Minister knocks Panorama: It has killed pan

[Pan Times]

Minister knocks Panorama: It has killed pan


Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism, Winston Peters, says Panorama, the annual national steelband competition, has "killed" the steelpan and its scope needs to be broadened.

"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," Peters said at the launch of the Laventille Pan Relay event at the Desperadoes Panyard Auditorium and Theatre in Laventille on Friday.

"So we want to encourage people to come back not only to Laventille but to come back to the pan, because this is ours, and when all of the finite commodity that is oil and gas run out, what we would have to sustain our country will be our culture of which the steelpan plays a very important role."

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[Yarbey]

i have been playing pan in steelband since 1972 as a preteen. i remeber when steelbands learnt at least 8 songs for carnival and was working on 2 songs for panorama, picking the one that the fans wanted for the competiton. I remember when the radio stations used to come and record tunes at the panyards. I agree somewhat with the minister. Panorama has put a hurting on steelbands. Pan Trinbago even try to have Pan in the 21st Century around carnival time to encourage bands to learn another song or 2 but the steelbands themselves kick the competion to the curb. With all these so called "Crack Shots" that it have in steelbands these days, I don't see that there should be a problem having a serious repertoire of songs for the carnival season. Gone are the days of steelbands playing in fetes and having an input in the selection of the roadmarch competition.Gone are the days when "Combos & Brass bands" listened to what the steelbands were playing so they would know wat to play on the road. Times have certainly change. There ia a new breed of pan players today. The steelband man is a dying breed that is being replaced by the panist or panman who for the part have a wavering loyalty. Most of these new breed of pan players are not really loyal to any particular steelband and herein lies the demise of the steelband and the steelbandman. In the midst of all this, there seem to be some youth who are trying to get the old tradition back on track.

[Hameed Shaqq]

Students of Steelpan music must be guided into other aspects of the Science and Steelpan Arts and Technology;
.METTALURGY!
the art and science of extracting metals from their ores and other metal-bearing products and adapting these for human utilization. (Metal texture for steelpan manufacture)
METALLOGRAPHY!
the study of the structure and constitution of solid metals and their alloys and the relations of these properities. {Monitoring Metallic Tonal Structure}
GEOMETRY! For the Construction of SteelPans
The science of properties{
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING!
the study of subjecting metal to pressure exerted by rolls, presses, or hammered, to change its form, or to affect the structure and therefore the mechanical and physical properities.
PHYSICS! science of the properties, the inter-relations of matter and energy.
MATHEMATICS!
the science of space and numbers in the abstract as applied to physical

[Hameed Shaqq]

Students of Steelpan music must be guided into other aspects of the Science and Steelpan Technology;
.METTALURGY!
the art and science of extracting metals from their ores and other metal-bearing products and adapting these for human utilization. (Metal texture for steelpan manufacture)
METALLOGRAPHY!
the study of the structure and constitution of solid metals and their alloys and the relations of these properities. {Monitoring Metallic Tonal Structure}
GEOMETRY! For the Construction of SteelPans
The science of properties{
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING!
the study of subjecting metal to pressure exerted by rolls, presses, or hammered, to change its form, or to affect the structure and therefore the mechanical and physical properities.
PHYSICS! science of the properties, the inter-relations of matter and energy.
MATHEMATICS!
the science of space and numbers in the abstract as applied to physical

[Hameed Shaqq]

Well put Mr Salmon.
www.planetpan.com

[Stephen Howard]

I find it interesting that Winston Peters states that Panorama is killing the Steelpan. If it were not for this competition, where would Pan be today?

Considering that Panorama draws the largest crowds in the Savannah, and on the Grounds of the Brooklyn Museum, over the weekend long series of events, how can the Minister's remarks hold any water?

How many Players participate in this competition?

If Panorama did not exist, how many of these Players would be involved in music at all?

If not for Panorama, where would Pan be today? Especially considering that several nations have adopted this musical art form and the youth are playing this musical instrument with such enthusiasm that cannot be matched by the playing of any other instrument.

Several Steelband performances have been posted here at WST, some with i-pods and similar devices so they may not always be the best quality, but the very fact that so many people are playing Pan, how can the Minister's remarks be justified?

