Comment

Comment by philmore moses on October 23, 2011 at 9:46pm

CALYPSONIANS  HAVE BEEN SINGING ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS AND PEOPLE SINCE THE ARTFORM BEGAN. NO PUBLIC OR PRIVATE FIGURE IS IMMUNE FROM PRAISE OR CRITICISM IN A SPECIFIC CALYPSO. SINCE  THE SONG WAS ENTERD INTO A POOL OF PANORAMA SONGS SO ARRANGERS CAN SELECT ANY ONE IF THEY CHOOSE TO AND FOR WHAT EVER REASON THEY LIKE OR DISLIKE IT.  WHEN IT'S  EXECUTED PANORAMA TIME ONLY THE MUSIC WILL BE HEARD FROM THE BANDS  OR WILL THE PANS    MYSTERIOUSLY BEGIN SINGING LYRICS? 

Comment by Pan Times on October 22, 2011 at 6:42am

With all the activity surrounding Dr. Copeland's name because of the recent release of the panorama tune "Who is Copeland?"  WST felt it was only fair that you read for yourself information Dr. Copeland who is a participating member of the WST forum. To his credit, Dr. Copeland has never separated himself from participating in the forum discussions or providing useful information to the pan community.

• An Interview with Steelpan Innovator & G-Pan Inventor Brian Cop...

• Prof. Brian R.N. Copeland Bio-data

• Brian Copeland's response to AG's allegations

Comment by Alicia Caesar on October 21, 2011 at 11:15pm

Who is Copeland? Another trinbagonian who contributed and maybe still contributing to improve pan to suite the ira. Let's give information as time goes by and give it in a positive way. Amen.

Comment by Sidd on October 21, 2011 at 8:31pm

There are many Trinidadians and Tobagonians and Caribbean people living here and abroad and people all over the world that have made valuable contributions to the pan and its various accessories.  Trinidad has already lost an important Patent in the matter of the method of cutting, sinking and grooving the pan, something which was first discussed by Copeland and others years ago but due most likely to delay in applying the pan industry professionally, it was leaked out and some how got into the hands of others internationally. Ideas are not patented or copyrighted. One has to produce something substancial and with that, the first one to reach the Patent office can be successful.  Due to the early tradition of the pan and how it started and the many hands which evetually turned it into something of substance, it would have be an impossible task patenting the traditional pan. Mannette brought in on thing, Williams another, Jules another, Charles another and Marshall yet another.  Plus all the inbetween inventors and innovators situated first in T&T before those five promininent inventors, then after the pan itself took formal shape right down to the bass, the innovators continuing in T&T and worldwide after its formal shape. Some patenting their works and others not bothering to do this. So many inventors and innovators of newly structured  pans in all various shapes and sizes exist across the globe. This is a natural development and takes place with all inventions of this world.  Then who is Copeland?  He is just one of these multi talented inventors and innovators of pan and we should be proud of him.

 

What may have happened to Dr. Copeland is his involvement with the govenment as a financier of his inventions and or innovations in pan. This is why I repeatedly say that pan has to completely divorce itself from government contributions of any sort. As one regime comes and goes another comes in and completely reject the stance of the previous one. It is not Copeland. It is that we as citizens of T&T and especially of the pan community do not understand the true value of the pan invention. We continue to think that only the first prominent inventors are to be credited but yet they are not paid any thing substantial for their early inventions. We continue to think that anyone brining in something new to the pan is really a thief to the pan. We continue to think that when non Trinidadians and especially Americans bring something to the pan ,that they can do this and can make millions with it, while we continue to starve with our pan invention. We have not been abe to formally industrialize it. If and when we do this, we would then see and know who is Copeland but we will also then see the thousands of "Copeland types" that live and exist off the pan on this planet by developing techniques and innovations for the pan and its accessories. We cannot see, so we ask the question who is Copeland from a blind man's point of view. Copeland and thousands of university professors and scientists exist and are interested in the sound and various elements of the pan invention. In truth, the pan needs further devlopment in many directions. It is not finished to its completed state of development. Much is to be done  with it. Much is to be done with it from an industrial point of view as well.

Comment by lennox Grant on October 21, 2011 at 5:05pm

Nuff not said. Calypso entails "negativity" and "positivity", and also in betweenity. It's a thing like that, and a lot of it all is in the eyes of the beholder--or the ears of the listener. Roberts' was a point waiting to be made, a sentiment of a kind eminently voiced in calypso. It arises from the politicisation of the national award, by means of which PM Manning thrust Prof Copeland into a spotlight somehat oddly shared with Marshall and Williams. Generations before, the latter two had arguably earned highest national-award recognition, but they won the Order of T&T only when an academic engineer's contribution (still to be measured, and to survive some test of time) drew suitably prestigious attention to pan development. That is worthy of calypso notice, and of more than rumshop talk. "Who is Copeland?" is a legitimate calypsoesque challenge to those who can to measure the Prof's achievement against the achievements of his relatively unlettered predecessors in pan development.

Comment by Glenroy R Joseph on October 21, 2011 at 5:01pm

This is a nice calypso. I like it.

Nice melody good lyrics.Nice lyrical flow. ( by that I mean the lyrics flow smoothly off the singer's tongue without sounding forced or clumsy)

On the subject matter, however, the singer seems to suggest that only contributors  who came directly out of the panyards should be recognized.

I tend to disagree.

Comment by ian jay clarke on October 21, 2011 at 5:00pm

...just heard the song....beautiful melody..good lyrics....nice vocals...everyone has an opinion.....don't be 2 hard on Copeland.....he is from home......he.izza Trini....sure he put in a lot of time and effort....sure he knows that he is standing on the shoulders of the great icons and pioneers of the past.....lets all build on the past and  deal with the challenges of the 21st Century........

Comment by Rhoda Reddock on October 21, 2011 at 8:48am

I reject this negativity,

There is room for everyone.  Recognition for one does not mean that others lose.  We need all of our Pan innovators. Prof. Copeland has brought his technological knowledge to bear on the development of Steelband technology, involving a host of young people - musicians and engineers in this process. The UWI is proud to be part of this innovative process.

 

We have been accustomed to fighting for crumbs hence the tendency to fight each other in this process.  Who is Copeland? He is son of San Fernando Mas man the late, Mack Copeland, he is a Trinidadian citizen, research engineer and pan lover.

 

Nufff Said

 

 

Comment by Kim Johnson on October 21, 2011 at 6:32am

Brian Copeland, has been working on pan since the 1980s, and came second in the Rudolph Charles innovation award (judged by Tony Williams) in 1986, Do people really think pan could continue to develop without university scientists like Copeland contributing? Or do they just think it shouldn't be a Trinidadian engineer in a Trinidadian university?

Comment by glenford peters on October 21, 2011 at 3:21am

Love it. A controversial topic with Copeland, the Gpan and the PHI. On the Gpan there is a German Eckard who made the BIG MAMA and was played by Hadeed in a jazz album with Rudy Smith Jazz 'n'  in the late '90.

http://www.ecs-steeldrums.de/index_32_170.html

Then there is the Cupid epan vs PHI bachannal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDZGCTycb_4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDZGCTycb_4

Comment by haydenlynch on October 20, 2011 at 5:08pm

nice melody great lyrics plenty history in this one keept up the good work