From what I have seen over decades of observation, I believe that there is a place for GLOBAL PAN MUSIC. I believe that THE EXPATS (particularly) want to see their music on the WORLD STAGE. But what I think is lacking is LEADERSHIP. And it is very difficult for that LEADERSHIP to originate in TRINIDAD -- at least not until you have a PAN TRINBAGO LEADERSHIP that is willing to hold hands with the EXPAT COMMUNITY and set up some structures.
Take the PAY-PER-VIEW PANORAMA BROADCAST as an example. KENNY PHILLIPS did not get the rights to broadcast that show until very late in the game ... and still the EXPAT COMMUNITY jumped in and bought tickets to the show to the extent that PAN TRINBAGO was able to receive a SIZEABLE CHEQUE (in my books it was SIZEABLE for a start -- so I good with the number on the cheque). That was a historic victory for PAN. But THE PAN TRINBAGO EXECUTIVES should open their eyes to WHERE the support came from.
And, again, from what I see -- EXPATS are dying to PUSH THIS PAN THING GLOBALLY. But that bridge between the LOCAL VIEW and the EXPAT VIEW is a HARD BRIDGE to cross. Is like we need a PAN MESSIAH to bring the two groups to work together as one for the good of GLOBAL PAN PROMOTION.
Now I know that it is difficult to move people from their mental mooriings and I will give a far away example. If you live in a BORDER STATE in AMERICA, your perception of the ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION PROBLEM will be completely different from the EAST COAST VIEW of the crisis. And it will be really hard for the TWO MINDSETS to find common ground on the issue. If I were to address the BLACK CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS and tell them that their support for the WHITE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS POSITION on ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is the death knell for long established AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES in THE WEST (and about the resulting displacement of AFRICAN AMERICANS and loss of POLITICAL POWER) -- they will look at me as if I am some UNINFORMED IGNORAMUS. But I have been tracking this issue for decades with NUTS and BOLTS data to support my argument. And in the long run they would have gotten their share and be long dead and gone -- but AFRICAN-AMERICANS will continue to pay the price for decades to come. Just like PAN PLAYERS are paying the price today for the SINS of KEITH DIAZ and RICHARD FORTEAU.
So the point is that THE LOCAL PAN COMMUNITY and THE EXPAT PAN COMMUNITY must find ways to communicate even if their views on the SAME SUBJECT differ greatly based on UNCOMMON EXPOSURE.
This CONVERSATION could begin with BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE sending an ERO to visit ALL (and I mean ALL -- even if they are not on PAN SITES) TRINIDAD GROUPS around the internet to start building some bridges between HER EMPIRE and the TENS OF THOUSANDS of potential PAN CUSTOMERS she has sitting on the outside hoping to LINK BACK to the MECCA OF PAN and provide support for the GLOBALIZATION OF THE MUSIC.
We are all in this battle together!!!
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