The Lake Steel Orchestra has serenaded its community with Caribbean and Calypso music for 10 years.
The orchestra, created by the Clermont-based Caribbean American Association of Lake County to promote opportunities for youth, trains locals to become professional steel drum musicians, performing Caribbean and Calypso music — upbeat music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the mid-19th century.
Junior Harris, musical director of the band for the past five years, said throughout his time as director he most enjoys the experience of using music to connect with community members in need.
“I just get a joy out of creating and making good music,” he said. “It’s the music and the mentorship. With a lot of the students I end up becoming like a big brother, an uncle or father to some. That’s special.”
The band’s first performance was held in 2015 during The Clermont Caribbean Jerk Festival, making their performance at this year’s June 7 festival the group’s 10th anniversary.
Festival attendees entranced by the Lake Steel Orchestra didn’t stop listening while the band played despite brief downpours of rain or the consistent convection of Florida’s heat and humidity during the outdoor festival.
The festival was hosted on by the Caribbean American Association of Lake County, a non-profit that supports giving back to the Lake County youth through mentorship, music education and scholarships since 2004.
Mitchell Hill, association president, welcomed guests and repeated the motto of the 24 different Caribbean countries to honor them, saying that each motto represents strength, resilience and culture.
“(The festival) reflects the tapestry, diversity and unity of the Caribbean,” Hill said. “It’s important for us to have this experience of being with neighbors and friends sharing belief in our culture with good Jerk food and Caribbean music.”
Hill said the event continues to grow every year, bringing together over 10,000 people from the Lake County community, Central Florida and overseas.
Harris said that the orchestra provides a free way for students of all ages to learn music theory and how to read or write music.
The group rehearses using steel pan instruments including the tenor pan, double seconds and cello pan every Saturday from 2-5 p.m. at the South Lake Presbyterian Church, 131 Chestnut St., Clermont.
“The music classes actually help the kids in mathematics. It helps them with their studies,” Harris said. “I also like to work with kids in (underserved communities) who can come to our classes and get something positive out of this experience.”
Along with performing every year at the Jerk Festival, the band performs during events in the city including the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Juneteenth celebrations and Christmas. The band also performed at the Kiddies Carnival of Orlando on May 17 for the second year in a row.
Geneva Hamilton, former president of the association, said that she has enjoyed watching the students bring the rhythm and sounds to life. Harris, Hamilton and Hill all agree that they are excited for the band to continue to expand its reach of sharing Caribbean music beyond the county lines.
Funds collected during the festival are used to help provide the instruments to the students, pay for tutoring, and other band needs.
In efforts to help secure a successful future for youth in the area, the education committee of the association has provided over 50 Lake County students of Caribbean heritage with a $1,000 scholarships that can be used at any college or vocational-technical school.
This year, the association awarded five students with funds collected through donations and fundraising events including the Jerk Festival.
Tim Murry, the mayor of Clermont, said that he can remember attending the Caribbean Jerk Festival in its first year, saying that he is glad that the celebration of diversity and all the rich flavors of Caribbean continues for another year.
There were the wide range of flavors from sweet ice cream to the flavorful seasonings and spicy sauces of the Caribbean sticking to the meats cooked onsite and everything in between.
Michell’s Tropical Treats, a Caribbean inspired homemade ice cream parlor owned by Mitchell Hill and his family, provided a much-needed cool treat during the sweat-inducing outdoor festival with Caribbean flavors including Coconut Crush, Antigua Black Pineapple, Black Pineapple, Island Hero and Sand Dollar.
Growing up in Canada with a father from Grenada and a mother from Barbados, Andre Baptiste, also known as Andre the Farmer on social media, is accustomed to the diverse flavors of the Caribbean. Today, the Orlando resident works to find the flavors that remind him of his childhood in his own backyard.
From mangoes to Lemongrass Tea, Baptiste grows fruits and vegetables in his at home garden and teaches others to do the same.
Mixing scotch bonnet peppers, mangoes, pineapples and a few other ingredients, Baptiste has also started to make his own natural sauce with the flavors “Hot” and “Not So Hot.” The sauces were on sale during the Caribbean Jerk Festival.
“It’s a very fruity and natural taste. The mix of flavors makes the spice more enjoyable,” Baptiste said. “Growing up in Canada, Black Canadian food is really jut a melting pot of all the different islands. It’s hard living (in Florida) today because I try to maintain the way I grew up with those different flavors. It’s hard to find.”
Annette Smith, event coordinator for the orchestra, said the band and association provide ways to easily learn about Caribbean heritage through food, music and other societal contributions.
“There is so much to learn in terms of the contributions of Caribbean Americans to society,” Smith said. “There are so many things that we contributed to that kids or even adults aren’t aware of unless you sit with older people or a historian to be engulfed in the history.”
To learn more about The Caribbean American Association of Lake County or the Lake Steel Orchestra, go to caalc-fl.org.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
