WIADCA Speaks on NY Pan and More

The lies continue.

Long before "violence" was associated with the WIADCA parade in the last few years, WIADCA f*cked up the steel orchestras, by not paying them until long after the Panorama, so this woman's argument about not having sponsors on board to pay, as a reason - is a blatant lie.

WIADCA's pattern is to NOT PAY the steel bands their prize money, period, sometimes months and months after the competition, into the following year and even a few weeks before the next upcoming Panorama. This goes back to the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and now into the 21st century. The only difference is they can now blame the "violence associated with the carnival" as a cause of drop-off in sponsorship funds, to justify why they have not paid the NY bands.

If this "interviewer" wants to tell the truth (and this obviously is not the goal here, it is only WIADCA in damage-control mode), this "interviewer" only has to visit the panyards, and ask to speak to the management of the bands who placed in the top 3 spots, who have been going to WIADCA Panorama for years, and ask one simple question: "How were you paid your prizes from 2010, or 2000, going back"?

But this "Reporter" will not, because she is part of WIADCA's "cover-up".

WIADCA pays their "top acts" - soca stars and others appearing for their Brass Fest and Dimanche Gras shows - thousands of dollars. They go into contracts with these people and have to pay them a portion in advance, and probably before they perform or immediately after.

Pan people are the LEAST able to withstand this financial thuggery directed at them by WIADCA for decades, annually. Most spend between $40,000.00 and $75,000.00 per Panorama season, if ever every penny of all their expenses are totaled up. And this is THEIR labor of love. The "pittance" that is the prize money for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners (between 10K and 20K) is just a band aid really. And even that they are denied.

But the real "villains" here are the band management - who year after year after year after year - go back to WIADCA panorama, and will not 'sit out' one single year to bring WIADCA to heel. Totally spineless, without any balls. And some are actually "pets" of WIADCA so being sellouts comes naturally to them. So all is well after all in NY pan.

Don't feel sorry for these Pan people. Move on.

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Comments

911 August 26, 2017 at 10:04am

let the labour of love pay the panmen & women bills.
Bugs August 25, 2017 at 9:56pm

Can't someone jail this woman? What makes her feel she has the right to abuse the pan community. Where is the NY pan children's Christmas money?

bugs
Ian Franklin August 25, 2017 at 6:48pm

Of course a contact was signed between the bands and WIADCA. That is why the bands are picking for playing positions.
MakeItPlain August 25, 2017 at 4:23pm

The lies continue.

Long before "violence" was associated with the WIADCA parade in the last few years, WIADCA f*cked up the steel orchestras, by not paying them until long after the Panorama, so this woman's argument about not having sponsors on board to pay, as a reason - is a blatant lie.

WIADCA's pattern is to NOT PAY the steel bands their prize money, period, sometimes months and months after the competition, into the following year and even a few weeks before the next upcoming Panorama. This goes back to the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and now into the 21st century. The only difference is they can now blame the "violence associated with the carnival" as a cause of drop-off in sponsorship funds, to justify why they have not paid the NY bands.

If this "interviewer" wants to tell the truth (and this obviously is not the goal here, it is only WIADCA in damage-control mode), this "interviewer" only has to visit the panyards, and ask to speak to the management of the bands who placed in the top 3 spots, who have been going to WIADCA Panorama for years, and ask one simple question: "How were you paid your prizes from 2010, or 2000, going back"?

But this "Reporter" will not, because she is part of WIADCA's "cover-up".

WIADCA pays their "top acts" - soca stars and others appearing for their Brass Fest and Dimanche Gras shows - thousands of dollars. They go into contracts with these people and have to pay them a portion in advance, and probably before they perform or immediately after.

Pan people are the LEAST able to withstand this financial thuggery directed at them by WIADCA for decades, annually. Most spend between $40,000.00 and $75,000.00 per Panorama season, if ever every penny of all their expenses are totaled up. And this is THEIR labor of love. The "pittance" that is the prize money for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners (between 10K and 20K) is just a band aid really. And even that they are denied.

But the real "villains" here are the band management - who year after year after year after year - go back to WIADCA panorama, and will not 'sit out' one single year to bring WIADCA to heel. Totally spineless, without any balls. And some are actually "pets" of WIADCA so being sellouts comes naturally to them. So all is well after all in NY pan.

Don't feel sorry for these Pan people. Move on.
Ajamu Nyomba August 25, 2017 at 4:11pm

On August 5, 2017, the expatriate carnival community lost another pioneer. Bernice Wilson, maiden name Bernice Irish, was born on October 30, 1923. In the 1940s, she designed costumes and floats and made all of the costumes for her band for the West Indian Day Parade in Harlem, NY, precursor to West Indian-American Day Parade which now takes place on Labor Day in Brooklyn, NY. Her mother was from Saint Kitts and her father was from Monserrat. Ms. Wilson moved to Atlanta in the early 2000s and remained active listening to soca and calypso music and celebrating her birthday annually to the sound of steelpan music.
London Gabriel August 25, 2017 at 2:48pm

Bands should be ashamed to go and play on a promise. So what happen if they dont get the money

This reply was deleted.