Akiba Pan ManJoseph and Duvone Stewart, I salute you. Pan Cup forever.
by Aquil Arrindell
There is an online pan competition that is happening right now. It is called Pan Cup. I would like to honour two men in writing on this event and show at the same time how important it is as pan people, that we have to learn to disagree on issues and not personalities.
Akiba Pan ManJoseph started a page called Pan Paparazzi on Facebook around carnival time. It seemed that its intent was to promote panorama 2018 at any cost, in the midst of the suggestion of the considered boycott. The members of the CIP were advocating the removal of the executive from negotiating, promoting or managing any aspect of panorama 2018. Information which was revealed to the CIP, indicated that end results of panorama 2018 would be of negative consequence to its pan players and the bands. Today the information stands as being correct as band leaders and pan players are suffering from the incompetence of the central executive. As a result of this, the CIP members have advocated and are still advocating that the entire executive MUST go, inclusive of Mr Diaz.
Due to not being a close acquaintance, Akiba and I had extreme exchanges over the internet. It got so heated that the threat of physical violence was also part of the exchange. One of our brothers within the pan movement, Akinola Sennon intervened and we settled our disagreement peacefully. The conflict made Akiba and I closer. He continued to manage his FB page with extreme competence and it grew to one of the most popular Steelpan FB pages among young people.
In May of this year, a When Steel Talks blogger, whose name is irrelevant, wrote a highly critical article (putting it nicely) of Gregory Lindsay and I in relation to our role in the CIP and the struggle in the pan movement. We chose not to respond because:
- We critique the behaviour of others, no reason to be bothered when others do the same to us.
- His information is 90% inaccurate and the truth eventually comes out.
- We choose not to be distracted as Pan Trinbago’s problem is not because of the CIP nor is it because of that author, it is because of Pan Trinbago’s central executive. So wasting energy on the author’s rhetoric is not good strategy as, the CIP’s immediate goal is to remove the entire central executive.
However, Duvone Stewart started posting the author’s work on popular pan forums as if he shares the author’s views. Gregory and I choose not the acknowledge his actions, reason being, all of the above.
Duvone and I recently had an online discussion about it. I told him I respect his views but was disappointed mainly because I remember him to be one of the persons present at the first protest which was organized by Dane Gulston and Gregory Lindsay. However, at the end of that conversation, we expressed love and respect as brothers for each other and as musicians within the pan fraternity.
Though we may have future disagreements, today I am honouring both men for what I have observed. We all have faults, but that should not define us. The good things we do and our selfless actions would be recited at our Eulogies. Therefore, in that vain, I am overwhelmed by Mr Akiba pan man Joseph’s effort to host his online pan competition which attracted pan men from all over the world to compete and represent their country. Mr. Joseph, using his pan paparazzi FB page, is managing this creative event without pay, whilst Pan Trinbago’s events manger was paid 12,000.00 monthly for hosting events that the membership has yet to benefit from. People like Mr Akiba Joseph are the ones our organization should be financially supporting through events such as these.
This is the second competition Mr. Duvone Stewart sponsored this year. It is the first time I have observed one of our local artists who has won money, give back to the community as a form a gratitude. It is something I have always hoped to see and I am glad that it is now happening within my pan community. I am now imploring, the Machels’, the Voices’, the Bunjies’, the KIs’ and all others arrangers, singers and whosoever has won a major competition, to sponsor a competition, a camp, a child that is involved in the arts etc. Do like our own, take a page from Duvone Stewart and give back to the art forum which made you a star.
Akiba pan man Joseph and Duvone Stewart, I salute you and keep up the good work.
Aquil Arrindell
Pan Cup forever.
Replies
bugs: Any time YOU and GLENROY JOSEPH agree with me on ANYTHING, I become convinced of the need to submit you two to CONCUSSION PROTOCOL under the DISTINGUISHED OBSERVATION PROTOCOLS of DOCTOR BENNET IFEAKANDU OMALU.
