News!
So Many Christmases Ago
Reminiscing about Christmases as a child, as a young parent, and then as a grandparent, this new Christmas song in the style of classics concludes with "As long as we hold on to all these memories, we'll always be together Christmas night."
Add this one to your Christmas playlists!
Reviews
We could not have asked for or imagined a nicer review than the one recently published in the "Merry and Bright" Christmas music blog. Here's the opening paragraph but click through to read the entire review!
Every year, it seems, one of the songs that I receive from the many artists around the world and feature in the New Music Roundup connects with me in a way so that it deserves a feature post all its own. "So Many Christmases Ago" by Mango Island Sound is that song this year.
Here's the full article. Thank you, Aaron, for such kind words.
Here's some wonderful imagery from the review in the "Bells Will Be Ringing" blog:
"So Many Christmases Ago"...features a story that might have been illustrated by Norman Rockwell over a steadily building calypso beat punctuated by, of all things, steel drums! The lyrics describe Christmas from the viewpoint of several different generations and the upbeat sound of the tropics wraps the whole thing up with a colorful bow.
We really appreciate the nice reviews we've received and all the playlist additions! Thank you!
Tropical Christmas Playlist
With the release of our new Christmas song, "So Many Christmases Ago", we decided to put together a playlist of tropical and island-themed or influenced Holiday music. Lots of steelpan from some of our favorite artists, as well as a selection of trop rock, reggae, and Hawaiian artists, among others, with Jimmy Buffett and some of his Coral Reefer Band prominently in the mix, too. The following links are directly to the playlist on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and Amazon Music. Share it!
How to use Alexa with shared Amazon Music playlist
Earlier this Fall
Calypso is Good for the Soul
Harking back to our steelband days, "Calypso is Good for the Soul" is a fast calypso tune with over a dozen steelpan tracks from different sets of pans overlaid to sound more like a full steeldrum band. Its theme is "forget all the tech, enjoy today where you're at right now".
Look for it and listen in all the usual places. (Yes, tech is required for that...oops)
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Beach House on a Small Island
Words and Music by Mark Pelczarski
Vocals by Aurelea
and steel drums by Mark Pelczarski
Beach House on a Small Island features the wonderful voice of Aurelea on vocals in a fun song about the arrival of November and the coming winter months in Illinois, and wanting to chuck it all and find a Beach House on some warm tropical island. The song is from personal experience and it spent ten weeks in the Top 20 on TikiPod Radio and Shore Life Radio, and also made the Trop Rock Top 40 on Radio A1A.
Scroll down for the lyrics
Living in the Midwest isn't much of a test
in April, May, June, and July
But when November takes hold and my toes are gettin' cold
again I start to ask myself why
Another five months of winter plans here in the hinterlands
time to update my resume
Put my work on the Internet, hop on a southbound jet
wave goodbye (and) take me away
(CHORUS)
I want to live in a beach house
on a small island in the tropical sun
I want to sit in the shade where we'll laugh and we'll play
with the kids in the sand havin' fun
I want to have all my friends come over
watch the sunset as the boats all come in
We'll have a steel drum band set up in the sand
and under the stars we'll be singin'
We'll get a little sailboat and keep it afloat
as we ride the wind across the bay
We'll snorkel by the reef and watch with disbelief
at the underwater cabaret
When the sun gets kind of hot we'll ride our baby yacht
back to the beach to rest its sails
Put a hammock in the shade for a beachfront serenade
as we trade our salt and sun-baked tales
(CHORUS)
We'll wander down the shore to the little island store
grab something cold to sip, some chips, and a lime
Take our little icebox to a table by the docks
kick back and waste some quality time
When the fishing boats come in and they give a little grin
we'll know we've got our catch of the day
Wander back across the hill, throw our treasure on the grill
another perfect holiday
(CHORUS)
Conch and Circumstance
Words and Music by Mark Pelczarski
Vocals and guitar by Johnny Russler
Conch shell and trumpets by Kevin Pelczarski
The rest of the stuff by Mark Pelczarski
Conch and Circumstance is about various people met or observed in Key West and to whom Key West "just kind of happened", altering their lives or behavior in one way or another. If you've spent any amount of time there you may have run across some of them. Perhaps it's the conch, the circumstances, or the tequila? After the fact we ran across the Key West Gravity Chronicles Facebook page, which often comes very close to illustrating the guy in the opening verse.
