Pan Fraternity Get Early Bonus Start for August Pan Month

[Pan Times]

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. – On August 30th 1991, Steelband was officially declared the National Instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, and rightly so I may say. Any other Instrument indigenous to TnT and wish to lay claim, must be able to stand up on its own and play our National Anthem. Nuff said. The Steelband fraternity has always celebrated August as Steelband month in Trinidad and Tobago. But, this year’s celebrations started with a bonus in the middle of July, when on the evening of Thursday, July 16th, 2009, the President of our Republic His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards and Her Excellency Mrs. Jean Ramjohn-Richards, hosted the Executive of Pan Trinbago, and members of the Silver Stars Steelband, the Sforzata Steelband, the Arima Golden Symphony Steelband, the LH Pan Groove Steelband, all winners of the Large, Medium, Small and Traditional Categories for Panorama 2009, together with two representative of the finalist bands coming out of Panorama 2009, to a cocktail reception at the official residence. It was such a lovely way to spend an evening with Pan Men and Pan Women all dressed to impress. click for full story

[I am a steel pan admirer]

I wish to bring to the attention of the author of this article that the information on when the steelband was declared the National Instrument is incorrect. I am absolutely certain of this because it was at the Finals of Pan Is Beautiful in 1992 when the now Prime Minister did so.

I was Chief Adjudicator at the event, and in my remarks on behalf of the adjudicators, Ann Marion Osborne, Allan O'Connor I spoke about the fact that schools all over Trinidad would have a steel orchestra.

I note that there is no author credited with writing the article, so WST should be sure of their facts.

Orville Wright