by Martin Daly 868
“Stay in tong!”
I shouted those words on Sunday last, in appreciation of the scintillating performance of Coffee Street, San Fernando band, Skiffle, in Adam Smith Square, Woodbrook, Port of Spain, at the second event put on by the Music in the Districts programme.
Photo: A Skiffle pannist enjoys her performance.
(Copyright Sbc.edu)
This event confirmed that other pan concert promoters have got the memo, which is in order to win increased audiences, concerts must start on time—thereby overcoming a legendary bad reputation in that regard—have no prolonged lulls between bands or artistes, and send us home before the time at which many people become afraid to be on the road.
These concerts also show the irrelevance of strife torn and bankrupt Pan Trinbago—reportedly $40 million in debt and pan players not yet paid—and serve to keep pan in front of the people.
At the moment, it is going very well without Pan Trinbago and the Music District programme must now look at locating performances in other parks across the country where pan concerts have been held.
Meanwhile, I await to see whether some entity will now bite the bullet—which the National Carnival Commission seems too coward to do—and re-organise Panorama, so that we will have prime bands in prime time in 2019. The madness of relegating illustrious bands to 1:00am and later and holding endurance tests, ought not to continue if Panorama is to have any future with visitors or audiences whose entertainment appetites and social habits have changed—mostly as a defence against violent crime...
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