Virtual Performances

During the lockdown, we have been forced to get creative. As a result, our steel drum band, solo steel drum players and our Caribbean Musicians have done quite a few virtual performances. These have included a virtual wedding in Orlando and virtual events in Jacksonville, Tampa, Sarasota, Saint Pete Beach, Clearwater Beach and Miami, Florida. Of course, it’s not the same as performing in front of a live audience, but we have really enjoyed these virtual shows. Not sure if this is the wave of the future or a band-aid until things return to normal. However, we are still happy that we get a chance to perform our steel drum music, reggae music, calypso, soca and other types of Caribbean Music for audiences anywhere in the world.

So whether you are hosting a virtual conference, an intimate wedding, a birthday party, graduation party, or anniversary celebration, The Caribbean Crew Steel Drum Band is available to do a virtual performance for you. We make it very personal, where we take requests and also dedicate songs and give shout outs to the attendees and guests of honor. Please check out the video below of a virtual performance we did a few weeks ago for a couple in Georgia who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. They really enjoyed the steel drum music! Please call us at 407-788-BEAN (2326) or email at info@cocobeanproductions.com to book The Caribbean Crew Steel Drum Band for your next virtual event.

What We’re Doing During the COVID-19 Shutdown

We hope everyone is OK and staying safe. People have been asking what our steel drum band, solo steel drum players and our Caribbean Musicians have been doing with all this time off.

First of all, we all miss performing our steel drum music, reggae music, calypso, soca and other types of Caribbean Music for our weddings, corporate functions, house parties, etc. But since we can’t perform live at the moment, we have all been staying busy during the downtime, but in different ways.

Most of our steel drum players live in Orlando, but some also reside in other parts of Florida, like Tampa, Sarasota and Miami. They have all been spending time practicing and honing their skills on the steel drum. That way, when things get back to normal and we can start booking beach weddings, festivals and other live performances again, everyone will be sharp and the steel drum music will be on point. The same applies to our other Caribbean musicians, like our keyboardists, guitarists and percussionists.

Some have been enjoying outdoor activities like cycling and swimming. Chesley has been riding his new bike every day and getting in his miles, while Creig has been swimming laps in the pool almost every day (see pictures above). So whether it’s outdoor activities, or honing our skills inside, our steel drum band, solo steel drum players and Caribbean Musicians are keeping safe, staying sharp and healthy and ready to return to provide the best steel drum and Caribbean Music in Florida. We hope that everyone is also staying safe and we can’t wait to see you!

Wedding Question of the week

Please like our facebook fan page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Caribbean-Crew-Steel-Drum-Band/172154249483325?ref=hl and send us a friend request on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/caribbean.c.steeldrums. Once you are there, please check out our wedding question of the week and leave us your thoughts on the question.

Steel Drum Music & Reggae Music for Weekday Weddings

It’s not often that our guys (or even Wedding DJs) perform for a wedding on a Tuesday night. However, a couple of Tuesdays ago in Amelia Island, FL was an exception. The bride is fascinated with the steel drum and wanted a live steel drum band that could perform both steel drum music and reggae music. The bride was from Ohio and the groom was from Russia. These are not places that you see too many steel drums. However, the sounds of the steel drum were the perfect touch for the intimate ceremony and the guests partied all night to the steel drum music, reggae music, calypso and soca provided by our steel drum band.

Just goes to show you how special an instrument the steel drum is and how much people truly love Caribbean Music. We are so blessed to be able to share this with our wedding and corporate clients every week.

Does the band have to be in a shaded or covered area?

Summer is in full swing and that means it is very hot and a high chance of rain every evening in Central Florida. We always ask that the band perform in a shaded, covered area. We are not trying to be difficult, but did you know that if the steel drums are exposed to the sun for too long, they will get very hot and that will damage the instruments. The sun can often reflect off the drum and straight into the musician’s face. Also, it is very uncomfortable to perform in the hot sun for 2-3 hours.

Please make arrangements for the band to set up under a gazebo, overhang or even a small pop-up tent. Two or three large pool/beach umbrellas can often provide sufficient shade as well. If none of these are available, try putting the band up against a building that will provide shade instead of in an open courtyard.

