Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - At a morning media briefing on Thursday January 9, the president of Pan Trinbago, Beverley Ramsey-Moore assured everyone that it was full steam ahead for the organization’s cadre of historic 2020 Panorama events currently taking place within the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival season. Mrs. Ramsey-Moore was surrounded by the senior members of her organization.
Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore (third from left), with senior members of her organization at the January 9 press briefing.
“Today...we have seen the resilience of our membership, and we want to thank them, we want to thank members of the Single Pan grouping, who performed without receiving their “assistance” and even their Prize money; we want to thank them.”
“We want to say to small bands...that will be performing on Saturday [January 11] - that we are in support, we [Pan Trinbago] are here to give you strength....We are going to the semi-finals on Saturday, right here at Victoria Square...and we cannot tell them that “You are going to receive your mobilization money, to provide transportation,” to bring them here on Saturday.
“But we are working closely with NCC (National Carnival Commission), and also the Minister of Culture [Dr. Nyan Gadsby-Dolly], whom I communicated with yesterday [January 8] and who has assured that she will do all in her power to ensure that the “paper” release that NCC has received will become “cash” release by today [January 9].
“....I really want to thank our members, all thirty-one bands that will be performing on Saturday, for agreeing - after a little ‘hiccup;’ they have all agreed. And I want to thank the regions, all the chairmen, and the chairlady - for ‘settling’ the bands down, as to ensure that we have a dynamic and exciting competition on Saturday.”
On other fronts, the Pan Trinbago president touched on the upcoming, history-making event of the February 16, 2020 Medium band finals being held separately, on its own, but also for the first time ever, in the sister isle of Tobago. Calling it “a new initiative” she said her response to questions on “Why Tobago?” was “Yes, Tobago! Because we are Trinidad, AND Tobago.” She continued “It is the first major national competition that will be held in Tobago....Tobagonians are looking forward to it. We term that as our “Pan Tourism” event.”
Subsequently, the large band finals “Panorama” is being held on its own night, February 22, aiming to curtail the sometimes hours-after-midnight show end. Previously, the medium and large steel orchestras’ finals were held together with at least twenty bands competing on Panorama night, minimum ten in each category. For this year, in addition to the large band finalists, the champions from the previous categories - two Single Pan bands, small and medium conventional steel orchestras - are expected to take the stage.
Ramsey-Moore also did not hold back on the apparently public discord between her organization, Pan Trinbago, and the current chairman of the NCC, Winston “Gypsy” Peters, who himself is also a former Minister of Culture, and a successful performing artist in his own right. “Pan Trinbago is a powerful organization. It is a social force, and must not be taken for granted by anyone, not by the NCC Chairman, who believes he has the last say on everything. We will stand firmly, because NCC does not belong to Winston “Gypsy” Peters. NCC belongs to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. Nobody voted for Winston “Gypsy” Peters. [Beverley Ramsey-Moore and her administration were voted in on October 28, 2018.] And so we are not accountable to him. And I will not, as president of Pan Trinbago, be taking any kind of disrespect and arrogance from the chairman of NCC. He must respect Pan Trinbago...He was appointed. I was appointed [as a board member of the NCC] by the Minister, just as he was.”
Asked about one of the major points of the national Panorama competition, the ‘North Park,’ which in 2019 replaced the traditional “North Stand,” Ramsey-Moore was of the opinion that the 2019 North Park was not successful, certainly not financially. She explained: “Over the years, in the North Stand, the gate receipts would read, over three million dollars (TT $3,000,000.00). Last year, in 2019, we made just over a million dollars - in the “North Park.” Going further, she said the vision for what would be called “Pan City” in 2020, is that it must resemble the original North Stand.
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Calypso tents opening despite $ woes
Wearing his NCC hat, Peters said the organization has got $42 million of its budget allocation but most are going towards paying people who are owed from last year, including service providers and some artists.
https://newsday.co.tt/2020/01/09/calypso-tents-opening-despite-woes/
IF IT IS OK FOR AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT FOUR(4 ) DIFFERENT CLIENT IN A COURT MATTER THEN IT SHOULD BE OK FOR A STEELPAN MUSICIAN TO REPRESENT FOUR(4) DIFFERENT STEELBANDS IN A" PANORAMA COMPETITON.......PEACE!
Beverly let "Gypsy" know that you intened to make the necessary" corrections and adjustments" for Panorama 2020 and you have the support of the steelpan men and women in TRINIDAD&TOBAGO ......
This would be the second attempt of having the Large Bands Panorama Finals only; the other year was in 2009 where there was only eight finalists.
That could probably be the next step...Problem is, the arrangers (and crackshots) have grown accustomed to making big money off Panorama via the four categories. Pan Trinbago don't dare do anything to upset that...
If you are a corporation (funded by the people of Trinidad & Tobago) and you see fit to give priority to salaries/allowances/stipends to your executive over providing an audited Financial Report, I would not respect you either. And this is after lying that you said "bury the Forensic report".
Earl Richards: Tell meh if yuh see THE VEE PEE in THAT PICTURE -- ah really doh know the fellah face TOO GOOD!!!
And tell me if this is REALLY A FIRST: "Subsequently, in another first, the large band finals “Panorama” is being held on its own night ...."
Thanks, @Claude Gonzales and @Rodney K. Text has been revised and rectified accordingly.
Nah...didn't see him...