A Call to Arms

We have vented our views on this forum as regards the T&T governments implications  on the Pan Community. We can do something more by petitioning the T&T government. We can all send an email or a <signature> with a note expressing our discontent. There are about 7000 members on WST forum. Brother Jojo has indicated that there is a lot more on wst facebook at the following address

http://www.facebook.com/whensteeltalks

If someone knows how to set this up so that we can all sign on to this petition against this act by the T&T government please make your contribution. We who are in the diaspora will be making a strong contribution to this cause. There is not much time left because the Panorama season is already on us. A Call to Arms is imminent. Who has the computer savvy and know how, needs to step forward now.

Salah

You need to be a member of When Steel Talks to add comments!

Join When Steel Talks

Votes: 0
Email me when people reply –

Replies

  •     

      Anything that can be done to preserve the dignity of our steelbands,has my support.

      No politician or extempore singer or any other person must not be allowed to undermine

      this movement which has had to endure, and survive,all those trials and tribulations,for close to one hundred years.

      Thanks Salah for initiating this effort.

  •   At last!!!  Someone has come up with something positive that we the members of WST can do to show our concern and support for all the pannists and steelbands in TnT.  Salah - I am totally behind you with this action unfortunately I am not an experienced web user so that I can help with the actual setting up of the petition.  However, I will ask around as all the members of WST should do and see if we can help and "put our money where our mouth is".  It's very easy to pontificate and go on and on through this discussion board here as all Trinis tend to do but we are very short of actions most of the time (no Trini betta not tell meh it eh true!!) so just this once let's get off our butts and get behind this idea.  IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE IN WST LAND WHO CAN HELP SALAH SET UP THIS PETITION????  If so PUHLEEZE come forward. 

    Please remember the government wants positive feedback from its expatriates overseas and if we make enough noise and show we mean business Kamla will come forward and do something

  • I totally disagree with any approach to forge links with the government and that includes them paying pan players to play for carnival.  It is time pan players find ways to make money without handouts.  If the government wishes to give grants to the arts, like the National Endowment for the Arts in  the US, or philanthropist, that is fine, but to expect the government to pay pan players to pay for playing one tune at Panorama a Pan Trinbago event, that is inadequate in 2011.  The next thing you will hear is that masqueraders are asking for money to play mas as it attracts tourists to TT, or what ever reason.

    Pan Trinbago needs to listen to Boogsie, who is not even a bureaucrat but has been around long enough to see that they need to take on the responsibilities for being creative in generating revenue beside looking for handouts.

    The excuse of disrespecting the national instrument is lame.  What is Pan Trinbago doing for the instrument?

    • Ray,

      The current Executive of PanTrinbago has adopted the following to address the issues which you have raised.

      1. PHILOSOPHY - "to develop the Steelpan Industry in a manner that benefits the incubator communities which have nurtured the development of the instrument  in Trinidad and Tobago"

      2. To this end the following are some of the initiatives have been agreed upon:

      Institutional strengthening for PanTrinbago so that the Executive and institutionalised structures such as PANVESCO and TTPIL can function with the effectiveness and transparency that serves as the bedrock to development;

      Capacity building for individual Steelband Organizations to enable them to function as business units to capitalise on opportunities for the band and its respective community outside of the music industry;

      A model for Steelpan manufacture which in line with the philosophy outlined above;

      A Steelpan Museum and Gift shop;

      Development of the site in Trincity not just as "Headquarters" but to incorporate business(income generating) activities;

      Introduction of a Steelpan Festival in October this year to comemorate a major milestone in the development of the instrument and to pave the way for an annual event which has the potential to rival Carnival in terms of contribution to the national economy.

      To date, PaanTrinbago has approached the Private Sector (who have been very supportive) and has been able to attract a group of professionals who have been volunteering their support.

      The current Panorama hullaballoo only serves as a counterproductive distraction and comes at a time when the Organization - having opened itself up for support (not necessarily financial) in promoting the development of the industry in a sustainable manner - should be receiving unqualified support from the Government, the Private Sector and the entire Steelband fraternity.

      The Executive of PanTrinbago has been duly elected by the Steelband movement on the basis of their perceived ability to handle issues concerning the Steelband movement. Instead of demanding excellence from them in areas that would prove challenging even to most professionals in their respective fields, we should all band together and help to empower them - more so since they have demonstrated a certain degree of humility and receptiveness to progressive ideas.

       

       

      • I like the list of initiatives in the Pan Trinbago philosophy, and I hope the Executive can "execute". A lot more can be done to generate revenue for the steelbands , and keep the panists busy throughout the year.

        Now, can we please stop this nonsense of comparing the steelband movement to business?

        Granted, I do believe that bands can and should do more to earn income at the local level, especially at Carnival time, but pan is not business, it is an aspect of CULTURE.

        This does not mean that money cannot be made from pan, but just by its existence the steelband adds untold millions in foreign revenue to the nations coffers, and the steelbands are entitled to share in this bounty.

        This share of the nation's wealth is not a handout.

        IT IS EARNED!
        • "just by its existence the steelband adds untold millions in foreign revenue to the nations coffers, and the steelbands are entitled to share in this bounty.

          This share of the nation's wealth is not a handout.
          IT IS EARNED!"

           

          TELL DEM AGAIN Mr Glenroy Joseph!

        • Glenroy, I'm very glad you made that point about the steelband movement not being a business. Pan is ever bit a part of the music industry as any other instrument (or at least it SHOULD be!) and panists should be able to make a living the same as any other musician. But there is a very real danger that accompanies putting pan entirely under control of businessmen. Businessmen do not have any use or concerns for art, they don't care about anything but the numbers. While money is certainly a big concern, I think we can all agree that the best thing for the instrument is to focus on the music, not the quickest route to cash. I can give two very good examples from the American pan world: if you want to play pan and make money in the US (at least outside of NY and Miami), it means you have to play to audiences that think Bob Marley invented pan; it means you play Yellow Bird and Cheeseburger in Paradise and act like you are thrilled to play such garbage; it means leaving artistic integrity at the door... Another example: there was a gentleman in southern Indiana who made pressed pans - he didn't even fire the pans while he made them. He found a way to cut costs and cut corners, and the end result are pans that sound horrible and are almost not worth having tuned. Pan Trinbago should DEFINITELY keep the players' needs in the forefront of their priorities, and pan should absolutely be a lucrative career, but my thought is that nothing extraordinary in the art world comes from a desire simply make money.

          Salah, I think this is a great alternative, and when it gets off the ground I'll support it in any way that I can!

           

      • Uh, huh. And how much, if any, of this would result in any benefits to the pan players? I see it as yet more of the mumbo-jumbo dished out by Pan Trinbago. If any of this happens - and the past 15 years I've been a pannist has seen nothing effective coming from them -  it would be primarily to capitalize or make money out of players' skills.
        • We may not take notice, but things have improved tremendously since 1965 when I first started playing. Again I say - let us come forward with progressive ideas and support the Administration of PanTrinbago as long as they are there to take us forward. If not, and another Executive is elected - let us do the same! The only way forward is with positive steps.
          • i fully agree, regardless of who is the executive we must give them our full support for the benefit of all.Election is every three years and we can deal with all issues then. The motto of pantrinbago is 'UNITY IS STRENGTH' time for us to unite as panpeople and show our strength. 
This reply was deleted.