The sounds of Carnival rang through Cruz Bay Saturday at Pan-O-Rama. Pan-O-Rama hosted bands representing all three islands in the territory.
Each gave a 30-minute performance at the launch of 70 Years of Culture and Class Galore, St. John Celebration 2024.
The Ulla F. Muller Panatics opened. This young troupe was led by their director, Francis Wenner and instructor, Sean Steele. They have been playing since 1999.
Next up was the local band, Love City Pan Dragons. The band started in the 1990s and was called the Ghost Riders. It started as a teen drug and pregnancy prevention initiative. In July their instructor Ikema Dyer will be taking the band to perform in Antigua. Anyone interested in supporting their trip can find ways to support them on Facebook, Venmo, and Paypal.
The Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra was created by Vern A. Hodge, a former Superior Court judge. They are in their 43rd year on St. Thomas. The Rising Stars will be co-partnering with V.I. tourism and offering a summer camp starting Monday. Anyone interested can contact Laura Rouse at the U.S.V.I. Superior Court. The chief instructor is James Gittens.
The Rising Stars from St. Croix also has a summer camp starting Monday. The instructor is Uniqua Malone.
Yard Vibes by Panyard People Inc. began in 2020. They are associated with the Pan In Motion band and dedicated to keeping the culture of steel pan alive.