Pan In Danger; Woodbrook Playboyz must vacate their premises.
A6 Blackman Drive, Woodbrook Port of Spain, where Woodbrook Playboyz Steel Orchestra presently resides, was to be vacated.
An eviction notice was sent to Woodbrook Playboyz. Both the owner of the property and the resident pan tuner who has occupied the land for over 30 years came to a settlement. As a result, the steelband, Woodbrook Playboyz, which was given permission to stay, temporarily, for the last five years, had to vacate the premises.
“Woodbrook Playboyz Steel Orchestra is a brand and I would not let that brand sell out nor will I allow it to be placed on the streets.”
Those were my words to Mr. Leroy Grant at the meeting he requested of me at Pandemonium’s pan yard during the carnival season. He painted a very pessimistic picture of his options for relocation and suggested that he would throw in the towel. He said he had already contacted a number of people with the intent to sell out the band’s assets and to give some to charity. I asked him to give my organization, Pan Moving Forward (PMF), a chance.
After consultation with the members of PMF, Mr. Fuad Abu Bakr agreed that if their time ran out and they had nowhere to go, he would be more than happy to house them at his band's home, Western Philharmonic, until the band finds a home of their own. At a subsequent meeting to that decision, both leaders together with myself had already started discussion on opening a music school at the pan yard where children can learn to play both conventional and traditional instruments.
Mr. Leroy Grant has been in contact with the MP for POS South, Mr. Keith Scotland, who promised to make contact with the Minister of Tourism and Culture and Beverly Ramsey Moore, President Pan Trinbago, who promised to contact the Mayor of POS on the band’s behalf. Though he is hopeful that they are both successful in assisting in finding a home for the band, the time to move is now and he welcomed the assistance from the group PMF. PMF moved the band from A6 Blackman Drive, Woodbrook POS to Mucurapo Road, POS on Wednesday 20th April 2022.
PMF has been approached by a number of bands for assistance and that number is growing. PMF installed solar lights, helped with infrastructure, helped with promotion of fundraisers, provided hampers during the lock down period, and assisted with finding homes for steel bands. Other than Woodbrook Playboyz, at present, we are in conversation with the Mayor of San Fernando to locate a home for Shades in Steel. We are also seeking follow-up meetings with PM for Fyzabad, who already gave a commitment to meet with us and help Fyzabad Dimension Steel Orchestra find a home. We liaised with Ms. Nicole Young in seeking infrastructural assistance for Nial Hill Steel Orchestra. There are more on the list of bands that we intend to help but with very small resources available to us, we can only do so much at a time.
The move happened at 8 am at A6 Blackman Drive, Woodbrook, Port of Spain. Wednesday 20th April 2022.
Aquil Arrindell
President of Pan Moving Forward
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