Dissing Bertie, toward the end and beyond
No place for geniuses - world renowned steelpan innovator disrespect
by Les Slater - Journalist & Former Highlanders Arranger
© 2012 When Steel Talks - All Rights Reserved
“... this wasn’t some anonymous John Public about whose apartment the government’s Housing Development Corp. came on hardball strong, right after we had said our goodbyes. This was a trail-blazing genius who, from quite early, never accepted that the steelpan should rank as some inferior stepchild among musical instruments, who always set his sights on what lay beyond the horizon”
—Les Slater, Director of the of the Folk Arts Institute of Trinidad and Tobago
Picture - The late Bertie Marshall (left) and the late Franklyn Ollivierre (right)
Trinidad and Tobago - The state chose the immediate aftermath of Bertie Marshall’s passing to place an exclamation point on its well established indifference to (phony embrace of, if you prefer) steel band culture and the extraordinary individuals who have stood above the rest in the measure of our indebtedness for their input. Bertie was among those anointed few. This obviously mattered little to the folks who were about the state’s business following his death.
Some issues surrounding Bertie’s living circumstances had become news fodder when a couple of government ministers, in what they presumably considered a mission of mercy, had visited him at his home in Harpe Place, Port of Spain a few months prior to his death. There was, first of all, a letter sent to Bertie threatening eviction for rent allegedly due for the government housing unit he occupied. This was correspondence erroneously dispatched since the man’s rent had for years been customarily paid up for each year, at the beginning of the year. That administrative sloppiness aside, there was the matter of old age pension, to which Bertie at age 76 was entitled and had applied for but wasn’t receiving. There was the matter, too, of outstanding salary earned for work done a few years earlier at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Despite the ostensibly goodwill “gallery” session by the then minister of multiculturalism and others at Bertie’s residence, and promises publicly made to effect a fix, nothing of the sort happened in ensuing months.
Replies
Cecil: President Diaz is not "fighting to keep his seat" as you describe it. The NEW VISIONARIES are like little flies bothering the President as he goes about the daunting and profitable task of producing PANORAMA 2013.
The elections will be held in March or April (2013) after we explain to the judge on December 3rd the need for continuity as we approach our annual pinnacle event (which is being held very very early this year, so time is of the essence). Certainly, your honour, we cannot just bring in a bunch of inexperienced political opportunists to run such a global event ... please your honour leave the promotion of our national instrument in the hands of professionals who care about our national instrument and not amateurs who might sabotage the entire production giving pan a black eye on the world stage.
OKAY President Diaz, I am extending your term of office until March 15th, 2013 at which time we will set a date for new elections.
Thank You, your honour!!!
WHEN DIAZ TALKS -- THE JUDGE LISTENS!!!
There is ah "DEEP THROAT" in T&T that told me Diaz make more money than Kamla that is why he fighting so hard to keep his job.
Greetings Patrick mentioned Gold teeth ( Brother Crawford Gold #1) Is he still alive? Are we going to talk or are we going to work to help the next one(s). Dr.Lance Seunarine
The Government of Trinbago has never treated the Steelband and Steelbandsmen with any respect. They have failed to recognize that Steelband is our Identity. They have treated our Culture with disdain. They keep saying that Trinibago is the land of the Steelband, yet the people who has made it acceptable to the World they have neglected them. Bertie Marshall is just another Casualty that has fallen by the wayside. Pantrinbago and the Past and present Governments are all a bunch of Jokers. Only Lip Service.
Let us all learn from this and hope that the young ones take entrepreneurship as a business and not as a hobby.
Change will come when they out PanTrinbago in Barbados and let the Bajans run it.
This was a massive failure of government and that this could happen while an organization name Pan Trinbago is around is the ultimate embarrassment. But, Pan Trinbago's leaders have no shame.
bugs
Brother Cecil : Boy yuh have a mouth eh; yuh better watch out that dey doh send ah gundelero for yuh up dey in the cold country. Dr. Lance
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