Now that the dus' has settled figuratively and literally - with much of it on our faces, maybe we can now have a conversation with a heavy dose of honesty and a lot less hypocrisy. When Steel Talks is to be thanked for forcing us take a hard look at ourselves and what we think we project in the throngs of this new technological age, and moreover, the consequences of this technological age's grandness, immediacy and global reach.
I found it odd and even amusing as the most logical and level-headed members of this board seemed to be pulled into the seduction of the internet glare that the panorama season created - as they abandoned their own previous stated positions that were well reasoned after years of development and challenges on the old message board.
When did Pan Trinbago become this epitome of virtue, truth, transparency and rules enforcer? I am by no means trying to make Pan Trinbago out like the bad guy here - in fact they are not. They are what they are. I'm sure we all remember the story of the frog and the scorpion. We can no more fault the scorpion for stinging and killing the frog that was carrying him across the river, than fault the behavior of Pan Trinbago. It is as the scorpion put it "their nature." Check out this recent article in the Trinidad Guardian - Time to put panorama in competent, caring hands . While this article is very damning to Pan Trinbago, it is nothing new. Furthermore, there are few among us who would say that everything said in the article is not true. So I ask my compadres: how are the bands to behave? Were they, the bands on finals night, to behave as if they are oblivious to the nature of the scorpion?
When we say, "we are so glad to see Pan Trinbago finally take a stand." Eh? Come again? Am I missing something here? Is this not hypocrisy on the highest level?
At first I was like - "you break the rules - suffer the consequences - end of story." But after I read some of the posts and thought about the situation, I realize that we were being played. The push to reduce the number of players in the big five - Desperadoes, All Stars, Exodus, Phase II, Renegades or even Silver Stars was knee deep in corruption and politics.
Now let's be clear on this bit of nonsense right off the back. Since all the large bands were prepared to go to the 120 players limit, that means not one of them would have had an advantage over the other. It would have been the norm, as every other year. But more than that, none of the participating large bands on finals night were afraid of any of their competitors having a 'so-called' advantage over them.
Think about it for a moment. Who would want to reduce the players of these bands? Who would benefit? The answer as it was pointed out in another post by someone earlier, maybe simply - the people who would be obligated to pay them, and the people whose income would increase dramatically, by not having to pay out. Pan Trinbago, and ultimately the Trinidad and Tobago government.
The more feed back I get on what actually transpired at the panorama, the uglier it gets. This reduction in players was done to demoralize, and create dissention and disillusionment among the members of the large bands. For the most part it worked.
Pan Trinbago was hoping to either disqualify bands or have them so weakened spiritually, that they would be 'out of it.' Pan Trinbago wants to destroy the big five because of the lock they have on panorama, and the overall art form. They want to reduce participation in panorama. Rather than putting an artificial block on the big five by limiting the number of players - Pan Trinbago should have been concerned with helping the other bands to improve their skill level, marketing and recruiting abilities so that they can attract more players. But this is not their interest. As already pointed out by others, the moving of the small and medium bands finals to the middle of the week, and eliminating their presence from the DVD, speak volumes about the future for these bands. Watch out Merrytones and Sforzata - a maximum player limit of 10 and 20 players could be heading your way next. You have won too many panoramas in the last few years.
All this leads to that old question - who does Pan Trinbago represent? Are they nothing more than greedy producers of a single event called panorama, who are always first and foremost focused on how much they can cash in on the gate receipts? And therefore are interested only in making as much money as possible for themselves? Do they represent the management of the steel orchestras whose main interests are to keep their bands and pan in general alive - settling for 'breaking even' financially, if possible, but seldom the case? Clearly Pan Trinbago does not represent the players, who like all artists just want to perform, by and large for the love of what they do. Clearly Pan Trinbago does not behave like a union which looks out for the good of its members [pan players] and the art form. Could it be that Pan Trinbago far more likely represents the entity who controls their purse strings - that being the government?
And if that is the case, what exactly is the government's interest and true agenda for pan in Trinidad? Could it be that they have a blueprint for a more sanitized and scaled-down version of steel orchestras [more under their control and as dictated by them]? We've seen what they have tried, and now implemented for the mas bands - they are on the streets, and not on the stage at the Queens park savannah. (my advice to the mas people, is to take a page out of the pan people's playbook, and go back to the damn savannah! The stage is there, and the panorama is there!)
And this after the Trinidad and Tobago government's ruse of saying they would be building a "cultural centre" for both the mas bands and panorama, etc. and now it is off the table indefinitely? Was this the plan from the very beginning?
This year for the panorama season, the only thing that was damaged in all the foolishness, was players and pan in Trinidad and Tobago
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I am privileged to know for a fact that the purpose and creation of the small and medium band category was to address the the decline of players from the so called "large bands". Steel orchestras came to PanTrinbago requesting an avenue for bands that have been downsized to compete in the panorama competion. Can everyone remember when Arima Angel Harps was a large band? What happened to them? They were relegated to medium because of a decline in their membership. Come on people analyze the issues. Think!
That's ole talk though...the small band category (I know for a fact) was created long before the full categories issue...probably in 1993 or thereabouts, and we first won it in 1995...prior to that was a competition called 'The Best of the Rest' remember?...which catered for the also-ran bands back then...
Sueli, this makes no sense. If you can't make the requirements of one category, what's the big deal in dropping down to another category? Arima Angel Harps? Why do they have to be a large band if they can't make? Stay home or go to another category. Why punish the bands who have done a good job of recruiting? Survival of the fittest, and the best, my dear. This is not a village festival... This is Panorama which is a competitive forum - creme de la creme!!
I can't agree with EVERYTHING u posted, but I can say it stinks....
I already ade my position clear. PanTrinbago is no longer taking the responsibility for issuing cheques....they give the bands the money and the BANDS issue the cheques...why not simply let the bands be responsible for distributing how much ever money they are given? Give the large band 100 grand and tell them to pay the first 100 registered players and that would be contingent on the production of a financial report logging all payments made to players directly from this 100 grand grant. (Payment by the band itself would be something different). The production of this report would ensure that the bands don't pocket some of the money. There...finances taken care of....
There is talk that PT wants to totally eliminate the medium bands category....ridiculous! If this is their motive, they are continuing their trend of pan destruction.
Medium bands is up to 90 players....so u telling me that 10 more makes u large? NONSENSE!!!
This is reminiscent of the reduction of the time limit from 10 minues to 8 minutes...I said then that if you cannot arrange a 10 minute piece of music, you are not a panorama arranger...PERIOD!
I say now if you cannot produce circa 120 players, you are not a large band...PERIOD!!!!
The rule was set and it ws up to the large bands to either collectively make a stance or abide by the rules....This is not my protest...my protest is against the very rule itself....it should NEVER have been set.........
You have put some very strong evidence on the table. It looks like "dead man walking" for all the bands. Merrytones I think this is just as much about you and small bands also. Clearly the government want to reduce the numbers of people playing pan in Trinidad. The volume argument is silly. All the bands are amplified through the sound system for panorama. There is an agenda here for both pan and mas.
But quite interesting too is Sidd's reminder of Manning's initial call for Panorama bands to reduce due to the advent of the 'G' pan...the only problem is that we won't all be able to afford 'G' pans in the near future since to accomodate them you have to rebuild racks etc so , we back to square one essentially
I am not too moved by your conspiracy theory, so let me get that out of the way early o’clock. As far as I see it the reason for creating the categories in the first place was (and still is) to deal with the rising numbers of small and medium bands at panorama time. Given the fact that you now have 40 finalists in total, something has to give for the sake of determining the winners of each category. Clearly it is not probable to host all the bands on one day wore on one night, so hence the staggering the competition days. I am certain that you are aware that other Carnival activities take place at T&T’s one major public carnival entertainment site – the Savannah, so I imagine Pan Trinbago had to find a way around the staging of the competition problem.
Hence Wednesday nite at the Savannah, Friday nite downtown and Saturday nite at the savannah. You do for what ever reason, but I certainly don’t see it as an indictment against or the death knell of the small and medium category. And I will even suggest to you further that given the strides made in musicianship especially over the years, maybe there is room for a competition showcasing soloists, ensembles, duets etc at Panorama time. It’s just a matter of forwarding thinking and proper marketing. And on that note I would want to chastise Pan Trinbago for not seeing it necessary to include the single pan, small or medium bands on their DVD. But you know what? The only people who don’t see the above mentioned bands as a nuisance is the members and management of those bands in any case…but that is another issue altogether.
I want to offer this suggestion though. Maybe one way to deal with the influx of small and medium bands is to rethink the criteria for competing in the various categories in the first place. Make bands adhere to a very strict player limit or instrument standard or housing or something to prohibit the far too easy passage into the prelims. Given that judging is in the panyard all a group of people have to do is register with Pan Trinbago and secure a spot to be judged at, and dey inside.
I would agree with you on the 120 limit for large bands, since, if they are all comfortable with it, fine let them fight up with each other. To me though, cutting down the size has economic benefits, but I do recognize the bigger problem of having to appease the 120 –odd players on roster. But it’s interesting you raised this discussion too. Just last night at our panyard I was privy to a conversation about one of the big 5 where a seasoned player was dropped from performing on final nite, in order to meet the 100 limit. Why?…The criteria used for dropping was PRACTICE. He apparently missed more days than other players so, he was dropped. Now THAT type of solution I can deal with.
I still don’t see an reason to try to force the issue on Final night by playing bravado and flouting the rule. You see it as rebellious, I see it as bad manners. But again having said that if the large bands want to deal with each other at 120 plus fine. “Cockroach have no place in fowl party”
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bugs
check out his interview http://www.panonthenet.com/news/2008/dec/regrelloGpan-12-15-08.htm
I already ade my position clear. PanTrinbago is no longer taking the responsibility for issuing cheques....they give the bands the money and the BANDS issue the cheques...why not simply let the bands be responsible for distributing how much ever money they are given? Give the large band 100 grand and tell them to pay the first 100 registered players and that would be contingent on the production of a financial report logging all payments made to players directly from this 100 grand grant. (Payment by the band itself would be something different). The production of this report would ensure that the bands don't pocket some of the money. There...finances taken care of....
There is talk that PT wants to totally eliminate the medium bands category....ridiculous! If this is their motive, they are continuing their trend of pan destruction.
Medium bands is up to 90 players....so u telling me that 10 more makes u large? NONSENSE!!!
This is reminiscent of the reduction of the time limit from 10 minues to 8 minutes...I said then that if you cannot arrange a 10 minute piece of music, you are not a panorama arranger...PERIOD!
I say now if you cannot produce circa 120 players, you are not a large band...PERIOD!!!!
The rule was set and it ws up to the large bands to either collectively make a stance or abide by the rules....This is not my protest...my protest is against the very rule itself....it should NEVER have been set.........
You have put some very strong evidence on the table. It looks like "dead man walking" for all the bands. Merrytones I think this is just as much about you and small bands also. Clearly the government want to reduce the numbers of people playing pan in Trinidad. The volume argument is silly. All the bands are amplified through the sound system for panorama. There is an agenda here for both pan and mas.
I am not too moved by your conspiracy theory, so let me get that out of the way early o’clock. As far as I see it the reason for creating the categories in the first place was (and still is) to deal with the rising numbers of small and medium bands at panorama time. Given the fact that you now have 40 finalists in total, something has to give for the sake of determining the winners of each category. Clearly it is not probable to host all the bands on one day wore on one night, so hence the staggering the competition days. I am certain that you are aware that other Carnival activities take place at T&T’s one major public carnival entertainment site – the Savannah, so I imagine Pan Trinbago had to find a way around the staging of the competition problem.
Hence Wednesday nite at the Savannah, Friday nite downtown and Saturday nite at the savannah. You do for what ever reason, but I certainly don’t see it as an indictment against or the death knell of the small and medium category. And I will even suggest to you further that given the strides made in musicianship especially over the years, maybe there is room for a competition showcasing soloists, ensembles, duets etc at Panorama time. It’s just a matter of forwarding thinking and proper marketing. And on that note I would want to chastise Pan Trinbago for not seeing it necessary to include the single pan, small or medium bands on their DVD. But you know what? The only people who don’t see the above mentioned bands as a nuisance is the members and management of those bands in any case…but that is another issue altogether.
I want to offer this suggestion though. Maybe one way to deal with the influx of small and medium bands is to rethink the criteria for competing in the various categories in the first place. Make bands adhere to a very strict player limit or instrument standard or housing or something to prohibit the far too easy passage into the prelims. Given that judging is in the panyard all a group of people have to do is register with Pan Trinbago and secure a spot to be judged at, and dey inside.
I would agree with you on the 120 limit for large bands, since, if they are all comfortable with it, fine let them fight up with each other. To me though, cutting down the size has economic benefits, but I do recognize the bigger problem of having to appease the 120 –odd players on roster. But it’s interesting you raised this discussion too. Just last night at our panyard I was privy to a conversation about one of the big 5 where a seasoned player was dropped from performing on final nite, in order to meet the 100 limit. Why?…The criteria used for dropping was PRACTICE. He apparently missed more days than other players so, he was dropped. Now THAT type of solution I can deal with.
I still don’t see an reason to try to force the issue on Final night by playing bravado and flouting the rule. You see it as rebellious, I see it as bad manners. But again having said that if the large bands want to deal with each other at 120 plus fine. “Cockroach have no place in fowl party”