Johnny Russler from the Beach Bum Band joins us on this one, singing lead vocals and playing three guitar parts. We spent some time together in Key West a few years back, playing at the Margaritaville Cafe for a few stints, and we also had the opportunity to perform several times with a guy who wrote a song or two down there. It was great fun collaborating again!
Kevin Pelczarski plays both trumpet parts plus the conch shell opening. It's nice having talented sons. We won't speak of the time we set a nearby tow boat into panic mode one night with that conch shell at a Beach Bum Band performance along a waterway...
Scroll down for the lyrics
He woke up at the base of a palm tree
Wearing beads and his shorts and one shoe
Finds a conch fritter stuffed in his pocket
And a note: "C'etait bon, merci beaucoup!"
"C'etait bon, merci beaucoup???"
He didn't mean it, it just kind of happened
Just meant to stay for that one last dance
But then tequila appeared and his plans kind of veered
It's only conch and circumstance
A little conch and circumstance
She came to cool off her heels on Duval Street
Waste a few days at the end of the road
Now six years she's finessed and she's still in Key West
Another island episode
Easy to stay a place where anything goes
She didn't mean it, it just kind of happened
Just meant to stay for that one last dance
But then tequila appeared and her plans kind of veered
It's only conch and circumstance
A little conch and circumstance
It's home to writers and dreamers and poets
Some seduced by the names that precede
You can reinvent yourself or imperil your health
And build your own island legacy
Everything's here that you need to succeed
He showed up with his guitar in Miami
Had some time when his gig fell through
Some friends drove him south down US1
It was a fortunate rendevous
While he was here he wrote a song or two...
He didn't mean it, it just kind of happened
Just meant to stay for that one last dance
But then tequila appeared and his plans kind of veered
It's only conch and circumstance
A little conch and circumstance
We didn't mean it, it just kind of happened
Just meant to stay for that one last dance
But then tequila appeared and our plans kind of veered
It's only conch and circumstance
A little conch and circumstance
Dance, Dance, Maybe
Words and Music by Mark Pelczarski
Steel pans, solid rhythm, a catchy tune, and great vocals! What could be better? Just dance!
Scroll down for the lyrics
Wish everything would be alright
Can't give in but don't want a fight
All stressed out ahead of the weekend
Time to switch gears before I go off the deep end
(CHORUS)
And we'll just
Dance dance dance
Just dance dance maybe we will
Dance dance dance
Just dance dance maybe we will
Dance dance dance
Just dance dance and maybe
We'll get by
Ten hours a day is perfectly great
If I'm sitting by a beach instead of working this late
Home after dark, too tired for the late show
Get up again and do the same thing tomorrow
(CHORUS)
It's time to stop putting off our vacation days
They'll get along without us if we just sail away
Time to recharge and forget all the drama
Take a week off escape to the Bahamas
And just as we planned
We'll clear our minds and take some time to
Walk hand in hand
Sit side by side relaxing
With our toes in the sand
Until we're set to go for one more round
(CHORUS)
Just dance
Storm Warning
Music by Mark Pelczarski
Guest appearance by Tropical Storm Eta
The rest of the stuff by Mark Pelczarski
Mark: Growing up in the Midwest, I always had an affinity for thunderstorms. To me they still inspire awe, watching them roll in with their ominous thunder approaching from the distance, swirling layers of darkening clouds, birds and critters changing their behavior, and the stillness followed by sudden bursts of wind and rain. Storm Warning is an attempt to capture that mood in music.
