About Me
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The Chabot Panhandlers, an internationally acclaimed, 25-member steel drum band, have been entertaining audiences throughout California for 16 years. Under the direction of percussionist Jim Munzenrider, the group has built an impressive repertoire of socas, calypsos, beguines, and other styles, including original compositions by the masters of this art form, and inventive arrangements of popular pieces.New and improved....we have now moved to the college of san mateo (CSM). as to all our long term fans, and to introduce the band to our new neighbors, we invite you to the new school where we are gonna be at home at. Formally known "Chabot Panhandlers" we are know now as the CSM PANHANDLERS STEEL DRUM BAND. when we first startedBased in Hayward, California, the Panhandlers consistently receive accolades on their performances and recordings. Their first recording, Bounce, was completed in 1997 to rave reviews. Pan on the Move, succeeded in raising the bar for steel band excellence. Their recordings feature an eclectic mix of musical styles, original compositions, new treatments of traditional pieces, and popular songs with a steel band twist.This group is one of the unique, truly authentic Trinidadian-style pan bands based in the United States. In the true spirit of a community band, members represent an international, intergenerational performance group, united in a common love for these instruments and the unique arrangements that define this band.The Panhandlers are honored to have hosted and worked with top artists and composers in the steel drum community, including Ray Holman, Tom Miller, Andy Narell, Jeff Narell, Len Boogsie Sharpe, and Liam Teague. Many of these artists reside in or have close ties to the Bay Area, allowing the Panhandlers the unique privilege to work with them on numerous occasions. The Panhandlers twice performed with David Rudder, an internationally known calypso star from Trinidad, in an exhilarating concert experience.The group regularly appears on stage at Chabot College and in concert series throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. They have been a favorite at the San Francisco Carnival Parade, where, in true Trinidadian fashion, they delighted spectators from atop a custom-built float. The Panhandlers perform with inspiration and hope at the starting line of the San Francisco Aids Walk, drawing 25,000 participants to raise over $3.8 million annually, in Californias largest AIDS fundraising event. The band was a featured main stage performer in a global celebration of art, music, dining, and dance for the spectacular San Francisco Airport International Terminal Opening to the World Celebration, November 2000. The group enthusiastically supports arts education as the featured headliner at the annual Pan in the Schools Jamboree, held each April in San Rafael, California.Recently, the Chabot Panhandlers performed throughout the greater Bay Area in support of their latest CD, Three. In addition to a CD release concert and appearances at a number of community concerts, the band was invited by the San Francisco Giants to entertain fans at the 2002 Playoffs and World Series Games. Look forward to their performances throughout the West Coast, an exciting, ever expanding repertoire, and their upcoming fourth recording.
