Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley drew upon personal credentials of knowledge and caring to contribute to discussions by pan and culture lovers on the future of Panorama.
In Laventille last weekend, at a tribute event for three high-achieving steelbands in the area, Dr Rowley felt enough at home to propose a way forward for pan. He called for a rethinking of the Panorama exercise saying that, as an attraction for visitors, Panorama had outlived its usefulness. Instead, the Prime Minister proposed an annual pan festival, marketed to draw visitors and boost foreign exchange earnings.
Coming from the Prime Minister, the comment on Panorama and proposal for a tourism-geared international festival must be taken as an indication of the Government’s thinking on pan. It will be surprising, however, if the steelband community does not have a lot to say on the subject.
The exploitation of pan’s potential in the national thrust for economic diversification has long been a subject of both discussion and despair. Indeed, the Prime Minister can find any number of highly experienced, well-informed and articulate individuals to help explain why pan is not living up to its potential as a viable sector for sustained employment and foreign exchange earnings. All of them could rattle off the number of festival-type steelband initiatives already undertaken by the State with marginal result.
Just last August, this country hosted the International Conference and Panorama in which scholars, innovators and other experts on pan mingled with steelband players from T&T and around the world who came to compete in an International Panorama competition. Among the countries represented were the United States, Canada, England, France and Japan in addition to bands from Jamaica, St Martin and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Before that, there was SteelFesTT which was launched in 2012 as a biennial event on the theme “Steelpan—Uniting the Sounds of the World”. SteelFesTT showcased a concert series, an international conference, a street pan parade and a festival village. Preceding SteelFesTT was the World Steelband Festival which also attracted bands from all over the world.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20160420/editorial/pan-needs-more-than-a-festival
Replies
Pan needs a group of investors or an individual like Kerry Parker to showcase it's talents to a Global audience...
Parker was the first person to make money out of cricket by telecasting it in TV which created interest in people to watch cricket.
Time for Pan musicians to get unionized.
At the time it only worked for white cricketers. Trinidadian Bernard Julien, best WI allrounder was banned of everything by The Trinidad people, ended up losing everything whilst his white colleagues were embraced by their people. So sad and unfair. Not sure if Trinidadians are more educated today if something like KP comes around today.
Many music festivals have morphed into huge mini industries. For example the Montreal international Jazz Festival which started 30 something years ago is now a major item on the music festival calendar and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, bringing in millions of dollars to the city.
Even in the Caribbean, festivals like the St Lucia Jazz Festival continue to attract visitors.
Once properly run with the right incentives, a pan festival may start out small but has the potential to grow big with time, if there is the requisite expertise and follow up to make it viable.
There are people who know how to do these things and they ain't necessarily involved with pan.
The guys who started the Mtl Festival were not jazz musicians or even musicians.
The Cirque du Soleil is a big industry now, having started at the same time in Mtl by a couple of street performers who are billionaires now.
It takes the right people, the right circumstances and above all it takes time.
Everybody wants everything to happen right now, or now for now as we say.
I always enjoy reading your posts!!!
You can't start at the TOP!!!
By making Carnival steelband friendly you automatically increase the tourist population. The carnival Monday afternoon slot is ideal, nothing much happens anyway.
One of the main reasons Trinidadians cannot attract an increase in international tourist to yearly carnival pan competitions is due to the time of the year. Anything before Ash Wednesday you basically exclude thousands. Plan something in August, you may see some growth in attendance. Also make accommodations affordable, with the high cost and lack of courtesy do not cut it. Many would rather take a cruise. Most important, please don't have anything at night.
Patrick Ramdoo: Yuh know how much TOURISTS and EXPATS get kill in the DAY TIME in Trinidad? And now yuh advocating for NIGHT TIME EVENTS. Meh heart still breaking for Adrian St. John (a young, handsome, athletic man in the prime of his life) whose only crime was falling in love with Trinidad and dey kill him to send dey message.
Clean up the night?
It is clear that Prime Minister Rowley loves pan, but in addition to reaching for a stellar event, his Government should address the many fundamental failures that keep pan in a state of under-achievement. At the top of the list is the management structure and infrastructure for the development of pan.
At the top of the list is the MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE ... I wonder what Michael L. Joseph has to say about that statement. I don't think that Rowley is a DIAZ FAN ... it go be FIVE YEARS of HORRORS for PAN TRINBAGO. When the PNM leader give up on the PNM voter -- water more than flour!!!