June 2, 2002 – Eleven bands, most of them made up of students, serenaded a crowd of 350 residents and visitors with the sweet sounds of steelpan music as twilight softened the evening sky over Pillsbury Sound Saturday night in Cruz Bay. It was the first of June and the first event of the annual St. John Festival — Pan-O-Rama.
This year's festival theme is "A Salute to America with a Cultural Stroomoo for Festival 2002." Participating bands reflected that theme by sprinkling patriotic tunes throughout their repertoire of calypso and soca favorites.
The Territorial Court Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra heated things up with its version of "Happy Birthday Carnival," made popular during the recent 50th anniversary V.I. Carnival on St. Thomas. The front line on the guitar pans moved as one, the pannists hammering as if they were trying to make new notes. At the end, one player rocked back, spun his sticks like six shooters and came out blasting the next phrase. Those kids were having fun, and the crowd was loving it.
After the set, 15-year old JuNeal Francis said that she, like the rest of the band, traveled to St. John to have "a good time." Oh, and yes, she added, "I like to show off."
Crowds drifted like clouds up and down Kongens Gade in front of Cruz Bay Park as different groups stationed along the seaside strip struck up the music. Most of the onlookers stood; some danced. One couple, inspired by the St. Thomas All Stars, darted up the steps of the Cruz Bay bandstand for a little cheek-to-cheek.
Leona Smith, the Festival Committee chair, said she is so glad that the organizers decided several years ago to take Pan-O-Rama off the stage at the Winston Wells Ballpark and turn the event into one big block party."It was a very good idea. You get the scenery, the ocean and all that stuff. Here you're more loose," she said. And to get everyone into the act at the end of the night the group, Pan In Motion led a mini-tramp along the street.
While some band parents said the crowd wasn't as big as it has been in recent years, many in the crowd said the music kindled their festival spirit. Yacabo Morton savored a cocktail from the committee's concession stand while reminiscing about carnival back home on St. Kitts. "I live here. I come every year," he said. "I'm originally from St. Kitts, and I'm a big carnival fan and I come from the grassroots."
Amid the crowd of music lovers was St. John Administrator Julien Harley. During his term as administrator, Harley has worked to attract music event to Cruz Bay Park. But on Saturday night, he stood back and enjoyed the efforts of the Festival Committee. "I'm glad to see so many people come from St. Thomas as well as St. John, and everyone seems to be having a good time," he said.
It was an event that stayed good to the end. Even in the final moments, as some of the bands packed up, another ferry boat pulled up to the Cruz Bay dock at the end of the street with more music fans arriving just in time for the finale and the musical tramp through town.
Pan-O-Rama is not a competition; the only judging came from fans showing support for their favorites. Participating were: Charlotte Amalie High School Mellow Hawks Steel Orchestra, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School Devil Rays Steel Orchestra, Joseph Sibilly Sun Rays, Love City Baby Pan Dragons, Love City Pan Dragons, Montessori Meteors, Pan in Motion, St. Thomas All Stars, Territorial Court Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra, Ulla Muller Panatics (with Rising Stars conductor John Hodge jamming on the drum set) and V.I. Housing Authority Youth Steel Orchestra.
For the full schedule of St. John Festival events, see "St. John Festival 2002 is a patriotic 'strumoo'".
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