Camana Bay Town Centre is no longer featuring steel pan music on the Paseo on Wednesday nights.
According to Camana Bay Town Centre manager Ken Hydes, there are a number of programmes at the town centre they are looking to revamp in 2012. One of these programmes is Wednesday nights’ Live on The Paseo, which included the La Pierre family steel pan music.
“We make every effort to infuse local culture and heritage into our events programming, and with over 300 events taking place each year in the Town Centre, we provide many opportunities for local artists to participate. Historically, we have always included local musical talent in our town activation activities, and events which specifically showcase local musical talent include the Youth Musical Showcase, Musician’s Showcase, Live on The Paseo, Drumming Circle and the Christmas Breeze concert,” he said. “We are very grateful to Earl La Pierre for the services that he has provided to Camana Bay over the past couple of years and we look forward to working with him and other steel panners at various events at Camana Bay in the future.”
Mr. Hydes said, “Each year, we try to change up our town centre programme to keep it fresh and we have some exciting new events in the pipeline for 2012. This includes a panning competition for school children at Children’s Batabano. We have always maintained an active role within the local musicians association but are now looking to change and add to these types of local activities and we look forward to working with Mr. La Pierre in other venues, but the steel pan on Wednesday’s nights is not one of those things we are looking at continuing.”
Mr. Hydes said Camana Bay does not have a performance to fill the vacant slot.
After entertaining the community and tourists for the past four years, the La Pierre family said it was sad to hear Camana Bay is discontinuing steel pan music on the Paseo on Wednesdays.
“This is a big loss, not only to me and my family but to the community and the schools who are encouraging pan music on a professional level and the opportunity it presents to the community to hear steel pan music,” Mr. La Pierre said.
Olujimi La Pierre, 22, also was disappointed Camana Bay has decided to end the performance.
“Music is my No. 1 option and has always been and something I want to do for a living. Right now, I am attending the University College of the Cayman Islands and playing at Camana Bay was a way of paying my school tuition, living expenses and for school material. This is a big loss to me and a big setback to continue my career in music which I depended on to further my studies overseas. It means a lot to me, my family, other youths and the many people that came to hear us play,” he said. “I think it is a big loss to education, professional music development in steel pan and tourism development.”
Mr. La Pierre said, “My concern is, we have built a reputation there, it is the only venue where others could hear steel pan music within the three islands and the opportunity it gave students to see professionals perform.
Mr. La Pierre said he is not concerned about playing, but about promoting steel pan music on the island.
“Steel pan music creates a Caribbean atmosphere, it makes people happy and boosts the young people involved,” he said.
Mr. La Pierre started pan music in Grand Cayman in 1989 after travelling to the Islands with a group from Texas. He loved the Cayman Islands and since then has taken steel pan music into the schools.
His first performances at the Cayman Islands High School was well taken by the students and because of their enthusiasm, Texaco came on board as sponsors and the Havoline Steel Band was formed. Other schools came on board and today there are nine steel bands Panoramas, Pandemix, Pandemonium, Cayman Prep, Grace Academy, Triple C, Prospect Primary, St. Ignatius and Prep under his tutelage.
“These children have preformed in venues such as the National Children’s Festival of the Arts, Pirates Week, Batabano and other competitions,” Mr. La Pierre said.
During their last performance Wednesday night, he said the audience feedback was appreciative.
The show featured caylayspo, classic, Latin, reggae, Indian and Chinese.
“We try to include everyone. The only set back we saw at Camana Bay that was a bit uncomfortable for those was the lack of chairs to accommodate the people,” Mr. La Pierre said. “I wish Camana Bay well in going forward. This is an eye opener not to take things for granted.”
Related Videos
I’am sorry to hear that mr la pierre steel pan music will not be heard. That style of music is uplifting and makes a person want to dance. Steel pan music and the carribean go together. We live in us and love to hear that music.If Caymann Bay is going to replace steel pan music with another type of music such as roak n roll or blues you will be making a BIG mistake.Tourist love to listen to steel pan music it puts in the mood of the islands.
It is a shame that Camana Bay managers are cutting out the Steel Band music on Wednesday nights. It is not a brilliant idea. That Pan music is what makes Camana Bay feel Caribbean and Special in a setting of ritzy high-end shops restaurants. Without the music it is just another expensive shopping center for the rich. People come to Cayman to experience the Caribbean flavor, and Steel Pan is definitely Caribbean. If the Caribbean Pan Music is eliminated, tourists might just as well go to New York or Miami instead, where they can hear a lower quality of pan music trying to create a Caribbean atmosphere outside the Caribbean.
20th January 2012
In response to the article in the Compass on 5th January regarding the removal of steel pan music from the Paseo I must say that I have personally enjoyed much of the activity offered by Camana Bay in the On the Paseo series and have come to expect the variety and high quality of the entertainment offered.
However, the announcement that the Lapierre Family Steel band is no longer going to be featured On the Paseo has left me bewildered.
I hope this is at worst a temporary move because I am at the stage now where I look forward to the sweet sounds of the Caribbean from the Lapierre Family.
To the person or persons who made this puzzling decision I ask that you reconsider and keep the only instrument invented in the 20th Century, a necessary and integral part of your schedule.
I know the Lapierre Family personally and I can assure you they are very professional and most accomplished in their performances. If I am not mistaken, they have been there since the inception of the Paseo series.
I am really curious to see what entertainment will replace such a unique and well known sound.