Luckily, he lives in STOCKTON (the last I checked) so I am willing to drive out there (90 minutes) and tell him that I have TWO VERY DEAR STEELPAN FRIENDS who are in desperate need of his BRILLIANCE ON THE CONCUSSION TOPIC to bring them back to NORMALCY.
Dr. Bennet Omalu is indeed a brilliant man. The NFL owners should all be in jail doing hard time for what they tired to do to this genius.
bugs
Mr. Claude, why people are not attracted to good news.
No congratulation for the young men.
Where is my pada Bugs?
I'm looking for this to be the beginning of something great.
Akiba "Pan Man" Joseph and Duvone Stewart are to be commended.
bugs
bugs: All these people should be working TOGETHER. Along with MARCUS ASH and THE PEOPLE'S PAN YARD WOMAN and BERTEL GITTENS. And they should link up with a couple EXPATS to extend GLOBAL OUTREACH.
I see a bit of a SCARY TREND EMERGING. Since it so easy for everybody to set up their own platform now -- a sense of competition is emerging. Rather than a sense of COMMUNITY. So the YOUNG LEADERS should be aware of this PITFALL.
When you have an audience of 340 million you could afford to have 200 cable channels with something for everyone. But when you have a dwindling PAN COMMUNITY -- the word "COMMUNITY" is of critical importance.
Now ah have to go back in the JURY ROOM and bring MANAFORT guilty on some ah dem charges!!!
SAD!!!
Claude I am in complete agreement with you (I must be suffering from a concussion). If the efforts are not coordinated and give positive reinforcement to each other they could end up taking each other out. However, I am enthused by the action of this young man and for going beyond talk. He must expand beyond facebook and put up his own site - and furthermore take full advantage of YouTube and WST Ning. The folks are already here.
bugs
Thank you for for your constructive criticism/contribution Mr Gonzales. While I did place myself on a self imposed ban from commenting on anything again, I believe it's necessary to let you know that your comments are noted (and appreciated).
On to the actual topic at hand, I do want to congratulate akiba and duvone on what they have done and I hope to see it grow even bigger.
Cheers!
I'll be heading back to my naughty corner now with my fingers on my lips!
Blessings !
Marcus: I have a joke for you!!! You can't MISS IT!!!
"I may lose a few friends in the STEELPAN COMMUNITY for my MANY postings!!!
But either way I was never good at KEEPING FRIENDS!!!
Ask plenty people who talk to me or used to talk to me ... if you see people and they tell you they know Claude Gonzales, and you say YOU know Claude Gonzales or YOU read his postings and they will say either one of two things: 1) Yeh boy!!! He real cool!!! Or 2) He is ah real asshole you know. And the truth be told whichever one they say THEY ARE CORRECT!!! And why I would say that is because I AM VERY REAL when it come to this PAN TING!!!
But more importantly than that, I want you to expand your "PAN IS PNM" line.
So you HAVE MY ATTENTION!!!
Mr Claude Gonzales: I just died of laughter. I see what you did there LOL.
In relation to your last request about the pnm, I will definitely grant that request in the very near future on the right forum as I believe this forum is geared towards the pan paparazzi's recent accomplishment and I don't want it to lose its value.
Bugs: Thank you. Recently I've realized that one doesn't need to do much to contribute to the development of the fraternity. While I have no intention at THIS moment (never know what can take place in the next week or so) to contest anything in Pan Trinbago in the upcoming elections, I'll say that I'm gonna do what I have to, to contribute to the development of the fraternity with or without PT. Your suggestion (like Mr Gonzales) is duly noted and appreciated.
Blessings!
Ash-Tray
Welcome Mr. Ask to our WST, or as you Say, WSOT family. lol.
Watch out for Mr. Claude, he will convince you to vote Aunty Kams and uncle Trump in their next elections respectively.
I say, dotty water for Hinds but PNM for ever. lol
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