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  • This issue is getting very STICKY - I read on 3 Newspapers & heard on Radio Stations today - about the non-payment of pan is beautiful - the minister is heavily involved at the moment - they are closing in on pan trinbago....trouble brewing.....

    • gavin,

      They giving Pan Trinbago tax payers dollars and the boys playing ah mas with it, yuh could fool some ah the people sometimes, but yuh cyah fool all the people all the time.

  • Pan Trinbago owes pannists $2m for Pan is Beautiful XII

    Published:Trinidad and Tobago Guardian
    Monday, April 21, 2014
  • Many times in the Last few Months I have drawn attention to the Non Payment to the Steel bands re - Steelband Music Festival 2013. I hope that these Steel bands who worked extremely hard to be prepared for the Festival would be justly Rewarded for their efforts. Time and a time again I have advocated for the removal of Keith a Diaz and His Cronies from their Position hereby mismanaging the Funds of Pantrinbago. I hope that the Meeting on the 24th of April would be the beginning of the End of Keith Diaz. He is a Leach sucking on the Blood of Pan People in our Beloved a Land of Sweet T&T. For our Steelband thing to move ahead We have to get rid of Him. Keith Diaz Definitely have To Go. No Ifs Ends or Butts.
  • Back is the day steelbands used to play for ah bottle ah rum and two pack ah cigarette but it looks like things got worst.

    It should not be so easy for Mr Diaz to peddle his medicine, pressure should be put on them until there is an election

    • Hi folks, let's keep the racial under and over tones out, we will loose the focus of this discussion, which is Pantrinbago's irresponsible and possibly criminal behavior towards it's members. We must keep the pressure on for his dismissal. He is very desperate right now trying to muster as much support in America by trying to play on the pannist desire to perform in a Panorama in Trinidad and Tobago. Unfortunately we have a number of pan people who see this opportunity as a glorious happening. I say to you don't be misguided, the cost to put a venture like this has to be in the $100,000.00 or more bracket, what is the appearance fee, no one knows as yet, I say appearance fee because we know there is no way in hell a band from outside of Trinidad and Tobago will be allowed to place in 1,2 or 3. So it comes down to, is any management team willing to pursue obtaining that large a sum of money to only appear, or for the sake of saying they played in a Panorama in the mecca of pan, that would just be ego. What a price to pay for ego.

      • What I want to know is why they think July/August is a remotely reasonable time to hold this if they want to attract steelbands from across the world. Every other panorama happens during exactly that time. This boggles my mind. If I was a bandleader I would be real reluctant to put preparations for participating in my own panorama on hold to then go and use up far more resources just to get licks in the Queens Park Savannah. 

  • With this outstanding debt to those steelbands, why is Pantrinbago pushing another steelband event  the International Panorama  in 2015. An event that will be an enormous bill for any steelband attending from outside of Trinidad. I have to admit I am no fan of Mr. Diaz and Pantrinbago, as Chairperson of USSA I had to refrain from any public negative remarks, (professional courtesy). Now that I am no longer restricted, I will speak my mind. 

    They (Pantrinbago) have the audacity to talk about another event when they still owe from the last one and can't say when the payment will be made. Now I have been in similar situations as the head of a steelband association, 2001, 2002, 2011 and 2012 and we were able to make good on our obligations in all but one year, and I am deeply sorry about that, however we are or was not of the caliber and prominence of Pantrinbago nor did we have the Government of the country poring millions of free dollars into the event. If "Pan is Beautiful" an event they are aware will occur years before it happens, and are unable to pay their prize awards, how, how in hell are they going to award the prizes for an event slated in August of 2015.

    A matter of fact I understand he being Mr. Diaz is or was in New York last night. Question at who's expense?

    Steelbands of Trinidad and Tobago you are the power of Pantrinbago, you have the power, it has been some years since I last viewed your By-Laws, but you should have the right to move and pass a "vote of no confidence" to remove him (Mr. Diaz) and any other Officer that is not operating in the best interest of the organization.

    Look into it !!!!!!!!!!!

    • Keith,

      This excerpt from Trinidad Guardian should  shed light on Mr. Diaz where abouts...

      Sponsor's Cuts hurt pan

      Published: 
      Tuesday, April 15, 2014

      "In his address, given in the absence of Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz, vice-president Byron Serrette echoed Mendez’s sentiments of the critical reduction of sponsorship to steelbands and pan events from the corporate world.

      “Sponsorship has always been a challenge to the steelband movement,” said Serrette. “Over the years this has been significantly dwindling.”

      Diaz, with Pan Trinbago secretary Richard Forteau, are in Illinois, USA, at Northern Illinois University, to discuss plans for next year's International Panorama competition and conference.

      An executive member of Pan Trinbago alluded to current plans by the organisation to initiate a venture to make Pan Trinbago completely self-sufficient by 2015. The steelband body is currently engaged in discussion with the state in an effort to make this venture a reality."

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