20 Nov 2023

"Everthing's gone, except the band members"

From Here Now, 5:00 am on 20 November 2023
The Caribbean Southern Stars Steelpan orchestra at rehearsals

The Caribbean Southern Stars Steelpan orchestra at rehearsals Photo: Supplied

The Caribbean Southern Stars, a steelpan orchestra that used the Marist Rugby league clubrooms in Mt Albert as a rehearsal space and to store their instruments, have lost a crucial part of their cultural group to a fire last week.

The blaze entirely gutted the club rooms destroying all the band's instruments and equipment that had been stored there, along with club trophies and about a 100 years of history. 

Marist Saints Rugby League clubrooms at Mt Albert, gutted in the fire on Nov 16 2023

Marist Saints Rugby League clubrooms at Mt Albert, gutted in the fire on Nov 16 2023 Photo: Supplied

The Marist Saints rugby club was founded in 1919 and the clubrooms moved to Murray Hallberg park in Mt Albert in  the 1970s. Over the years the association of this place grew beyond rugby for community members as a cultural space. 

The Caribbean Southern Stars Steelpan Orchestra

The Caribbean Southern Stars Steelpan Orchestra Photo: Supplied

In this episode we chat to Camille Nakhid of AUT, founder of the steelpan orchestra The Caribbean Southern Stars about the history of steelpans in the Caribbean, and the band here in New Zealand that was set up back in 2005.

Marist Saints Rugby League clubrooms at Mt Albert, gutted in the fire on Nov 16 2023

Marist Saints Rugby League clubrooms at Mt Albert, gutted in the fire on Nov 16 2023 Photo: Supplied