By Aquil Arrindell
South Trinidad has lost one of its long-standing bass players, Mr. Frederick Chatterpaul. One of the most unassuming of individuals you would ever meet. I knew him personally because he brought his son to me at San City Steel Symphony to help further himself as a musician. His son Elon Chatterpaul is now working on cruise ships as a musician. Mr. Chatterpaul’s death was a shock to all that knew him, and his family was greatly devastated as his death was sudden. Information from a family member stated that he went to practice at his pan yard, a band whose name I would not mention in this article, and that after practice, he returned home and started complaining of chest pain. He was then rushed to the hospital and died shortly after.
In this last decade, players have been called, by bandleaders, mercenaries, hustlers, dishonest people and have even been blamed for killing the Panorama because of their lack of loyalty. You would often hear bandleaders say ‘long time we used to do it for the love, now them fellas on money’. However, we bandleaders have to take blame for 80% of our players’ behaviours. It is true that ungrateful persons would pass through your band system every now and then, can’t help that, it comes with the struggle. However, outside of those, it is we that create them, both their playing ability and their thinking towards our organization. Players started moving from band to band because arrangers started carrying them to other bands and bandleaders condoned it. Players started demanding their pound of flesh because bandleaders would pay more money to outsiders (players that came from other bands) than their own players. However, one of the main reasons players became self-centred was because they realized that bandleaders don’t care about them.
Ms. Analyn Chatterpaul, Frederick’s sister, during a phone interview, claimed she called Wire and asked if the reception could be held at the pan yard and she was refused. The reason given was that the band was preparing for Panorama and he could not host that in the yard. This was also verified to me by Frederick’s son during a brief conversation on Carnival Tuesday. Another source said that Wire admitted to him that he did not want Chatterpaul’s body in their pan yard because he would ‘blight’ (bring bad luck to) the band, especially with Panorama just around the corner. Ms. Chatterpaul told me she ended the call with some industrial language. “Frederick spent all his life in this band and this is how the bandleader treat him?”. She said Wire did not even contribute a pack of coffee to the wake. She was also quite upset he was allowed to speak at the funeral, pretending to care with crocodile tears.
Ms. Chatterpaul called Mr. Junior Regrello of Skiffle Bunch. The band that has always been the main rival to Wire’s band because both bands compete in the same category and in the same area which is San Fernando. Mr. Regrello gave the family Skiffle's pan yard to host the funeral, a hundred chairs, tents and cases of water as contributions to the family. According to Ms. Chatterpual, all Mr. Regrello wanted in return was God’s blessing. My unnamed source said Wire was angry that Mr. Regello entertained the family’s request, so much so that during a phone conversation, Wire tried to discourage Mr. Regrello from hosting the funeral at his pan yard. In an interview Mr Regrello said it would have been inhumane to refuse the family’s request and more so the family of a pan player. Mr. Regrello admitted to having a conversation with Wire but would not disclose the content.
Now prior to this, Wire had been trying to discredit my name on national radio hosted by the President on his I 95 fm. pan program. Also by entering into discussions on my character with other bandleaders to place me in a negative light and even accusing me of treating my players badly on social media discussion. Imagine that. All because he and the president are in business with the bar hustle for Panorama. So you see, my drive to get the president out of office is interfering with his business. Wire and this executive are very close. Even at Mr. Chatterpaul’s funeral they all grouped together to put on their show.
So to Wire, remember Karma is a bitch. Realise that the band that accepted Mr. Chatterpaul’s body got the blessing. They brought to south a proud second place title in the Large band category in National Panorama 2018 and you, who did not want the body allegedly because it would be a ‘blight’, could not get past the semi finals. As far as I can see, there is only one ‘blight’ that holds back your band and all the band members know who he is and are afraid to do something about it. For those who knew of this injustice toward Mr. Chatterpaul’s family and still supported Wire in his fight to win Panorama at any cost, (which made Wire turned away Mr. Chatterpaul’s body), that ‘blight’ will remain on you until Mr. Wire parts ways with the band. You are just as guilty and should seek the family’s forgiveness. To the players and band members who stood by and accepted this treatment towards your fellow colleague who suddenly became a ‘blight’ after the bandleaders could not use him anymore, pray you don’t die before Wire. Your dog treatment is awaiting you too, or worst yet you may get yours while you are still alive. For those who did not know, you are excused, but now that you know, you should not simply accept it. To bandleaders all over the world, note that when bandleaders treat players this way, it affects us all. We are ambassadors of the pan movement, when we do good we all look good and when we do bad we all look bad. Actions like Wire’s paints a negative image of all bandleaders. Thanks to Mr. Regrello, Mr. Chatterpaul’s family knows all bandleaders are not of that ilk, just the ones that are aligned to this Pan Trinbago’s executive. I apologise on behalf of the pan movement because no pan man should be treated this way.
RIP my brother, we love you and we will miss you.
Aquil Arrindell
Voice for those who have none.
Replies
Sad
The sad thing is that these people walk among us.
Yea Mercer... Real Talk... SMH
bugs
Aquil......................................................................fire go bun dem..
I am at peace bro......I hope when or organization in ash, you and the rest would realized sometimes somethings are worth fighting for. Evil prosper when good men stand by and do nothing.
Your effort is appreciated by many.
love this
Real Talk!
Unfortunately, Cowards and bad people are in abundance these days.
bugs
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