Mayor saves St James pan festival

Trinidad and Tobago Guardian

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - As late as 8 p.m. on Thursday, when it seemed that tonight’s 16th annual steelband parade along Western Main Road, St James, would be cancelled due to a lack of funding, Port-of-Spain Mayor Kerron Valentine came through and saved the day.

As he presented an award to Sharon Ramjohn, on behalf of 2016 WeBeat St James Live honoree the Kanhai family, the mayor announced that monies would be drawn down from the Mayor’s Fund to finance the parade, to be staged by the St James Community Improvement Committee (St James CIC) this evening at 7 p.m.

....A number of steel orchestras had earlier assured the St James CIC that, with or without funding, they would perform tonight thereby not disappointing the thousands who throng to the western suburb of the nation’s capital annually for this event. These steelbands included Republic Bank Exodus, NHL Starlift, bpTT Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra, St James Tripolians, Brimblers, Old Tech and La Creole Pan Groove.
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  • There are a lot of things that make an event like this fall apart, most times it's the enthusiasm the organizers had in the beginning and failure to attract new blood, hopefully adjustments can be made  to put it back on solid ground.

    • Most times, Cecil, the OLD blood does not want to relinquish that leadership role, so the NEW blood wait in the wings forever and eventually they disappear. The vibrancy that accompanies youth is now gone.

      Every cultural activity seems to be slowly dying because of lack of patronage, mostly due to the crime situation. People are afraid to leave their homes for an evening of fun. Dem tings done.

    • Cecil: You have a REAL HIGH MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB BOY with this MOVING PAN FORWARD TING!!! BIG PARADE in OAKLAND on Wednesday -- but don't tell BUGS!!!

      • Not everybody could eat CURRY. LeBron probably has ah heavy diarrhea.

  • why cant all the st james business places at least contribute something small

     this has been going on for years to even get an ad sponsored in the we beat magazine which i am sure is not published anymore

     waiting on govt as usual

     the  festival seems to be dying

     dont blame kamla  and pp

  • Well done Mr Mayor.

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