The T&T Guardian is running a two-part series that explores the viability of the steelband movement and of the Carnival staple, Panorama. Today, music critic and analyst Nigel A Campbell looks at how the pan movement can develop other sources of revenue and stop its dependence on government funding.
PART 1
The annual ritual of the steelband Panorama competition has begun in T&T, and continues apace through the stages culminating on Carnival Saturday with the finals. With the financial cutbacks in all areas of the economy including Carnival, there is a recognition that the sum of the parts have to be efficient and excellent to make the whole better.
The holistic view taken by some commentators and pundits—of Panorama being in need of “fixing”—has raised the question of why has this analysis not been done and implemented before this recession, and why, even in these times, does the State still pump money in the millions into Carnival and its events such as Panorama.
A simple answer could be that Panorama represents the apotheosis of the national instrument. That reasoning was supplied by steelpan researcher Dr Kim Johnson, who spoke to the T&T Guardian about the idea of the continuation of the state-funded event within the context of moribund standards for the industry of steelpan throughout the year.
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Fixing Panorama: pan movement must embrace modernisation...
This is the conclusion of a two-part series that explores the viability of the steelband movement and of the Carnival staple, Panorama. Today, cultural analyst and journalist Joanne Briggs looks at how the Panorama competition can be improved for the future development of the artform.
“The steelband tent became a concert hall. Where fellahs had talked about battles, they talked now about music…
Battles on Carnival days between rival warriors became contests of skill between competing orchestras, warriors became critics of music, the advertisers and upholders of the musical genius of the bands to which they belonged.” (Dragon Can’t Dance, Earl Lovelace)
In one paragraph, Earl Lovelace summarised a piece of pan’s history—a transformation from one warriorhood to another warriorhood. The battle of sticks has since expanded to the creation of the Panorama competition, with prize money and followers, the band who wins is adjudged the true warrior.
David Rudder’s ode to the steelband side Exodus, after it won its first Panorama title in 1992, picks up this thread of warriorhood. That could have been the return of the battle of switchblades and broken bottles because an East band tousled with the heavy rollers of Port of Spain and won. Instead, Rudder using the imagery of the gangster, shows that the pan man has maintained his composure, ready to take the challenge back on stage and not on the streets.
“Ah telling yuh, we looking for fight,
it’s trouble tonight
We feeling alright, it’s a panman’s war
Yes me breddah
We come out for war, to settle a score
The tenors sawed off
so it’s booyaka, booyaka Aye mama.”
This musical rivalry is what the audience looks forward to every year, three weeks before Carnival at the battlefield known as the Queen’s Park Savannah. But over the years, the competition has welcomed more dynamics in its event management and the question arises whether Panorama has lost part of its essence as a result of this.
The seminfinal competition on Sunday will feature three competing categories—Single Pan, Medium and Large. There are 20 small bands, 14 medium and 17 large competing for a spot in their respective finals. The semis begin at 9 am and will finish when the last band has played. That equates to more than15 hours of music. For a music lover it may be considered bliss, but for some pan diehards that can be considered a tedious event that finishes at “oh gawd oh clock.”
Ainsworth Mohammed, manager of Republic Bank Exodus, defends the Panorama competition, calling it a very powerful vehicle. “You are not likely to find 120 musicians performing by rote anywhere else but in this place,” he said. But in ensuring that the event sustains its audience, he suggested that Panorama has to be more effectively managed.
“The actual shows end up being too long,” he said. “Sunday will end until whenever. More specifically to the finals, the medium bands and the large bands are together and ends at 4 o’clock in the morning. At the end of the day you shouldn’t really expect to hold an audience for that length of time. It’s not right.”
Years ago, Pan Trinbago hosted zonal competitions as well as separate shows for each category. Perhaps in considering cost effectiveness and Sunday’s ticket going at $400 a head, the all-in-one package is the ideal way of ensuring an audience would attend to listen all the bands at one venue.
A pan enthusiast, who has played and supported CAL Invaders, said it more than just amalgamating the categories. He says there is a lack of interest in the music and the performance and this has a lot to do with the lack of awareness from both the musicians and those who attend pan events.
