Cecil: We cannot afford to sit on this forum any more and just talk and make suggestions because our clocks are running out real fast. So I suggest we get busy and start MAKING SOME THINGS HAPPEN. Either we go back home and join XL or UNRULY ISIS or PAN TRINBAGO or start our own NGO to BRING PAN BACK ON THE ROAD.
Yuh still lucky yuh living in Canada and not America. Because after this election if Hillary wins all men have to turn GAY and if Trump wins is straight KKK.
You and odw have to stop building all these perfect castles in the sky and put your nose to the STEELPAN (I cannot believe I used that word) GRINDSTONE and stop SAYING SOMETHING FOR PAN and DOING SOMETHING FOR PAN.
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Cecil: Let me give you a little fuel to add to your fire. Read the article below and you will realize how the MAS PEOPLE are dominating the CARNIVAL. This is J-U-L-Y and they are launching!!! Where is PAN at this hour in July?
http://newsday.co.tt/features/0,230929.html
Claude that's my point, you are looking at a well organized group that has a product and know how to bring it to market. If the steelbands were organized like that they could have been successful also.
I don't think that they ever aggressively dealt with absence of steelbands on the road for carnival, if the had they would have realized that they have to create a carnival that is compatible to the steelband, a few hours on the road Carnival Monday is a small price to pay for something that has such monumental cultural value.
T&T has the ability to put together the correct people and fund them to make the Steelband a player in carnival but first has to be reminded that the Steelband was created for the road.
Claude , you're a smart fellow .
From a dog eat dog , business standpoint , do you think mas people will cheer for steelbands having the ability to share in the carnival bounty ?
They are very happy with the "no pan at Carnival " scenario, and pan people go merrily along., since after all we have panorama !
They benefit from the status quo , since it reduces the competition for the carnival dollar.
That should be obvious to everyone.
The things that need to be done for the steelband will take more that the best efforts of Cecil and all ex-pats together , I fear.
it will take the desires of the people in the homeland , and their ability to make the government , Pan Trinbago and the NCC together come up with workable solutions to improve the artform , and insist that it is an active and visible participant in the nation's signature festival.
And BTW , I know my Trini people , and there's no way they wil listen to any "Fresh Water Yankee" coming in from "foreign".
The last time Trinis listened to an ex-pat from foreign , I believe his name was Dr. Eric Williams , and I'm sorry , Cecil , but you're no Dr. Williams !
Glenroy, many in the Mecca have already shut the door on the Steelband.
Claude my Brother l love the Steelband but I love my family more, I've spent over forty years building a life where I am, not going to change this anytime soon.
As I've said before my only purpose on this site is to keep in the forefront the state of the steelband in the Mecca as it relates to carnival.
The Steelbands' cultural value seem to be insignificant to our population today which I my opinion is sad.
Claude,
My reality is daily interacting with people who are taking risk, moving out of their comfort zone and acting in the belief that what they are starting will result in realistic goals and more.
After looking at how Jimmy Buffet was able to build a multi-million dollar enterprise with branding and merchandising that included the sound of the steel pan, I wonder why no one in the Mecca ever thought of doing it.
As far as I know pan musicians still struggling, pan tuners don’t get respect or recognition; only one pan tuner I know is called a secret millionaire, correct me if I’m wrong. We can all say we love pan, but wise people know when they see Love in Action.
Now is the time to build electronic class rooms in elementary schools for Pan students to do something with Pan.
I recall Bertie Marshall once saying in an interview about TASPO, “they know we had something” I ask myself why after 60 plus years we have not been able to capitalize on what these guys have started.
Good Response, odw. You don't take things personally -- I like that. I have to test out this new Rudy Kendall fellah and see if his skin is thick enough to handle the forum. I think that PAN PEOPLE will figure it out eventually. The problem is that we all want things in OUR LIFETIME. And a lot of the destined progress for PAN seems (from our limited vision) to be aligned 10 to 20 years in the future.
That is why George Victory's death had such a debilitating effect on my psyche. Unless you believe in reincarnation life at times seems to be an exercise in futility.
Claude,
I've been battle-tested from the time I arrived in this country in the early 70s, I consider myself an independent thinker and a non-conformist. In a recent conversation I had with friends about my vision of where to start in fixing some of the problems with Pan, I was told that some won't get it and I would have to go directly into the Panyards and explain how to create the process in getting it done, what I may assume is the norm in my everyday experience is not the same in the Mecca.
A relative just back from a holiday told me, he found the youths are far ahead in how they are utilizing technology. I say its time to bridge the gap between the older Pan heads and the young Pan musicians, they are driven with enthusiasm and with proper guidance they can move the music in a direction that's marketable, the adults can create Pan events/competitions that helps highlight their achievements.
odw: All the wisdom in playing the pan, recording the pan and selecting music for the pan is given in your STEELBAND PIONEERS video between 7:43 and 8:10 -- BERTIE IS THE BOSS!!!