There is no doubt that the steelband have had a rich and exciting past, there is such excitement and enthusiasm when we speak of the by-gone years, not to mention the involvement.
Is it possible to have a conversation about the status of the steelband [not pan] as it is today with the same excitement and involvement? I find it difficult to accept the argument that "dem days done"when our history is so rich.
How can we get "generation next" off the side-lines and involved in the reshaping of the steelband?
Can we have this conversation without the mention of panorama?
Replies
Actually contrary to the naysayers, pan has evolved and evolved a lot.
From the instrument quality to player commitment and skill, to the number of players, to school participation, to higher education in pan, to a very universally appreciated and accepted instrument and social movement.
The pan has come a long way.
Maybe it could have been further along the road, but there are many and varied reasons for that.
And as many solutions for the reasons.
It's not just one thing or one organization.
With all that Pan Trinbago has been accused of, fairly or otherwise, the rise or lull of pan has been driven or retarded by the panmen themselves.
Those who wanted to make it to the top, to be accepted as musicians, to play for their living and to make a good living at that, they have gone on and done it.
Opportunity maybe did not fall for everyone but those of whom were given the opportunity made the most of it.
PT was set up to help those who could not help themselves. Those to whom the opportunities were not automatic. Because of their circumstances; financial, educational, or whatever.
As a movement however, the pan might have stagnated somewhat because, primarily, there was not a consistent and cohesive vision for it.
Just in this discussion alone there are several proposals that might not be mutually exclusive, but are at odds with each other.
Should it be Panorama based, should the youth be left to run it, should we go back to the old time days, should pan be on the road? It goes on and on.
Most of the arguments center on whether or where money should be spent or 'given' to the movement to make it work. But given to whom and for what?
Pan entities such as Birdsong have proved that the pan can be a force and that the panyard can be a tremendous influence on the psyche of a community, but they went out and did it, not waiting for handouts, but promoting themselves and creating a self sustainable entity that exists, whether or not there is sponsorship, but for which sponsorship can be had from socially conscious companies that are willing to help an obviously progressive movement.
If the pan is to succeed or to meet expectations, then the panmen must rise up and do it themselves or find someone to do it with and for them, if they do not have the adequate skills or vision to make it happen.
Every pan organization can be a Birdsong or even a St Margaret's.
Wayne you are correct,Birdsong is a good example of what is possible,but what they are doing cannot be done,if Birdsong has to rely on it's own resources.I have to congratulate Dennis and the rest of the Birdsong family on the fantastic job they are doing, and ask all who contribute to their success to continue doing so.
My band looked at the Birdsong model and we are very much interested in getting some where close to where they are.We are one of the few steelbands that has bought it's own property,and constructed what little we have, from our very limited resources (we are un-sponsored) and I am sure there are other bands who are doing whatever they can to survive.
Wayne Orchestras worldwide are not commercially viable products.In TT the few who rise to the top continuously,would have the resources to continue doing so, in the present steelband seemingly ONLY FOCUS, (odw say,don't call name) .......and in the meanwhile many of the other bands burn precious resources on instruments,transport,loaders,pushers,security,arranging,tuning etc to participate in the 10 minute ritual......resulting in a negative balance sheet and other negative situations......and this happens in that short period of the year that should bring steelbands the best returns on investment.......No sane money advisor would advise anyone to buy shares in a community steelband. Yep....a steelband is a ward......but it's a ward that can enrich and has enriched many a community.
When I speak of returns,I want to reflect on Glenroy's keen sense of what the steelband means to the community,and the community to the steelband. "the community had a sense of ownership of the steelband" (makes me wonder how much Laventille and Despers recent fortunes is the result of Despers not being "HOME")
If bands were given a meaningful grant (Glenroy again) to explore their commercial viability in this massive spending period ( some economist says $ 7 Billion dollars in some 60 days). Can't we see steelbands more motivated and prepared to return to the fetes and the roads on Carnival days? Would steelbands have more resources to spend on their facilities and their musical productions?
Would the panyards be better equipped to be used as a community resource?
Would their communities be safer for all.
The steelband must again reconnect with it's origins.....Music for the people,by the people.....the Pan yard has to be a place of learning and teaching ( thank you Madman,"Scorpio" Garcia,Desmond Waithe,Bradley,Beverly and others) ,a place of refuge,a place where communal problems can be resolved.......the steelband is much more than Music.
Wayne,so many things going on in my head as I write,hope you get the gist of what I am trying to say.
