Written by Ted Goslin
On June 27, hundreds of dancers, musicians and entertainers took to the streets of Hollywood, Calif. to take part in the Hollywood Carnival parade, part of the 2015 LA Culture Fest. The event as a whole ran for four days, from the 25th through the 28th with the intention of spreading the word of different cultures throughout the world.
The parade stretched from Normandie Blvd. to Highland Ave., with the parade concluding within the confines of the Carnival Culture Village. The “village” contained a variety of merchandise and food vendors, along with the main stage, which featured several bands and artists. Also on-hand during the festival were several world-renowned performers including Machel Montano, who performed the night before.
World cultures represented during the parade include Trinidad, Jamaica, Guatemala, Mexico, and Cuba, among others. One steel band, Success Steel Orchestra, was present during mass to perform for the festival crowd, riding atop a parade truck and surrounded by dancers waving the Trinidadian flag and playing various percussion instruments. The group performed many pan standards, including the Lord Kitchener classic, Sugar Bum Bum.
“The event went very well for us. There are more people here than in past years,” said Christopher Castagne, arranger for Success Steel Orchestra. “We do a lot of events in LA, but this is definitely the biggest event we’ve ever done in the three years we’ve performed.”
While the event proved successful in promoting different world cultures, Castagne believes there should be more events for pan on the West Coast to help promote and expand the reach of the instrument. Given the fact that the band is made up of mostly Trini natives is part of its drive to share the culture that inspired its existence.
“Pan is definitely not as big here [in California] as it is internationally. A competition or pan-centric festival would be great,” said Castagne. “Our bass player’s father was part of the first band to ever leave Trinidad and promote the instrument internationally in Europe in the U.S. That’s what we hope to achieve here. We’re trying to make sure we pass on our culture to future generations.”
During the parade, many members of the audience wore shirts stating their volunteer status for the event. One such volunteer named Suresh, a local business owner and native Trinidadian, has volunteered at the event every year since it began in 2011. Suresh believes in the power of the event, much like Castagne, in its importance in promoting world culture to the masses.
“I come here for the cultural interaction. Many people in the U.S. don’t understand culture,” said Suresh. “People can get an idea of different cultures by coming here. It helps them understand different behaviors of people and helps us all grow as a community.”
Success Steel Orchestra performs at the Hollywood Carnival on June 27, 2015.