Does the Minister have any plans or presented his vision for where Pan should be heading?

How can Pan be saved?

What does the Minister believe should be done to rejuvenate and "resurrect" this beautiful instrument from its anticipated "death"?

It is perfectly OK to be critical, but if the Minister has no solutions, then why not form a coalition of concerned individuals or groups who can give guidance, and put the necessary resources in place to address his concerns and make it possible for his vision to become the reality.

Stephen The Soca Howard
Executive Producer and Host
Telling It Like It Is
Alternating Mondays 3-5 am
99.5 fm in NYC and www.wbai.org

[Sweet Eustace]

very interesting discussion, it is obvious that a lot of people are not too happy with the progress of pan, if anybody else made the ministers remark people might have agreed with him, I do not like Gypsy's political vibes, but we know what he mean, pan has been on life suppourt for too long, although I do not forsee any body trying to pull the plug, though pan has been all over the world very few players are trying to explore the full potential of the instrument, most of the Arrangers and so called arrangers are transfixed on panorama and they have completly lost their focus, so we have people now talking bout the time is too long, there was a time when the songs was too short because a panorama song had you on your toes, bands were not focussing only on winning but producing good music, pan players did not worry about money, today it is a hustle, a lot of good talent has been overlooked because now thew bands studying if they will get players to play if some unknown arranger was doing the tune, for the known ones it is just a hustle now, the "never see come see" attitude rules the roost, we got some suppourt gear for the pan and people fail to recognise that the PHI and the E-pan are just gears, non of them are accoustic instruments, the sounds are not produced by the player but activated, so now some people want to pelt way the pan, how many players carry different pairs of sticks,well at least some people get what they were looking for all along a plug and play device,(no real skill needed) as far as pan has been introduced to many parts of the world people still asking if we know little mermaid, mario brothers etc, it seems that Disney , belafonte, Jimmy Buffet
soulja boy and 50 cents have done more for promoting pan than our so call movers and shakers,as much as most pan people feel they know bout pan and a lot of them allways waiting to boof up somebody very few people in the business really know what it is all about, so we have a lot of misrepresentation from within and that includes the non Trinbagonians,from in and out the region,

[Andre-Roger Dellevi]

It seems every Trinbagonian has an agenda, so go figure... I remember as a youth going to public and private fetes alike annd hearing one if not two or more steelband sides perform a repertoire of 4 or more songs in two or more sets, which included their Panorama Tune. Then on-de-road I played mas alongside my cousin with Silver Stars when they played similar repertoires on-de-road on both Carnival Days. Then of course, I could not wait for "de bomb tune" especially at J'ouvert. I enjoyed that and when pan disappeared from that scene I was saddened.

[John Dinga]

In the 70' and 80's, J'ouvert was only Steel Bands! Let's get back to those good old J'ouvert days of sweet pan for J'ouvert! the bands used to be very large.

[Anthony McQuilkin]

Panorama killing pan far from the truth as evidenced by the emergence of new orchestras every year and the many events put on by various bands during the year where all gendre of music is performed.There were concerts at N.A.P.A(National Academy of the Performinegg Arts) by some of the leading orchestras in the land ( eg.Trinidad All Stars) how many people attended as I failed to see any of the top brass(Ministers etc.).It would seem that they don't know of these things hence the statement.I don't have to mention the spread of panorama all over the world.As far as bands in carnival whereas a band in the old days could just take up their pans and go on the road nowadays there are regulations by the licensing authority that must be adhered to.in order for bands to come on the road and the cost can be too much for the unsponsored band to bear.I could speak of many more things but enough for now.

[Sonny Blacks]

The Mnister is 100% correct.
I have been saying this for many years.
The Steel band fraternity should have realise this many years ago and do something long time ago.
I had suggested in an interview with Rolph Warner that the Sunday before Carnival should be dedicated to the Steel Band with pan on the road all day with long time sailor Mas.
The Panorama should be abolished.
Toruist coming to Trinidad prefer to hear the steel bands that to see the chupiness that passes for carnival today.
Have not seen what mas if from Brazil ?
Take a leaf Trinidad & TObago and bring back the floats for carnival.
Sonny Blacks