Photo Focus: St. John Celebration 2024 Kicks-Off with Five Steel Pan Bands

By Kerrin Margiano
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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 was the youngest group to perform and urged young people to continue the culture of pan for the next generation. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
The Ulla F. Muller Panatics was the youngest group to perform and urged young people to continue the culture of pan for the next generation. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)

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.

Love City Pan Dragons performing on St. John. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
Love City Pan Dragons performing on St. John. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
Local band getting ready to impress the crowd. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
Local band getting ready to impress the crowd. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)

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.

Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra traveled from St. Thomas and was led by their instructor, James Gittens. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
Rising Stars Youth Steel Orchestra traveled from St. Thomas and was led by their instructor, James Gittens. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)

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.

Rising Stars from St. Croix performing for St. John. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
Rising Stars from St. Croix performing for St. John. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
Rising Stars traveled from St. Croix. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
Rising Stars traveled from St. Croix. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)

The Rising Stars from St. Croix also has a summer camp starting Monday. The instructor is Uniqua Malone.

Yard Vibes, an adult steel pan band from St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)
Yard Vibes, an adult steel pan band from St. Thomas. (Source photo by Kerrin Margiano)

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.