Between Sponsors and Government HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS of dollars have been poured into the STEELBAND MOVEMENT over the last 65 years. (Not to mention the millions spent by foreign governments flying these steelbands all around the world.)  Yet, today, THE WORLD GOVERNING BODY OF THE STEELBAND is FIVE MILLION DOLLARS in DEBT and the President is standing CAP IN HAND at the Government's door BEGGING FOR MORE.

One of the most repeated arguments is that STEELBANDS are a deterrent to CRIME. Well, today, CRIME in Trinidad AND TOBAGO is at epidemic proportions -- but many will stick to their guns on that proposition.

The PAN TRINBAGO trick is to promise SELF-SUFFICIENCY over and over again. Because they could only become self-sufficient if you give them MORE MONEY and MORE MONEY.

I am saying MILLIONS but ah sure we done cross BILLIONS!!!

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  • Claude, I was not here for the ICP, but Cooper's point on pan manufacturing re shortage of tuners and the length of time to train (a few years)is the main point.Mass production / automation is not the answer as it's an art where you can be taught  things and from there it's an on going self development. Presently there are some Nigerians here and they will return to their country soon having been trained for a year,where they can continue what they have learnt as a work in progress and develop in a few years time. Other countries are offering tuners/builders to come over and train their nationals,with lucrative offers. From what I have seen and heard, the US have some who are doing well and countries like Switzerland,China and others are working on it and will get there as Crazy said in his calypso...IN TIME TO COME.

    I listened to a clip posted on this forum with Ellie Mannette saying (not exactly his words) we are young compared to other instruments and while pans today are considered to be the best, 50 years from now what we have may be seen as rubbish,when new ideas and technology gets more involved. My mind went back to 50 years ago and compared that era to what we have today. I guess the same will happen 50 years later in 2065. I am enjoying the different posts on this by the 

    regulars on this forum. CECIL!! wah yuh have tuh say again LOL

    • Gerard, Pan is global so in 50 years the sky is the limit, but if we look at where the steelband came from and where it is today we should be worried.

  • Most of us don't seem to understand the steelband "industry" in the context of economics. The two primary aspects of economics are supply and demand. Unless there is enough global demand for the product, in this case steelband music and the pan instrument; there will not be the booming economic success that so many of us seem to expect.

    Not because a person can play, or even master the instrument, means that he/she should somehow be making money.  Maybe so, but it is still up to that musician to find ways to sell his/her talent. The nation has no obligation to pay a person because he can play the national instrument. While I feel the  frustration of most of the posters here, that the pan "industry" is not generating any real national income, there is need to face this hard reality. Unless more pan people can find more ways to create global demand for an over-supply of sleelband music and instruments, then this conversation continues.

    • True talk , Masai Hall.

      And this is the kind of critical thinking that gets very little response on this forum , I notice.

      Not the kind of stuff that many of us wish to hear.

  • Mr. Shah, having read your post I just want to touch on your statement of a modern pan factory employing scores of tuners etc... No tuner worth his salt is going to work for any factory turning out pans for it/them to pay him by the job or week,forthnight or month to clock some card a.m. and p.m. to work for them. Tuners today work for themselves and do a lot better than working for any factory. The business acumen in the profession today is a lot better than the olden days, when some entrepreneurs exploited tuners,paying a pittance and exporting and selling the pans locally at retail outlets. Tuners today are in touch with the outer pan world via the internet and foreign travel and are versed with the shipping procedures. There are those who worked at "factories" and left after some years, as soon as they were good enough to be self employed and that will continue to happen,so they keep getting beginners and would occasionally hire the now self employed maker or tuner by carrying drums or instruments to them, or call in someone to do a QC on the work of their staff. Working for entrepreneurs your wages will be at the lower end while they look to maximize profits. Some will say that's business, but they will get what they pay for.

    • All over the world people are tuning pan these days, why should a foreigner purchase a instrument from the Mecca if it's being made by beginners, it is normal to want the best when you are putting out hard dollars. It will be difficult for the Trini manufacturer to compete seeing they have to import raw materials then include shipping in the cost of an instrument, it could cost less to buy an OK pan locally than a OK one from the Mecca.

      • I assume a factory would mean modern , automated manufacturing of pans , not some sort of assembly line of tuners.

        Since the pan was invented in T&T, I've always thought that a "Made in Trinidad" label , if properly applied and used , should set the gold standard for steel pan manufacturing making Trinidad the true Mecca for pan.

        Of course this would mean some type of certification to meet the standard.

        • Glenroy: During the ICP Mr. Michael Cooper gave a presentation on PAN MANUFACTURING and if you ever listen or read the speech you will hear him say that we are not even vaguely ready to supply STEELPANS to the world. His main reason was a shortage of PAN TUNERS in Trinidad and the length of time it takes to train tuners.

          So unless there is a focused effort in place TODAY to have the problem solved in the next 5 to 10 years then all this PAN PRODUCTION talk is just MORE OLE TALK.

          There is so much hope and sympathy directed at the STEELPAN that shysters could promise to import and sell SNOW TIRES in Trinidad and direct the profits to PAN YARDS and people will FUND THE PROJECT only to soak up the RED INK a few years later.

          • Well , Claude  , as the saying goes , Rome wasn't built in a day.

            You've got to start from some place.

            Or , do nothing.

            • Ellie Mannette's relationship with his Business Manager the late Kaethe George should be a case study for strategic thinking. Today, there are some who say he’s a secret millionaire.  

              The Stradivarius of the Steel Pan like the Steinberg Piano was the creation of his brand.  A state University investing in the technology and manufacturing musical instruments for worldwide distribution...http://www.mannetteinstruments.com/classical-series.html

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