Welcome to Panjumbie.com

This website currently consists of two parts:  (1) A large photo gallery and  (2) A series of articles.  Many of the images in the photo gallery are of Trinidad Carnivals, including various steelpan performances and competitions. 

I have been attending Trinidad Carnival for almost 35 years.  Carnival in Trinidad, and in many other places where there is a large West Indian community, includes a major steelband competition, often called a "Panorama."  If your interest in pan is serious, you must attend as many panoramas as you can.

Here in New York, I have been involved in pan for about 30 years, now for many years with the Adlib Steel Orchestra, based in Freeport, NY, a suburb of New York City.  The section of the gallery devoted to pan in New York includes photographs of Brooklyn Panoramas, mostly of Adlib, but also of other participating bands.  In addition there are photographs of other Adlib performances in recent years, and of some other steelband-related events that I have attended.  Finally, in the Adlib section, there are links to audio and video recordings I have made of recent Adlib performances.

Furthermore, the gallery also includes pictures of other activities which I have been involved in, and of some of my other recent travels. 

To enter the gallery click HERE. 

For over 25 years now, I have been making live location audio recordings of various events.  Many of them are steelpan functions.  I have developed techniques for recording large steel orchestras that usually give good results, are quite portable, and, while not inexpensive, are relatively affordable.

That leads to the other part of this website: a series of articles, most having to do with recording, including recording steelpan.  Others articles are about Trinidad, and steelband culture and history.

The menu to the right will take you to each of the articles and to the photo gallery.

John "Panjumbie John" Schmidt

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