Open Letter to Keith Diaz, Pan Trinbago’s new President

[Pan Times]

by Khalick Hewitt

Mr. Diaz, congratulations to you as Pan Trinbago new president and your administration that were duly elected on October 25, 2009. I want to thank all the steelbands and their representatives who participated in this historical change for Pan Trinbago. I extend to you and your administration my best wishes and swish you success in your tenure for 2009-2012. I also want to wish former president Mr. Patrick Arnold all the best and thank him for his services to the steelband movement over the years. I hope that he continues to contribute to Pan Trinbago and the steelband movement. This vote demonstrates how far steelbands have come when they can change leaderships in a democratic method. Now, comes the hard part for you and the steelbands.

Mr. Diaz, I read your statements to the press on October 28, 2009 and I compliment you for a good start. You said that you saw pan as an important part of Trinbago’s culture and that you wanted to make pan an important product. That is a good mission. It is important that you continue to communicate with the public as it builds respect for Pan Trinbago. It is my desire to see you and Pan Trinbago succeed. As a panologist* with strong steelband roots (City Syncopators, Joyland Synco, All Stars and Boston Symphony) I shall be encouraging and complimenting you and your administration. But, will not remain silent if you stray from the best interests of the steelband movement. I will constructively criticize you when you fail to uphold the objectives of Pan Trinbago and the steelband movement.

Mr. Diaz, you mentioned stakeholders and “the necessity of showcasing pan as a tourism product.” By your count, there are 300 steelbands in Trinbago. Those steelbands should support your list of goals and objectives. The repairing of Pan Trinbago will take time and you only have three years to set your agenda on the road. If you intend to lead Pan Trinbago to a new beginning and deliver a world body organization, here are four items that you must immediately address:

Completion and Naming of the new Carnival Center.
Building Pan Trinbago Headquarters.
Updating Pan Trinbago web site.
Transparency of Pan Trinbago.

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[david de castro]

CONGRATULATION MR DIAZ, IT IS MY OPENION AND OTHERS.THAT IF SOME AVENUE OF PUTTING PAN BACK ON THE ROAD FOR THE PUBLIC TO CHIP AND ENJOY THEMSELVES AT LEAST FOR 1 DAY{ IT SHOULD BE TWO} A YEAR ALL OVER THE ISLAND IN JUST A TEE SHIRT OR SOME INEXPENSIVE CUSTUME PAN WILL NEVER RECOVER THE GLORY OF THE OLD DAYS.THINK ABOUT IT. "THE BANDIT"

[lennie tyson]

Some of the comments are not made with pan or panplayers as its main focus so might i suggest to the pan community please leave sectorial interest out and make holistic suggestions when treating with pan related issues. Some commentators are definitely not in tune with real life situations as it pertains to present day Trinidad
eg. of the three hundred existing bands how many have the resources to implement 5 % of the reccommendations which, I suggest,should not be put forward before a carefull analysis of the existing environment is done.


LENNIE TYSON

LONG STANDING PANMAN
STANDING FIRM FOR ALL THINGS CULTURAL

[Ian Franklin]

Thanks for the article Khalick. You have covered the sentiments of 99% of us pan jumbies, who really want to see Pan Trinbago live up to the name, "World Pan Governing Body". I am hoping that Pan Trinbago will implement a 3-week window for Panorama, I.E, Week (1) preliminaries, Week (2) Semi's, and Week (3) Finals. I did suggest this sometime back, and I was happy that Mr. McQuilkin replied promptly. He gave me the reasons why there was a 2-week lapse from semi's to finals.
I hope that bringing back prelims to the Savannah will be "costless" to the all bands. I cannot see profits from the prelims enough to cover the cost of transportation. (food for thought)

[VALENTINE YOUNG]

I agree with Mr. Hewitt statements in his letter to Mr. Diaz. For years Pantrinbago had an inefficient President who stagnated the future of pan in T&T. Mr. Diaz has taken up the fallen mantle as head of Pantrinbago with alot of promises. I congratulate him on his victory, he appears to mean well for the organisation, and I also wish him well. I hope he is sincere with all the pre-election promises that he made. Pantrinbago can only go forward with his wisdom and guidance. I hope he is very open to suggestions made by people who has the welfare of our pan at heart. He must not let his ego supersede his ability to listen.
One of his course of duty,should be to stamp out the corruption at the Panorama competition with the recycling of the tickets at the entrance of the venue, when someone hands over a valid ticket at the door, their ticket should be torn in half and the patron should get on half, this will also help the overcrowding at the venue, and make it safe for eveyone
I wish him Almighty God Blessings and guidance in his tenure as President of Pantrinbago.

