St. Lucia, W.I. - In response to a query addressed to Mr. Antonius “Nikki” