I have learnt that it is better to remain silent and be thought of as a fool than to open your mouth and remove doubt from people's mind. Many cultural icons in the steelpan industry have learnt that from your's truly in the past and many more will be reminded of such in the future.
As a Steelpan player and fan of the instrument, i am amazed at a comment recently released to the media stating from our dear minister of Arts and Mulit-Culturalism and member of Parliament for Mayaro which said "Panorama has killed pan." https://whensteeltalks.ning.com/forum/topics/minister-knocks-panorama-it?xg_source=activity&id=2534462:Topic:74335&page=1#comments
I have no problem with anyone who wishes to make a statement or comment on an important issue, however the reason for making a statement should always be of importance to those that will hear your message. Gypsy continued saying, "The steelpan has been relegated almost single-handedly to this Panorama thing. I believe that Panorama is responsible for killing steelpan and I make no apologies for that."
My first task was to make sure that im thinking along the same line when it comes to the word relegate. The word relegate, as far as i know, means to assign to a particular class, or category, which leaves me to understand that my honorable minister (and boss) is saying that the steelpan has been placed to the Panorama category.
NEWSFLASH HONORABLE!!!! Panorama is responsible for a lot of the income received through Trinidad and Tobago's Carnival. About 80% of the income received from Panorama comes from foreigners. . . .and for your information sir, if Panorama is killing steelpan as you say, then why did your government promised to raise the first prize winning to 2 million dollars ($2,000,000.00)?
Was the promise for a raise of payment given because our newly elected Prime Minister saw the importance of Panorama, or was it all a bribery for votes?
At no point am i disagreeing that Steelpan is being killed, however, Panorama would be the last thing that i would agree to that is killing the steelpan. Many things can be used for killing the steelpan and even panorama, eg. cut and paste arrangers, migration of important pannists, lack of funding to organisations by sponsors for bands, and of course a lack of interest shown by THE GOVERNMENT!!!!!!!!!
If the steelpan is to survive then maybe the government should invest in what they already had in the first place, then start to look for new avenues in which it can improve the NATIONAL INSTRUMENT!
Why blame Panorama for the killing of Steelpan when the Pan in School program is under threat from his very colleague in the ministry of education who claim that his seat was won by over 4000 votes.... Who was never trained on manners and how to speak to his co-workers?
Why blame panorama for the killing of steelpan when the Pan in the Classroom teachers were refused a raise of salary and their travelling allowances are now in the process of being cut?
Why blame panorama for killing the steelpan when after three years of producing successful concerts both locally and internationally, the National Steel Symphony Orchestra (N.S.S.O) are currently awaiting their renewal of contracts and suffers every month on a montly contract with late pay?
Why blame panorama for killiing steelpan when it is the place where 90% of the pannist in the country learn to play the national instrument?
The talent and riches the country possesses all points arrows back to Panorama, dear gypsy.
If i may make a suggestion, dear minister, i suggest you get out your office and get into the real issue here which is the question of who or what is really killing the steelpan?
I would like to believe dear minister that the comments made at the desperadoes pan yard was just a slip of the tongue made during an attempt to do an extempo for the members of desperadoes, which ironically holds the most PANORAMA victories in the history of Panorama....in case you didn't know.
Yours truly
MARCUS ASH (age 23)
*Proud Trinbagonian and Pannist*
"AND I MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR SAYING THAT"
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