As I look at the steelband in the Mecca I see it in a sad state pertaining to it's involvement in carnival.
Can we say that the elders had no vision or that our your young brothers and sisters don't realize that it is their responsibility now?
Is it possible to have a discussion about the steelband without bringing panorama into the discussion?
Replies
All steelbands have to find out what All Stars does moving beyond 2014, they stood up to the DJs and all who said that steelband dead and showed them otherwise.
Anyone could tell that they have the best steelband organization in the Mecca and this did not just happen, after all they are one of the oldest, what we are seeing here is the result of years of work by dedicated people, young and old, foreign and local.
All Stars excel as a panorama band but most of all the statement they made on the road might turn-out to be the factor that's needed to pull all the other bands back on the road for carnival.
I would now like to see them take their pans of that float and let them roll on the ground, may we be reminded that the steelband was most successful when they rolled on the ground, it's not about wine and jam, we created the "chip" to move with the steelband let us embrace what the steelband is and not try to turn it into something that it's not. Hats off to ALL STARS.
Agreed, although I did hear from some who played mas and participated with TASSO on-de-road, they would like to see the racks closer to the ground... They way some ready to kill-dis-ting, one would suspect they supported the call by Minister Gypsy that Panorama Killing Pan and the format must change to accommodate certain "foreign arrangers"... Are these "nouveaux règlements" for the International Panorama (next summer) going to migrate over to the Main Panorama at Carnival time???
Andre,
As the saying goes the new arrangers have to pay dey dues, there are a lot of arrangers at the top of the line, it is not an easy task getting ah big brake in the Mecca.
Yes, one has to pay one's dues, but methinks they are asking for a lot more... Some are asking to "rearrange" the tunes to fulfill some new destiny that breaks from the old mold. As I said once before, if we were to answer that call, then down the line some arranger was to resurrect the styling of Our Past Champion Arrangers, you will hear many echo the musings, "man, now dat is a steelband arrangement, lord de pan sweet", ent... ;-) Unfortunately, there is too little respect given to the rituals and traditions of the past. When it gorn, they will ask, how dat could happen...
Andre,
You are so correct, the steelband is in the hands of people who are too young to know what it really was, this is why we need the older heads to be vocal about this topic but we hearing a lot of chupid talk like "dem days done" and the steelband evolve, evolve out of carnival and depending on their sponsor and the government for their existence.
Are U forgetting that the elders are the one's who created this beautifull instrument, out of a need for spiritual enlightenment, as they had to have "Vision" to do so, how do U think Anthony Williams came up with the 4ths & 5ths? because he knew that this instrument was needed to accomplish the task ahead, so did Carlton "sonny" Roach who invented the first (1) ping pong in 1936, and the single strumming pan, called the strummer in 1946, Herman "rock" Johnston with the seven (7) bass set, and the "Echo Phone" a (3) Triple Tenor, Percy "lizard " Thomas with the Double Tenor, Neville Jules with the "Cuatro pan" the forerunner to the modern day "Guitar pan", and again Williams the first Double pan in TASPO called the "Tenor Pong" or double cellos, the forerunner to themodern day Double Seconds, the Cellos, and basses, stans for the pans, wheels for mobilization on the road, givin Panorama it's form, the "Big Size Tenor Pan" that Copeland claiming to be his G-Pan, the Elders did it all, its the younger generation "who does not have any vision" that's because they do not know what the instrument is about, or from whence it came, who did it or how, they also do not know how to become one with the instrument, they cannot give what they do not have, I'm sorry, but this IS the problem, dancing and jumping up behind pans is not going to do IT... NO VISION, VISION, VISION...
It is not possible to leave Panorama out of thediscussion as long as Panorama remains the leading competition for pan.
I invite you to go to Hub Pages for my attempt.
Hope you get something from it that will help.
Good luck.
Selwyn
We Trinbagonians are a resourceful bunch and I'm sure pan racks can be redesigned for Carnival.
I have been looking in to the life of an electric car battery on a single charge. The latest from electric vehicles have a range of 260 miles. That being so, it is therefore conceivable that pan racks can be powered by lithium-ion batteries with aluminum-air battery backup. Since the islands are small and their road network could not be more than the range currently being achieved it would be possible for a steelband with 20 to 40 racks to parade the carnival route with power to spare. Now that’s where the big money comes into play. Duracell-Starlift here we come!
Not one pan pusher in sight and everybody jumpin up. With more batteries they could even have their own speaker systems to rival the music trucks. Now that’s what I call progress.
What all yuh think?
Randi Curvan,
The problem with the mobility of the steelbands comes primarily from the wheels on the stands,we must remember that these stands have been in use for donkey years and NEVER upgraded. Back in the 60s PanAm North Stars had some inflatable wheels on their bass pans and they moved with ease. An investment in such wheels and reinforcement to parts of the stands will enable them to be tied together and pulled 100% easier with a smoother and more quiet ride, this will also make it easy to deal with any pot-holes.
What you suggested is a good idea but I am afraid not realistic at this time.
Pan Players jumpin up with everybody comes when they all are on the ground.
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