On its website, PAN TRINBAGO declares itself to be “THE WORLD GOVERNING BODY OF PAN” but there is ZERO CONNECTION between PAN TRINBAGO and the GLOBAL PAN MOVEMENT in ENGLAND and EUROPE and CANADA and AMERICA and JAPAN. In reality, all that PAN TRINBAGO governs is the ANNUAL HANDOUT MONEY from the government of TRINIDAD and TOBAGO. An organization that claims to be governing THE WORLD OF PAN cannot even govern ONE dissident, as in the case of BERTEL GITTENS who founded the WORLD STEELPAN MUSIC DAY.
Bertel Gittens was deeply entrenched in campaigning for the current president of PAN TRINBAGO (Beverley Ramsey-Moore) and once she got elected, Bertel Gittens was highly placed in her organization. But he went on to establish a very flourishing FACEBOOK site called PAN TRIVIA and then he pushed forward with the idea to establish WORLD STEELBAND DAY which caught a lot of quick traction outside of the governing confines of PAN TRINBAGO. So her petty jealousy brought an end to that erroneous political pan marriage between her and BERTEL GITTENS when she was left out of that GREAT BIG LOCAL STEP for GLOBALIZING PAN. The next time that Bertel Gittens stepped into the PAN TRINABGO office, he was publicly cursed out by the PRESIDENT OF PAN TRINBAGO (Beverley Ramsey-Moore) in front of her entire staff -- with the fowlest language --for leaving her out of the loop in what could well be the only tangible accomplishment coming out of Trinidad into the GLOBALIZATION of THE INSTRUMENT, in decades. The effort that was put into GETTING TASPO to the FESTIVAL OF BRITIAN was THE FIRST.
This is the low-class level of leadership that chooses to call itself THE WORLD GOVERNING BODY OF STEELBAND. This is a classic example of how PAN PROGRESS gets stifled in TRINIDAD by these petty jealousies, especially when leaders put themselves first, above THE BENEFIT OF THE INSTRUMENT. PETTY JEALOUSIES creating quicksand for PAN PROGRESS, while the outside world of PAN hurtles forward leaving TRINIDAD BEHIND.
But THE PRESIDENT of PAN TRINBAGO would not be DENIED HER NEED FOR ATTENTION in this WORLDWIDE attempt to add glory to the mythical history of THE GLOBALIZATION OF STEELBAND MUSIC. So she quickly set up her own bandwagon to pimp on the accomplishments of BERTEL GITTENS and the leaders of the WORLD STEELDRUM TRUST and ride the wave of ATTENTION being focused on WORLD STEELBAND DAY.
And this WORLD STEELBAND DAY is a BIG DEAL in the minds of PAN LOVERS in TRINIDAD. A VERY BIG DEAL!!! So on June 7th, 2023 when a concept note from the TT permanent mission to the UNITED NATIONS called for the designation of August 11th WORLD STEELPAN DAY and the government of Trinidad and Tobago called on member states to support and co-sponsor the proposal to designate August 11 WORLD STEELPAN DAY on the UN calendar during the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly “in order to promote awareness and education and in so doing accelerate progress to sustainable development” -- within days BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE ran to the TRINIDAD GUARDIAN (the biggest newspaper on the island) announcing that SHE and PAN TRINBAGO was responsible for this UN initiative and that they were organizing and making plans to throw a massive party to celebrate their achievement once THE UN recognized WORLD STEELPAN DAY.
She went on to state that this was not only an acheivement for PAN TRINBAGO but for the people of TRINIDAD and TOBAGO. Well you could just image the uproar she created for taking credit for the achievement when in truth and in fact she and PAN TRINBAGO never lifted a finger to approach the UNITED NATIONS with this initiative. Ironically, it was a TRINIDAD EXPAT from FLORIDA (Arlette Wiggins) who turned out to be the one with all the administrative skills required to bring this golden goose home to the hapless locals.
