I have always maintained that Trinidad's Carnival has suffered in quality as steel-band participation diminished.

It was the steel-band, and to a lesser extent the calypso, that made Trinidad Carnival unique.

 This is not to "dis" calypso, but obviously you can party to other music besides calypso .

 

The pan is unique, and without it the Carnival becomes generic, indistinguishable from Rio or New Orleans.

The steelband, perhaps more even than the magnificent costumes, was the signature act of the Trinidad Carnival.

 

But apart from that, steelbands need to take better advantage of the Carnival's high profile.

 

The best thing that the steelband can do to promote itself is to have a powerful presence on the road at Carnival, and this does not only apply to Trinidad, but every where there is a Trinidad style Carnival.

I will always maintain that the best demonstration of the power of pan would be a successful re-integration of the steelband into the Trinidad Carnival parade in a manner that could be broadcast around the world in its power and beauty.

 

A couple years ago while watching the Caribana parade in Toronto the thought struck me that the steelbands would never have much of an impact, because they didn't have POWER.

Yes, the bands had their supporters, and curious spectators, but people were not wowed like we were in the days when big powerful bands dominated the streets of T&T.

 

What attracted many of us to the steelband in the early days was the power of the bands on the road, the way the panmen seemed to own the streets for Carnival .

Remember, in earlier times, the Trinidad Carnival was for the most part a middle class celebration , sometimes on trucks, before the steelband brought thousands of young black men and women onto the streets.

We felt such joy and pride in the steelband, especially as poor young black men. Something about the pan made us feel good about ourselves.

But take a look at the masqueraders in any mas band of today, compared to the mas bands when the steelbands were in their heyday.

One cannot help but make a correlation to the fact that as the steelbands diminished on the roads, so did the participation of young black men in the carnival masquerade.

 

Maybe that was why the powers that be , supported by short sighted pan people, successfully allowed the steelband to be removed from the streets at Carnival.

That feeling of pride created the support for the bands. That's how the big name bands established themselves  - on the road, not on a stage.

 

The mobile steelband on the road was an artform unto itself, but was never truly appreciated as such.

Even the act of pulling the pans represented the closeness of the link between the steelband and the community.

Deliberately or not, those ties have been weakened, and the big steelbands have been contained in the savannah.

 

I firmly believe that a large part of the steelbands mystique was its mobility.

The steelband is best enjoyed in its dynamic mode , on the move; less so in a static mode, on a stage.

This is how we fell in love with the steelband in the early years, and this is how the steelband should be presented to the world, as a dynamic part of Trinidad's carnival parade.

 

But now, the only place you get a  chance to experience the power of pan is at Panorama, which most people do not attend.

 

Today should have been the time that  steelbands had come of age and owned Trinidad Carnival, instead we have the opposite, with "combo sized" steelbands on trucks, and not even the steelbands contribution to the island's carnival revenue is recognized, since many look upon the steelbands as "takers", instead of contributors.

 

And BTW, anytime the subject of payments to steelbands come up , I'd like every one to remember that the steelband is responsible for a sizable portion of the Carnival economy,particularly in the tourism aspect, not to mention the economical benefit of steelband panorama and carnival activity.

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  • Glenroy Joseph put up this topic 5 years ago!!!

  • Hmm... Looks like we Trini peeps all thoroughly enjoying themselves with 'nuff pan on de road, ent... https://whensteeltalks.ning.com/page/tv4-laventill-steelband-street-...
    • What have they done to the steelband?

  • It is said something catastrophic happen to the dinosaur to cause its extinction, the steelband could face extinction from neglect, that is unless dedicated people step in and reverse the downward spiral.

    The first step is the admission that there is such a spiral. Not ever in the history of the steelband did anyone sit down and have a look at where it came from, where it is now  and where it must be is order to maintain a strong presence in carinval,  being the main source of where it will make itself  self-sufficient. After years of neglect we end up with a horse and buggy on the same highway with tractor trailers.

    People fell out of love with the steelband.  Some think that in order to be a part of carnival steelbands  must introduce electronic pans and play fast but it will take more than volume and tempo to make the steelband a player today.    

  • There is a distinct difference between promoting the music of the Steel Orchestra and promoting the unique instruments of the Steel Orchestra.  The former is a much more difficult project; especially at the international level.

  • Bertel can you help me with answers to these questions

    I agree more pan on the road for carnival.....but who pays?

    Pay panman more money to play on the road,I agree.....but who pays?

    Which steelbands you think would be consistenly successful....those who players are consistently dedicated to producing a valued product ... or those whose players are self centered,unprofessional and leaves the patrons dissatisfied?

    Why would a player strive to contribute consistently to a valued product?

    Which comes first the chicken or the egg?

    • Oswald, the answer to who pays is simple, THE PEOPLE !  Who pays for the Mas costume to play Mas not the people?  Isnt Pan music a product? Everything is done wrong in T&T with heavy dependency on State Funding. A major problem in T&T is that we are so dependent on the State that its very clumsy doing things on our own. I am certain if there was no State funding the artform will be BETTER and BRIGHTER. We will be forced to be a lot more Disciplined and Creative in our management of the Carnival Arts. We will become much more PROFESSIONAL, TRANSPARENT, HONEST, and above all INTEGRITY will be the order of the day and in this way the product will be FAR, FAR  BETTER. We have not seen the best of the Steelpan as yet. Carnival is a business and should be seen this way. Of course there will be problems, that's life, but the biggest problem is to be a begger always looking for handouts to run your business. This is how I see it. BIG.

      • Bertil......you are on the right track.....I see some state funding as important,but not the be all and end all...like you said "gimme,gimme" cannot be the way forward.

        The masqueraders and the merchandise buying public would pay the bands and the bands who expects to be successful year in year out,are those that realizes that to have a sought after product is to have committed players.....to have committed players they would have to be paid appropriately.

        Which comes first?....do the bands commit themselves first or do the players learn to work as other professional musicians,and insure the product is first class and highly desired ? If you expect to be properly paid,you have to do the work,properly.

      • Go Bertel: You are against the heavy dependency on State Funding ... very few on this forum are. Well, THE PEOPLE have to grow socially beyond the GIMME GIMME mentality before they could THINK & ACT  BUSINESS.

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