Everyone loves being outdoors, but in Central Florida it is typically in the mid-90s in the summer. It is more comfortable inside and the performance will not be affected by rain. If the band sets up and then has to strike everything because of an approaching shower, there is normally an additional fee to break down and set back up. Plus, it comes out of the performance time. If it looks like it is going to rain, it probably will, so having the band set up inside as a precaution is highly recommended. It will end up saving you time and money.

The Caribbean Crew featured in the nation’s Top Online Entertainment Booking Service

The Caribbean Crew was recently featured on Gigmasters.com – the nation’s number one online entertainment booking service for weddings, corporate functions, house parties and other special events.

They talked about the several national awards that our steel drum band and steel drum players have received over the years and what has contributed to the band’s success.  They also talked about the band’s repertoire of steel drum music, reggae music, calypso music, soca music and Top 40 selections.

Gigmasters draws over 25,000 visitors every day looking to book entertainment for their event.  The website has a nationwide database of over 10,000 top-quality client rated entertainment acts and vendors.  Please click on the link http://itg.gigmasters.com/member-spotlight-the-caribbean-crew/to read the article.

Celebrity Clients

Our steel drum band and steel drum players have been very fortunate to perform reggae, calypso, soca and steel drum music at celebrity parties throughout Florida. The most recent was last week. We got a chance to perform at a private function for grammy award winning singer Billy Ocean in Orlando, FL. Billy Ocean is originally from the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago and he really enjoyed the sounds of the steel drum. He even jumped on the steel pan to perform a couple songs for us. That’s him in the picture below.  Please check out our facebook page The Caribbean Crew Steel Drum Band to view some more pictures.

Billy

Congrats on your engagement. Now what?

Happy New Year! There were thousands of engagements over the recent holiday season. Now it’s time to start looking for quality entertainment that will help make your wedding the greatest day of your life! Are you having a destination wedding, beach wedding, island or tropical themed wedding? Then look no further.

Cocobean can provide wedding entertainment in the form of Steel Drum Music, Caribbean Music, Island Music, Calypso Music, Reggae Music and Soca Music for any of these themed weddings. Our band The Caribbean Crew performs at over 50 weddings a year and can provide music for the ceremony, cocktails, reception (dinner & dancing) and can also take care of the formal introductions and announcements.

You can even hire the band or one of our steel drum players to perform at the rehearsal dinner. Or, if you are looking to start celebrating right away, you can hire a reggae/calypso band or steel drum player for your engagement party. The Caribbean Crew performs anywhere in the world, so no destination is too far. Please visit our website www.cocobeanproductions.com and click on Caribbean Crew and Weddings for more information on our services.

The Caribbean Crew Steel Drum Band wins two more National Awards

The Caribbean Crew is the first-ever winner of the prestigious Gigmasters Rising Star Award for being the Top Corporate Event Entertainer in North America. The band received the award because it booked more corporate events than any other GigMasters entertainer in The United States and Canada. That means The Caribbean Crew beat out 10,000 entertainment acts and vendors to win the award.

The Caribbean Crew also won the 2011 Gigmasters Rising Star Award for being the Top Steel Drum Band in all of North America. The award is given out for outstanding achievement in live music and event entertainment bookings. The Caribbean Crew was the highest earning steel drum band throughout The United States and Canada. This is the fifth year in a row that the band has received this prestigious award.

Gigmasters is the number one online event entertainment booking service and draws over 25,000 visitors every day looking to book entertainment for their event. The website www.gigmasters.com has a nationwide database of over 10,000 top-quality, client-rated entertainment acts and vendors.

The Caribbean Crew is based in Central Florida and specializes in corporate events and weddings. The band performs at over 50 corporate functions every year and has already performed at over 500 weddings. The band carries full liability insurance coverage and the size of the band can be customized to fit almost any budget. Congratulations to The Caribbean Crew!

Concert In The Amphitheater Presents The Caribbean Crew

It was Saturday October 13th, 2012 and it was a beautiful night. Sounds of calypso, soca, reggae and steel drum music filled the air from 7-9pm and the Deltona Amphitheater was filled to capacity for this free event. Hundreds of adults and kids all danced the night away to the pulsating rhythms of The Caribbean Crew. Moms and dads were doing the conga line and limbo with their sons and daughters and it was truly a family affair. Thanks to the City of Deltona Parks and Recreation Dept for having us and we are already looking forward to next year.