So on the PAN TRIVIA facebook site (developed by BERTEL GITTENS and Ian Franklin – another EXPAT), where the idea for the WORLD STEELPAN DAY was germinated by the TWO PRINCIPALS (Bertel Gittens and Arlette Wiggins – local and expat) ... the shock and incredulity at BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE and the PAN TRINBAGO administration’s political confiscation of their hard-earned accolades deserved a response from the originators of the WORLD STEELPAN DAY INITIATIVE.
After reading THE BEVERLEY SNATCH of the initiative in the Guardian newspapers, Arnette Wiggins put up this posting on PAN TRIVIA asking: “So you'll just gonna sit here and let PT act all disingenuous about World Steelpan Day???”
She followed up with: “I still have receipts as the people call it!! Along with ALL of the responses!! Emails back and forth as well as letters signed by Chairman Bertel Gittens on World Steelpan World Steelpan Thrust of Trinidad & Tobago official letter head! As recent as 2 years ago TAC Minister Mitchell did not even know about World Steelpan Day! Someone ought to tell these people Pan is not a pappyshow!!! And just for the record I am pro pan and pan progress that's it! I side with God the Creator, the Universe and my ancestors!!!! And of course FAIRNESS!!!!”
Bertel Gittens (a personal friend of mine) but a HULK OF A WIMP when it comes to political awareness and conviction and standing up for pan AGAINST BULLIES – like BEVERLEY RAMSEY-MOORE – was forced to step in and defend Arnette Wiggins with this response: “And let them know that you Arlette Wiggins (Pan Tastic) was the first one to write to UNESCO Jamaica seeking the proposed August 11 proclamation World Steelpan Day. I am shocked to see the attention given now especially when in the initial stages no one paid attention when I first took the idea of UNESCO to the world governing body of Pan . Something is definitely wrong with my people! Let dem talk dey talk.”
While PAN AROUND THE WORLD hurtles forward with organizations like WHENSTEELTALKS and all the other WHITE AMERICAN STEELBAND ORGANIZATIONS, PAN in TRINIDAD remains an ego boosting, government money stealing, back biting stagnant organization that has very little to offer in terms of the GLOBAL MARKETING OF STEELBAND MUSIC.
WHAT A PITY!!! WAFP!!!
Replies
So how come Bertel Gittens has not complained publicly? And doesn't Bertel Gittens officially work for Pan Trinbago?
Now, I am a man who never ever posts on PAN TRIVIA unless i am bored to death and insomniac on the odd night. But I did go on there one night (California hours) and attack ANNETTE WIGGINS for her HYPOCRISY because she was looking for an "IN" into the world of PAN after she did some reflection, days after she got let go from her 9 to 5 (If I lie I die) and she came out of the FLORIDA ALLIGATOR SWAMPS looking to buy in to PAN as a HARDCORE BEVERLEY SUPPORTER but seeking personal recognition and ego gratification.
Me? I have been involved in PAN all my life, one way or another since my father and uncle contributed heavily to GAY FLAMINGOS and the formation of EXODUS many decades ago. Not to mention my involvement and monetary support of PAN in CALIFORNIA for many decades. So I am not going to let some displaced PAN WANNABE challenge me and tell me that I am some out of the blues JOHNNY COME LATELY commentator on PAN.
And BERTEL GITTENS is such a WIMP that he could not correct that girl and tell her don't go down that road with CLAUDE GONZALES because he does not sit in traffic every morning trying to earn a living while he comments on PAN later when he comes home from work. This is a man who could afford to sit on his ass and talk about PAN or POLIITICS on any forum on the TRINIDAD GUARDIAN or other news forums night and day for 24 hours while others hustle to make a living.
With all these confluences ... I am ready to start some PAN BACCHANAL because I have more time than the proverbial TIME LONGER THAN TWINE.
BERTEL GITTENS: Tame that DONKEY that you are taking for a HORSE: FIERY!!! That is how I coming. FIERY!!! I eh fraid NOBDODY!!! Well, allyuh eh know nothing about CALYPSO so ah might be wasting my time.