New Online Steel Pan Music Radio Launches in Toronto
By Stephen Weir
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Heck no, don’t bother with Spotify, Apple Music, or Amazon Radio for your Canadian pan music fix. As of this month, there’s a new online “radio” station delivering pan music commercial free from right here in Toronto.
Well-known pannist Earl LaPierre Jr. has launched “Steel Pan Music Radio”, and although it’s a few months away from its official launch, the music is already streaming free of charge to pan fans across the nation.
Right now, it’s wall-to-wall music when listeners log on to the station at https://steelpanmusicradio.com/_nowplaying/. The site opens up with the sweet sound of steel. The radio site lists the currently playing tracks, along with the artists and their origins and what has already been played.
While listening to the station on Wednesday, we enjoyed music from Canadian and Caribbean artists, including his father, the well-known Cayman-based Earl LaPierre Sr., and his Trinidad-based brother Noel. The first song of the day for the paper was “Morning Dance” performed by Sean M.
There aren’t any shows just yet, but the music is non-stop, and as the station’s motto proudly states, this is “Where Steel Pan Music Matters!”
Steel Pan Music Radio is broadcasting from a studio in Earl’s Toronto home. “I have a team of six. We are currently still in beta testing, making sure the sound quality is on point,” LaPierre told The Caribbean Camera.
“We will (soon) have shows, broadcasters, programs, and personalities. Those personalities will be based here in Toronto, Edmonton, Cayman, and Trinidad. The future is bright. Our plan is to broadcast anywhere there are pan shows, concerts, festivals, and panoramas. The sky’s the limit!”
In addition to launching this new online radio station, Earl LaPierre Jr. has a long history as the manager of Canada’s oldest steelband, Afropan Steelband, whose legacy speaks for itself. Earl has performed at several major events, including Pan Alive, Toronto Caribbean Carnival, Snowflakes on Steel, Autumn Leaves on Steel, Du Maurier Jazz Festival, and Pan Jazz.
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