fine musicians can be found playing a variety of instruments
in other bands, working in the studio or at work in schools with
the presentation of their show "Tales of the Caribbean"
featuring puppets, drumming and narration to tell the story of the
creation of the Steel Drum. Their high energy performances are sure
to lift one's spirits and get your body moving.
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STEEL
DRUMS or "PANS"
The Steel Drum is a unique instrument which is skillfully hammered
from a 55 gallon oil drum and hand tuned to produce a chromatic
scale of tones. The steel drum can produce just about any type of
music one can imagine - and probably has!
The late 1930's during the British colonial rule in Trinadad, it
was discovered quite by chance, that a dented oil drum could produce
a specific sound and that dents in different location s on the smae
druum could produce different notes. A handful of craftsmen began
to produce tuned pans which ceventuually led to the formation of
large orchestral bands. Goverenment encouragement led to mucial
competitions which quickly replaced street fights between rival
gangs common at that time. Sixty years later bands of up to 300
pans now perform at Carnival in Trinidad with groups rehearsing
for months in hopes of winning the annual Panorama.
Competitions feature both a pop song contest and a showcase for
the technical ability and versatility of the steel drum by performing
hgighly orchestrated classical pieces. Now, instead of fighting
these groups compete with a excellent quality of musicianship! If
you are interested in the music of Panaorama, recordings can be
found in many fine record/CDstores
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THE
MUSIC
CALYPSO is a blending of the tradtions of the indentured workers
and slaves, expecially those brought from Africa, India and China
to Trinidad & Tobago, which is commonly used to tell a story or
communicate an idea or opinion. Calypsos typically speak to socially
relevent topics and can be celebratory, inflammatory or just plain
fun. Few topics have been overlooked; the wording is often extremely
clever, fast, witty and well versed. Few song styles touch the breadth
and depth of calypso.
SOCA is a modern derivation of SOUL in combination with CALYPSO
( SO CA) origination in the dancehalls of Trinidad. These songs
are less social commentary and more "party time" than calypso. The
catchy and driving songs are translated in baroque arrangements
each year for the gigantic competions at Carnival. SOCA and steel
band are inseparable.
REGGAE is a musical form indigenous to Jamaica and is the most popular
of Caribbean musical style. A blend of Jamaican MENTO and American
R&B. Early reggae spoke to the millions of poor and desperate who
are stranded and living amidst the squalor of Jamaican slums.
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