The world is waiting for us to sprout wings and fly while keeping an honest respect and reverence for our history and culture... Ansel joseph

From Rudy Smith, Ray Holman, Len "Boogsie" Sharpe, Othello Molineaux, Andy Narell, and Robert Greenidge to Duvone Stewart, Garvin Blake, André White and Khan Cordice among others - Ansel Joseph asks, do they not bring back influences from around the world, to pan?

With thoughtful observation, critical analysis and keen understanding - Ansel Joseph brings his over sixty years of dedication to the steelpan artform and culture as a skilled panist, lecturer, touring musician, steelpan craftsman, tuner and manufacturer. Moreover, through his vast experiences and encounters he raises the pertinent issues to the way forward and meeting the challenge of growing the Art form. 

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  • Very interesting topic. Interesting comments and responses. Left me wondering where does PANTRINBAGO fit in all these discussions re taking the ‘art form’ forward. There is no mention anywhere about the organization entrusted with and have the responsibility to “DO SOMETHING FOR PAN”, ent??
    Sorry to encroach on your serious discussions with foolishness about PANTRINBAGO, and their seemingly lack of involvement in same.

    ”LIFT PAN OUT OF THE DOLDRUMS”....HELP!!!!!!!

    • Mercer Ramdoo: You will not be PENALIZED for encroachment!!! (This is not YANKEE FOOTBALL!!!) But I have to ask you that if you come from TOBAGO and they give you a FREE OFFICE and a FREE APARTMENT and a FREE CAR and FREE GAS and FREE MEALS and yuh put on a crong and driving all over tong -- yuh think yuh have time to study about DOING SOMETHING FOR PAN.

      The only salvation for PAN IN TRINIDAD is a private organization run by benevolent PAN LOVERS with strong administrative backgrounds and roots (or access to) in the BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

      And even then they will have to have THE WILL to integrate their ideas into the WIDER WORLD OF PAN -- by that I mean the EXPAT COMMUNITY and other GLOBAL BODIES.

      Until that time: Who win PANORAMA in 1963 -- and who yuh think will win the PANORAMA in 2021?

      • I believe phase II will win it in 2021.

  • PAN is now a GLOBAL PHENOMENON (THANKS TO EXPATS) building its OWN UNIVERSE outside of TRINIDAD and TOBAGO. It must be noted that the EARLY WINGS of PAN sprouted not from the STEELBAND MOVEMENT but from the PATRIOTIC INTERVENTION of "OUTSIDERS" like LENNOX PIERRE and CANON FARQUHAR and NATHANIEL CRICHLOW and ALBERT GOMES and NATHANIEL JOSEPH GRIFFITH -- as they delivered TASPO to THE FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN.

    If the world is waiting for PAN to sprout new wings and fly -- and the world is waiting for that action to originate in TRINIDAD -- then the world has a long wait coming. Unless we have another INTERVENTION from another group of CONCERNED and PATRIOTIC ACHIEVERS coming to the rescue of PAN TRINBAGO and the STEELBAND MOVEMENT which is stuck in a BOGUS PANORAMA FIXATION.

    Luckily, in the GLOBAL WORLD OF PAN -- PAN done sprout more wings than the LATEST BOEING JET.

    Thanks to people like WHEN STEEL TALKS and ANDY NARELL and THE NEW PAN SOLOISTS who just gave the TRINIDAD PAN SOLOISTS a dose of GLOBAL MUSIC REALITY and MOLLEE CRAVEN and JOHNATAN SCALES and VICTOR PROVOST and TRACEY THORNTON and the 1000 SCHOOLS across NORTH AMERICA and the weteachpan.org initiative. 

    Lord, ah nearly leave out  ANSEL JOSEPH who deserves a LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD for ADVANCING PAN GLOBALLY and outliving all the LEGENDS OF HIS DAY so that he can tell THE  REAL STORY TODAY.

    But I know that they are not listening down in TRINIDAD -- too much PANORAMA ON THE BRAIN. Too much CLASSICAL MUSIC to rip off and put in my SWEET SWEET CALYPSO on a CARNIVAL SATURDAY NIGHT -- TALK  ABOUT MIMIC MEN!!!

    Frankly, they cannot even understand what Ansel just write here -- because it is written from an EXPAT PERSPECTIVE and EXPATS are the ones who GAVE PAN GLOBAL FLIGHT!!!

    • Hey Claude, thanks for the kudos. Much appreciated. I noticed you visited my website! I have been trying to get in touch with you through Patrick Prescott but no luck. Give me a call. My number is on the website. I want to share something with you about the programs I am involved with. Again, thanks for all the words of praise. 

  • Good topic Ansel Joseph,

    • Cecil: To ANSEL JOSEPH, this is not a "TOPIC" -- this is LIFEBLOOD!!!

      This is a LIFE AND DEATH STRUGGLE to LIFT PAN out of the DOLDRUMS.

      99% of the people who write articles about PAN bring nothing to the table with them and do so to project their own ego. This is a genuine from the depths of a man's psyche CALL FOR ACTION!!!

      • I had really edited that reply. This is from my enhanced experience living in the shadow of the pioneers like Jack, Errol Zepherine ("Augmented" who was first to use the doubles second as an arranging tool), Ellie Mannette, Bertie Marshall, Tony Williams. Notwithstanding the Bonaparte Brothers from Esso Symphony who brought their double second to Ellie Mannette who reconfigured it into its modern day form. And Percival Thomas, leader and tuner from Katzenjammers who used Dixielands first ever welded together two pans and took it to the first island-wide competition and came home the winner. When people talk history they talk riots, bad johns, TASPO and then jump to Panorama. They leave out the most important part of the development of the pan. I find this to be a travesty! The time when Invaders became the University of pan introducing the double second, double guitar, triple cello, tenor bass, 5-bass. These were the standard instruments until Rock Johnson split from North Stars and came uptown with West Side Symphony. Panmen were intrigued by the sound of his band which was so much like North Stars, and went to check it out. The Spider Web that Tony Williams kept so hidden was adopted by modern tuners who incorporated dead space or separation between the notes as was common practice established by Ellie at the time and became what we now call the 4ths and 5ths pan. High five to Rock Johnson! A personal side note regarding Tony Williams: when I had my own band, Satisfiers in Belmont, we went to Festival playing Estrellita and Gounot's Ave Maria. We were in 2nd place in quarter finals ahead of North Stars {3rd} and behind Desperadoes. He came looking for me at Queens Hall. He asked me "You tune for Satisfiers". and I answered, "Yes.". Tony shook my hand on the steps and said "You are the only band that has a silvery tone like mine." OMG I go on too much. All this stuff goes around in my head all the time! The way forward is based on the history I lived with.. Of course, this is the subject of an entire additional post! Loof for Part 2 of Pan as a Developing Art Form coming soon. Ansel Joseph

        • Good!!! Please do PART 2. Because the format of this forum kills the topic when it gets over-loaded with responses. And people tend to miss the DEEP RESPONSES.

      • True dat! Ansel

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