Spending time on the Gulf Coast upped the ante. Beyond the daily summer thunderstorms, there's extra apprehension when tropical storms and hurricanes are added to the mix. We've experienced a few, fortunately dodging any serious consequences (so far). Hurricane-downgraded to-Tropical Storm Eta provided some audio for this track, recorded as the waters of a minor storm surge were rising.
Check it out on your favorite streaming service, give it a thumbs-up, and add it to your playlists!
Calypso is Good for the Soul
Words and Music by Mark Pelczarski
Harking back to our steelband days, "Calypso is Good for the Soul" is a fast calypso tune with over a dozen steelpan tracks from different sets of pans overlaid to sound more like a full steeldrum band. Its theme is "forget all the tech, enjoy today where you're at right now".
Scroll down for the lyrics
When the trappings of life are intrusive
And the world's spinning out of control
When the answers in life seem elusive
Calypso is good for the soul
When work has your nose to the grindstone
Just look south to the Caribbean
Walk away from your keyboards and cell phone
And you'll find it's a logical plan
When the latest A.I. is illusive
And you can't trust what you're being told
When scrolling through life gets obtrusive
Calypso is good for the soul
You say you need communication
That there's someplace you might have to be
Don't wait for divine inspiration
'Cause you're already here, can't you see?
When the trappings of life are intrusive
And the world's spinning out of control
When the answers in life seem elusive
Calypso is good for the soul
Look for it and listen in all the usual places. (Yeah, tech stuff is required for that...oops)
So Many Christmases Ago
Words and Music by Mark Pelczarski
"So Many Christmases Ago" is family song about memories of Christmas Eve as a child, Christmas morning as a young parent, then Christmas night as a grandparent, and ends with "As long as we hold on to all these memories, we'll always be together Christmas night." It's in a traditional Christmas style and builds to a subtle, slow calypso beat with steel drum accompaniment.
Scroll down for the lyrics
Getting dressed up special for the holidays
Loading stacks of presents in the car
Driving out to visit with our families
Watching for that shining Christmas star
Playing with our cousins 'round the Christmas tree
Aunts and uncles bustle to and fro
The scent of grandma's cooking fills our memories
So many Christmases ago
And as we gather around
Traditions that we've found
Repeat themselves in slowly changing ways
And songs heard every year
Play again amid the cheer
One more passage through the holidays
Toddlers crawling down the steps on Christmas morn
Their eyes go wide looking underneath the tree
Sprawled out on the floor passing our presents 'round
Shreds of paper, shrieks of joy and glee
Sipping our hot cocoa by the fireplace
Glancing at the light December snow
The kids sit with their presents playing peacefully
So many Christmases ago
And as we gather around...
Kids grow up so quickly go out on their own
Generations come and then they go
Grandkids scurry 'round us now as we once did
So many Christmases ago
The years all blend together as we reminisce
Old photographs and stories bring delight
As long as we hold onto all these memories
We'll always be together Christmas night
Pan Overboard by Stainless Steel
Pan Overboard! is a re-mastered album from our first band back in 1990, resurrected from its old stereo tapes. Stainless Steel was an instrumental steelpan trio from 1985 to 1992 featuring Steve Sweigart, Mark Pelczarski, and Trish Glenn. Pan Overboard! was the second album we recorded and is a mix of songs from Jimmy Buffett, Bob Marley, Duke Ellington, Spyro Gyra, The Beach Boys, the Cantina Band from Star Wars, and more. And it's now available once again to stream or purchase on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music and other fine music services!
TRACK LIST
1) Shaker Song (Spyro Gyra cover)
2) Anna (from the 1951 film "Anna")
3) Kokomo (Beach Boys cover)
4) Jammin' (Bob Marley)
5) Satin Doll (Duke Ellington)
6) Cantina Band (from the obscure 1977 film, "Star Wars")
7) Never on Sunday (from the 1960 film "Never on Sunday")
8) A Pirate Looks at Forty (Jimmy Buffett)
9)Is This Love (Bob Marley)
10) Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett)
11) Come Go With Me (Del Vikings cover)
12) Happy Wanderer (yes, it's "Valderi-Valdera")
13) In a Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington)
14) Carnival Nights (original by Steve Sweigart)
Where is Mango Island?
