by Dalton Narine

Global - Journalist, steelpan historian and film director Dalton Narine pens an open letter to birdsong steel orchestra arranger Andy Narell (right), proffering his frank sentiments regarding Narell’s 2014 arrangement of We Kinda Music as performed by birdsong for the Trinidad & Tobago Panorama season. Narell’s response to the letter is also included.
read letter & response

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  • Andy Narell is entitled to his opinion and so am I. If we think about this we may find a logic that is so simple. Like in the world of computers, there are many sub-fields. I cannot 'program' computers, so I don't apply for that type of job. I know how to use a word processor, so that's my field. Therefore, I won't tell the hiring company to stop what they are doing because I can be more creative using a word processor, writing 'Whatever' I want, instead of writing the program code that they want. Let us not throw away what is a 'unique cultural expression' for the sake of APPEARING creative. Creativity is ALSO the ability to innovate within context. If you are doing what is comfortable, are you really being creative? To develop creativity, in 'music school' an Isomelody and/or Isorhythm is used to limit the composer's range of tones and rhythmic patterns and forces the composer to be CREATIVE with what they have. A box is not always a bad thing. I believe that what is being proposed  as coming 'out of the box' is actually a shedding of Identity. Panorama is not only about the Steelpan Instrument, it is also about the cultural flavor of the music as well. And just as Calypso became Soca, and the Soca Monarch was devised for Soca Artistes, one day Panorama will become Pan Ramajay or something else and there will be a forum for that too. There is a reason we have other competitions and CONCERTS. Those avenues can be used for expressing the full extent of musical creativity. Panorama is in itself, a Genre and just as it is not allowed for a band to play a 'Panorama' styled arrangement in 'Pan in the 21st Century' the reverse is also upheld. 

    • I missed your excellently articulated article before - totally agree with the analysis.

    • As a successful Trinidad arranger yourself thanks for bringing some common sense and honesty to this topic Mr.Besson

      • Good post Mr Besson,

        If one want to play in the game play with the existing rules, don't come with your rules and try to change the game.

  • Andy sure got a lickin and well deserved. I'm a humongous fan but even by his own standards his offereing was a tragic failure. It seems that he had no vision for his piece and was focussed merely on his technical skills without any attention to the creativity, inspiration or energy that's specific to panorama sensibilities. I kept waiting for something to excite me, which never came and the entire experience was just plain boring and especially not what was to be expected at panorama. If you're going to depart from the norm, then you better overwhelm, his piece was underwhelming at best.

    I'm perplexed by some of the post compettition comments he made and will rather address that later when I have more clarity regarding them, but I beg to detract a bit from those who diss him as a cultural stepchild. I believe that he is and has been an important contributor to our music and suspect that somewhere a little boy or girl is gleaning something from his offerings that will in time better integrate Andy's music than Andy can, after all that's how everything progresses.

    My advice to Andy is to give the people what they want not what you think they want, that's an artistic imperative. You just can't be ambivalent to the valid expectations of the consumer. The great artists find a way to accomplish this while not compromising their creativity or artistic integrity. Andy if you're listening that's a challenge from one of your most ardent and dedictated fans.

    • This is the Best  critique of Andy, not Insulting but to the Point, very well commented by Len Church 

      • Len,

        You may make Andy even greater than he is with that advice you gave "If you are going to depart from the norm you better overwhelm" when Andy do that the judges won't have any choice but to mark him good because the people will react to his music.

    • Right on Mr. LenChurch. This post is required reading by all Andyites!! I hope Andy reads this.

      bugs

  • The most interesting competition of all the Panoramas this year (to me, mind you) was the School and Junior competition held on the Sunday of Carnival week. I imagine most of you missed it because like most so-called afficiandos, the "real" Panorama is Finals night from about 11:30 p.m. onwards. I was fortunate to get listen to the future of Panorama and I'll tell you this. All that Andy Narell has exposed over the past two years will be very much commonplace in a few short years. There are young arrangers out there right now very capable of obliterating the tired ideas of the big names in Panorama. Our problem again is change. We so love to hang on to the old days that we don't realize that we've become stagnant. Music is constantly changing worldwide except for Panorama, that is. But go on….we will have to deal with new exciting ideas one day…ah only hope we ready...

    • Actually Merrytones  the small bands Finals was serious this year. And you know I don't like small bands. Supernovas is ready for the large band category they were awesome.

      I disagree with you about the school bands. I will simply say thank God they don't sound anything like Andy music. Give the youth bands credit for bringing popular music back to the panorama.

      bugs

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