Global - ....For myself; after an absence of 19 years from the Panorama arena, the prospect of returning evoked a myriad of conflicting thoughts and emotions, which started with the initial offer made to me by the late (WITCO Desperadoes leader) Rudolph Charles in February, 1984, my final acceptance in November, ’84, and did not really end until the personal elation that I felt on Carnival Sunday morning when, true to my superstition of not waiting around for the final tally of points after the Panorama final the night before, I inquired of a young newspaper vendor on Frederick Street and his reply was music to my ears: “Renegades and Despers tied for first.”
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facing the steelband fraternity. Especially when it concerns pan on the road.
Like Bev said in the 3rd paragraph from the end, all concerned should have addressed the issue of the disappearing Carnival steelbands years ago.
When I returned to trinidad for Carnival 2005 having spent 39 years away I was amazed at the lack of steel on the streets.
The following year when I visited my boyhood band STARLIFT it was soon evident why. Everything was geared to Monday mas and Panorama.
On the Tuesday only a 3rd of the bands masqueraders turned up. In 2007 I was determined to play both days and again on the Tuesday the bands numbers were depleted.
It appears that only All Stars, Exodus, Starlift and Renegades strive to carry on the tradition. To this day I still don't know why any one other than athletes would wish to jog around POS in that heat to the accompaniment of fast big truck music.
It appears that gone are the days of Tuesday productions like Ceremony of the Red Men, Splendour Among the Himalayans, and Of Feast and Festivals these were preceeded by Teenage Milionaires, Festival of the Flowers and I forgot the other Monday mas presentation but at least Starlift commanded 1500 + every year - all to the sounds of a full steelband 100 players plus.
I suppose to most Trinis nowadays I'm considered a dinosaur but the importance of Panorama prize money put paid to all that. Not that I don't agree with big prizes.
I would love to know when last a steelband at carnival had more than 4 tunes in their repatoire.
Is it only the older ones can see the whole thing slipping away?
Anyway why don't the truck DJs play steelband records? oh I forgot it costs too much to record them.
Randi Curvan
And BTW, there is a wealth of recorded pan music out there, so there is no reason why DJ.s couldn't play pan music on the road at Carnival if they wanted to.
Maybe pan people could provide their own DJ's.
What do you think of this idea? I am a Monday Starliff man and Tuesday i just walk around.
Eddy
I've been a fan of Mr Griffith's since the days when he was arranging and playing piano in my favorite T&T band of the early sixties, the Clarence Curvan Orchestra.
He is one of the musical giants of T&T, and a major influence in shaping the sound and direction of Trinidad's music back then, and he impacted both the steel band and the dance orchestra.
it would be even better to read or hear his opinions of the state of pan today.
I can only hope that he and other notable pan people who have a wealth of background pan knowledge would add their thoughts to the historical record, and this forum is an excellent place to do that.
.
Peter