Les Flambeaux

In 1970 Dixieland became Les Flambeaux and recorded 'Les Flambeaux Steel Orchestra' in the summer of 1971. The tracks on the CD were mastered from audio cassette recordings. In connection with this recording, Sonny Blacks, wrote the book 'Steel Pan History & Heritage'. This band was one of the first Steel Orchestras to appear in films! 'The Two Gentlemen', starring Judy Geeson and 'All Kinds of Music', with Sir Cliff Richard.

Sony Blacks, Impresario

The eternal flame that burns within your soul when you hear the rhythmic music of the Steel Band, which makes you tap your feet, move your body and jump for joy. The feeling of being alive without a care in the World. To smile with the World and to forget your problems. The cherished memories of one's childhood in the paradise of the Caribbean. The Sun and the Sea, and stolen moments from school playing truant, fishing, stealing mangoes and bathing in the warm Caribbean seas.This is the care-free mood one feels when listening to the music of the Steel Band.

The Dixieland Steel Band, having won the Island-wide Steel Band Music Festival in Trinidad in 1960, which is the greatest honour any Steel Band can achieve, embarked on a journey of adventure and expectations to the mother country, England. Dixieland is the only major Steel Band that settled in the United Kingdom in 1961. Dixieland was also the first Steel Band to visit and perform in Africa!

The band changed its name to Les Flambeaux and performed at the prestigious Savoy hotel in London, together with Maurice Chevalier, performed for Princess Margaret and also made appearances at the Royal Albert Hall and had a weekly residency at Ronnie Scott's. The band had guest performances on several television and radio programmes, including Granada's TV series, "Outfront". The band also toured America, Canada, Denmark, Sweden and Germany, with annual residence seasons in Switzerland and Austria.

Dixieland (Les Flambeaux) is acknowledged as one of the most famed steel bands in the World, and renowned in Europe, playing music for a wide and varied audience, as can be judged by the original and varied arrangements in the band's repertoire. We know that you will enjoy hearing this CD as much as we enjoyed making it, with such classical tunes as, "I can Feel It", arranged by Miguel Barradas, or Jimmy Cliff's "Come Into My Life", or perhaps you will prefer the updated reggae hit "Red Red Wine", or Sparrow's "Mas in Brooklyn, arranged by Alfred Totesaut. Whatever your personal choice, we want you to enjoy yourself, have fun and be happy. Tune up your player loud and jump like crazy."