You won't find Mango Island on a map. It's a rural island of nature preserves, small palm and fruit plantations, fishing boats, and intimate villages that development has mostly bypassed. There are no towering condos, and no stoplights on its roads.
Gathering places are the tiki bars by the water. Palm trees, hibiscus, frangipani, and bougainvillea abound. It's one of those "rum ready" places with abundant fresh mangos, coconuts, bananas, papayas, and limes. When temperatures occasionally drop into the 60's, locals bundle up with their long pants, heavy coats and hats, and grumble about the day or two of "winter", while visitors shrug and just might wear sweatshirts to go with their shorts and sandals.
If you know of such a place, don't tell anyone its real name. We want to keep it exactly as it is.
About Mango Island Sound
Mango Island Sound's music spans a variety of genres, with a common thread of the presence of steel drums and a taste of island rhythms. Mark Pelczarski has played steel pan, percussion, and stringed instruments in several bands over more than 25 years. Mark can often be found in a beach house on a small island, and has performed across the eastern half of the U.S. from Omaha and Minneapolis to Newport and Key West. He has worked in recording studios with Jimmy Buffett, Dan Fogelberg, Russ Kunkel, Michael Utley, and Greg "Fingers" Taylor, setting up portions of Buffett's Shrimpboat Sound studio in Key West and Dan Fogelberg's studio in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, with credits on albums by Buffett and Taylor. He has also performed on stage playing steel drums with Jimmy Buffett on several occasions, and the bands he's been in have played pre-shows for numerous Buffett concerts throughout the Midwest.
Among our guest performers:
Johnny Russler sings the lead vocals and plays electric guitars on Conch and Circumstance. Johnny is founder, lead singer, and guitarist of Johnny Russler and the Beach Bum Band.
Singer-songwriter Aurelea lives on an island where mangos are few and the beaches aren't quite as warm as those in the tropical sun she sings about, but she's happily dreaming of a time to laugh and play, kick back and waste some quality time in a hammock in the shade (with a mojito).
Kevin Pelczarski plays trumpet and conch shell on Conch and Circumstance. Kevin is also a past member of the Beach Bum Band, where for several years he played trumpet, steelpan, ukulele, and occasional bass guitar.
Find us on Radio
Here are links to some of the Internet radio stations where you might hear music from Mango Island Sound. The over-the-air stations can also be heard online:
Purchase or Stream Music
Here are links to some of the places you can stream or buy music from Mango Island Sound:
Purchase
Add to Your Playlists!
How to Use Alexa with a shared Amazon Music playlist
If you are using Amazon Music and want to use voice commands with Alexa to play this playlist anytime, use the following steps.
(1) Have or install the Amazon Music app on your phone or tablet. Make sure you log in with the same I.D. used for your Alexa device.
(2) From the phone or tablet, click this Amazon Music link for the playlist. It should either open in the Amazon Music app, or ask you if you want to open in the app. Yes, do that.
(3) You should now be able to shuffle and play the songs in the playlist. But if you want to be able to use voice commands with Alexa to play the music in the playlist later, click the "+" sign shown by the red arrow in the screen shot below. That creates a link to the playlist in your own music library.
Now you should just be able to use the command "Alexa, shuffle the playlist Mango Island Sound Tropical Christmas" any time you want to listen.
(4) Regardless of step 3, when playing music from the app, clicking the symbol pointing at by the bottom red arrow in the screen shot should give you the option of sending the audio from the phone or tablet to other devices, such as an Echo or other connected Bluetooth speaker.
If these instructions don't work for you, or if you find anything different than what we describe above, drop us a note using the contact form here on the website, or via Facebook or DM.