For everyone......Please don't accuse me blasphemy and think I am saying stop the "P".....I am just saying that the "P" can be a better product,if much more resources are spent on developing better participants.
For Claude.......If all the resources is used on the "Elite Performer" and none/very little on the developing performer....today you may have had to watch a Olympic 100 meters with 50/60/70 year old performers.
Have a great evening guys.
I get what you're saying and it's not only in the music business that some succeed and some fil.
Restaurants go under every day of the week.
But many prevail. Why?
Because they have a product that people want or have made themselves indispensable.
Just here in Trinidad panyards should be the center of a community and should exploit that.
The community should be proud to support it because it made itself indispensable.
There are so many things a panyard can offer that I'm not even going to begin listing them.
A panyard can be a liming spot on Friday night for example. The band practices Monday to Thursday and Friday night they show off what they have learned. No practice: a mini concert instead.
The community can come in and patronize the well stocked bars and food stalls that the band members' friends and family help to run etc.
If there were a nice Friday night lime in any panyard, I know where I'll be going.
First they have to recognize the they have to help each other by attending each others' functions and sharing costs with things like transport etc.
For things like Panorama, PT should be supplying the transport and handlers or at least paying for them for every performing band, which should be only the top bands as selected from panyard judging.
It's only one idea out of hundreds that could be tried.
Tonight I'm going to see Birdsong to the Queen's Hall
Great ideas Wayne,some bands have the facilities to accommodate this type of activity.....I always speak of Solo pan Blockos....that is/was a great model.
Wayne, PT pays part of the transport bills and at one time they contracted trucks with hydraulic arms to assist bands to load trucks at the competition venue,but no longer. I don't understand when you say," only the top bands" because these are the bands that more likely to have the wherewithal to afford these expenses....most of them are sponsored......it's the unsponsored bands who have this added burden.
oswald alexander, the first order of day is for steelbands to sit down and start to one another. You all will find out that there are a lot of ways you can help each other.
Cecil,the Pan Blockos were a tremendous success in terms of bands co-operating with each other and entertaining the patrons.....but, AND this is a very BIG but,the economics were most times disastrous.
Again,shout out SOLO!
Leh mih break it down..... Life experience!
Expenses
Band X has a Blocko and invites 6 bands X 30 players each = refreshments for approx 210 persons ( appreciation in "lieu of", to each player/support staff )
Trucking for each band,plus players transportation.
A sound system (in those days,DJs most times played for free,not again)
Ice/Tent/etc
Dat is ah bare bones Blocko eh Sire.
Returns
Profit from Bar sales ONLY!
Whey yuh say? sell Pan jersey?.....you know the "P" culture made that a freebie.....yuh cyar sell ah commercially viable CD either....becaw de pirate selling dat cheep,cheep.
Yes mih brudder,everyone had ah nice time......."Yeh bwoy it had rell people dey"~~~"dem band puh dong wuk"~~~~" Mih head geh bad"..." Yuh eh see dem sweet~sweet gyul beating pan"
Band treasurer....In a triumphant voice"Allyuh we make 5,000 dollahs" .....he eh realize that it took about plus $50K/60K in resources......until one day he wakes up and says "Nah bwoy~~dah was too much wuk,for dat likkle money" multiply that by X bands and the Blockos died,bands do try to assist each other still,but one must have the needed resources if one has to assist another.
Many great suggestions I see on these pages,I have heard in panyards for years and believe me,the will is there....but the expertize to manage the process is not!
A new way of thinking and doing is KEY, to Steelbands and it's communities survival.
The "P" has to be driven by the Steelbands......not the Steelbands by the "P"
Read ODW post on Llyod Best....
Whew......ah bun!
And Oh yes,there is much to do and we must remain positive.
Correction; Start talking to one another.
And as a follow up to your thoughtful remarks , Wayne , let's not be to quick to bemoan steelbands that have "passed" , and view it as a negative reflection on pan culture.
Many of those bands did not dissapear, but morphed into better , stronger , more viable organizations , a number of which are still around today..
Not pointing fingers at anyone, past present or future.
I was responding to those who think that pan has not gone anywhere. I made the point that it has evolved and if it is not entirely where it should be right now, it can be in the future.
But it takes the willpower of everyone believing in it and getting off their behinds and working to make it work.
Stop waiting on handouts or for someone else to do it for you. Do it for yourself.
And how many voices in the PAN WORLD share your POV?
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