[Bertel Gittens]

Val, if you could eat words, yuh belly go bust!!! Have anything changed????

[Bryan Parris]

Apart from the politically correct administrative stuff mentioned by Mr. Hewitt, such as -
Completion and Naming of the new Carnival Center.
Building Pan Trinbago Headquarters.
Updating Pan Trinbago web site.
Transparency of Pan Trinbago.
I'd like to add a few other chores to the "to-do" list of Mr. Diaz, such as -
Setting up a database of all T&T pan people who are scattered around the globe, representing the instrument and the country, as panmen, teachers, or just plain ole pan ambassadors.
Setting up a database of foreign panpeople who have just as much love for this craft, are just as dedicated and provide the similar functions all over the world.
Setting up a knowledge database, so that anyone, anytime, anywhere will know where to look for answers pertaining to all things relating to pan.
Also, if steelbands want to retake the streets on carnival days, they will have to be amplified, if not they will never be able to compete with the massive sound systems & brass bands.

[dunstan lawrence]

please sir bring back the pan song compition, that is the only way pan song composers will get payed for their works, the bands get a million dollars for panorama i have no porblem with that, but what about the composers of the panorama songs, what do they get?with all due respect to you, i know you is a good leader, we work real hard to compose these songs for the pan......carwash

[dunstan lawrence]

People are very ungrateful they show no gratitude to ones that paved the way I always show respect to the elders in Calypso because the things they went through and the sacrifices they made for calypsonians to be making the moneys they make now also the panmen where were they when i used. To get $4 for playing all season when i had to hide below my pan to prevent me from getting a buss head when steelbands used to clash when my bass pan used to stick in mud because it had not... road in the savannah and the culture voltures that dont even beat a drum and leaves with a bag of money after canival people giving a stellband event and hirering soca artiest to perform and leaving out calypsonians that compose pan songs for the steel bands to use for panorama you ever heard a pan song in the soca monarch?not even one pansong calypsonian in a steelband event like Winston Defosto Scarborough you ever heard Jamaica giving a world reggae championship they know that Jamaica is the home of reggae Trinidad is the home of the steel band we shouldn't have to give a world steel band championship to show the world that we are the home of the steelband how will it look if a steelband from japan wins?i

[BEDE LOPEZ]

I wish to commend Mr Hewitt for this letter and discussion that was posted in 2009 and by reading  the contents its like if these things were being said just yesterday or today. 

This is the first time I am seeing this and thanks also to pantimes Very impressive.

[VALENTINE YOUNG]

Bert My Bro. A Bad Lack of Judgment. Sometimes You think You Know People. I have been Disappointed with Human Behavior many Times so I wont Beat up My self for this. That was Six [6] Years ago. I have Since Seen the Error of My Ignorance. Thanks for Reminding Me.

[Claude Gonzales]

EVERYBODY BIG UP KEITH DIAZ when he first took office!!! Nobody check out the man history in the STEELBAND MOVEMENT. Now we 34 MILLION DOLLARS in debt and NOBODY could remove this CANCER from destroying the STEELBAND MOVEMENT in Trinidad.

AQUIL, GREGORY, DOLLY, ROWLEY -- not a MAN (or woman) could TOUCH KEITH DIAZ!!!

Hold your breath until 2020!!!  Then we could exhale and talk about NEW LEADERSHIP.

Until then: LIVE WITH KEITH DIAZ!!!

[Bugs]

"not a MAN (or woman) could TOUCH KD..."

Steups

My mistake (still celebrating from Friday). I thought you were talking about the man Lebron sent back to California with fear in his heart.

I didn't realize we were taking about that gangsta Rolly Polly

bugs