“There is a need to get more of the Carnival feel back into the arrangements. There is way too much emphasis on standardised music,” he said. “Pan Trinbago has to command more radio airtime for songs. They have to reconnect with the masses in way that people will respect the art form and even know the songs played on the days of competition.”
http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2016-01-22/fixing-panorama-pan-...
What Panorama means...
Panorama has Always been the Forum For the Steelbands to Showcase their Skills and Musical Creative Arrangements of Our Calypsoes. Panorama has Taken a Normal Calypso and turn it into Many Masterpieces that is Enjoyed By Thousands, so All those Who Continue to Demonize Panorama Really only Yapping and Dont Have any Sensible Alternative. Talk is Very Cheap. This I Must Continue to Say. ''Without Panorama Pan Dead. Its the Life line of the Steelband. Its also the Only thing that Generates International Interest in Our Pan Culture. Its Gone Global. It Has the Most Supporters than any other Pan Event. So Until the Haters Can Do Better Just Leave Panorama Alone. The World Loves It. OK Brother Glenroy.
Val, how yuh mean "our black people cant run any business"? We have been running this pan thing ever since and we still running it. Yeah.................but..................we still running it. ent?
The steelband business has been hanging on by the panorama thread, if yuh buss dat thread, the ting dead. Boy. is de same ting over and over.
When this generation of panjumbies are gone it will be interesting to see how the next generation will run the ting. A few years ago, I sat down in All Stars panyard. I watched the young panists come in the yard to practice. They were very respectful. All went to their pans and put down their knapsacks behind their pan. They stayed there until practice finished. There was no mixing in the panyard like we used to do. After practice, they all left their pans and went to their cars and left. l saw this behavior in every panyard I went to. Maybe it is a community ting because most of the panists today don't belong to the community in which the band practice. It is good that pansist can now transfer to any band they want. But, that brought some changes that many were not prepared for which is the estrangement of panists from their steelbands. If I had my way with pantrinbago I would reach out to the Indian community for their young people to join the organization which would reflect the diversity of our country. I would go to UWI and seek out the best and the brightest to join management to have fresh ideas of modernizing pantrinbago. Pantrinbago would be stronger if it was more diversified. My grandfather used to tell me that if you want to be successful watch and learn from a successful person. It is not that Black people cannot do business (my grandfather was a Butlerite who worked on the wharf and owned a shop and property), it is that Black leadership under the PNM never believed in Black people running their own business. CLR James said that Dr. Williams never believed in the power of Black people to do for self. I can attest to that from all the gallery I got from the PNM when I had my own business. They want Africans to be dependent on the pnm so that their political base will be safe since the place is too small to dissent and stay alive. Trust me, Africans will become more entrepreneurial and business minded when another party is in power. Before the PNM came to power in 1956 and until 1976, Black businesses thrived all over Port of Spain.
Syncopators: You cannot spout such anti-PNM rhetoric on this PNM FORUM.
Johnson noted the history of Panorama: “Panorama was the PNM government of the 1960s taking control of the steelband movement, what they saw as national culture. The strategy included making it more lucrative to play in Panorama because of prize money and appearance fees than to play in parties and fêtes.”
The intrigue continues with the assertion that the early Panorama became the antithesis of the existing Bomb competition with opposing class and racial groups challenging for control and influence—the new governing elite insisting that calypso be played versus the working class playing classical music—and critically voter support.
“PNM had no organised masses like a union, so panmen represented a structured link to the voting masses,” said Johnson.
And people want to come on this forum and tell ME to stop linking POLITICS to CULTURAL discussions.
Do you understand the quote Claude ?
And its one thing to reference the impact of politics , classism and racism on the steelband which I've done in the past , and quite another to get involved in Trinidad's partisan politics , which is what you do.
Because I've been saying some of the same things about the politics of the steelband and panorama going back to Dr. Williams , and all the feedback I get on this forum is from people like Val ,who wants to argue about the grandeur of panorama and refuse to see the negatives.
You can't separate the politics and from its effects on the culture (steelband), Glenroy!!! Sometime ago I deliberately put up a quote from your great leader (Dr. Eric Williams) where he said that there is politics in everything. This being a PNM FORUM some level of balance (and eye opening) is called for from time to time.
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