What I love about T & T is the way we historically embrace each other’s traditions and culture to make one national identity. We are Trinbagonians and our national instrument is the Steel pan.
Though the steel pan originally came from an afro-centric background and was dominated by male afro Trinidadians (a status quo that is quickly changing), it was always financially supported by the local whites, Syrian, and Indian businessmen. Though some may debate that it was strictly out of financial gain through branding to advertise their products, I have been around enough businessmen to know it goes beyond that. Something is in their national DNA that yearns to see the development of the instrument so they put their money where their mouths (figuratively speaking) are at.
Jam Yuh Set, in De Rama competition is the only Carnival Pan event thus far and is carded to start on 7th of January and goes to the 27 of February. The semi-finals and finals would be on the WACK 90.1 virtual platform and every weekend the audience would determine if the band featured moves forward to the next rounds. To bring that information in context to the topic, we must say a special thanks to Mohammed’s Bookstore and Caribbean Tutorial Publishing Company Limited, both companies owned by Mr. Michael Mohammed. He is not a panist or involved in the instrument in any way but he has a passion for preserving and promoting national identity and he understand that the steel pan is an integral facet of that.
Mr. Mohammed and the Management of Pan Moving Forward are already in discussion regarding having a second competition on a larger scale. Mr. Mohammed should be recognized as a true patriot and hero for the steel pan community for 2022. Through the efforts of Mr. Mohammed and the management of Pan Moving Forward, the steel pan movement is now seeing a glimmer of hope after two years of darkness. We Pan People love Trinidad &Tobago because we all contribute to our cultural landscape in whatever way god allows us to.
Aquil Arrindell
President of Pan Moving Forward.
Replies
Aquil: If you could get 10 AFRO-TRINI EXPATS who spend all their time POSTING and BOASTING about HOW MUCH THEY LOVE PAN to contribute a few dollars to this event -- I WILL MATCH THEIR DONATIONS!!!
NO LIE!!!
Yuh doing ah good job -- hire me as your GLOBAL DIRECTOR OF STEELBAND MARKETING ... and maybe we could MOVE PAN MUSIC FORWARD BEYOND begging THE PNM FOR HANDOUTS FOR PAN in return for VOTES!!!