Just before the big bacchanal of St. Thomas Carnival shifts into gear, the gleam of shiny steel pans filled the scene at Fort Christian Parking Lot. The annual Pan-O-Rama brought the festive sounds of bright tenors, the rumbling bass and percussion knockin’ dog.
Once Carnival Village is officially opened at Monday’s ceremony, some of the best local and regional dance bands will fill the air with soca, zouk, salsa and quelbay tunes. Rum will flow and plates filled with specialty meals will pass across the counter of village booths. But Sunday was family night as fans of steel pan music gathered around band after band as they took turns performing.
Many of those bands were made up of students — elementary, middle and high school students, ringed by friends and family, guided by instructors. The Ulla Muller Panatics, Bertha C. Boschulte Burning Blazers, Charlotte Amalie High School Mello Hawks, Love City Pan Dragons, and Gen Fusion proudly showcased their musical youths.
Instructor Kareem Forbes checked the double-decker trolley for the Gen Fusion Steel Orchestra. He explained that the band of 35, which had undergone a name change from St. Thomas Junior All Stars, had been performing since 2021.
Across from where the trolley was being prepared, adult performers checked the drum set for the St. Thomas All Stars. Co-director Judy Bryan thanked former first lady Cecile deJongh for helping them find a performance space to practice for Sunday’s event.
All Stars — a community band — has performed in Carnival events since the 1990s, but took a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryan said. Sunday’s performance would showcase a new generation of All Stars; some of them, she said, were playing in public for the first time…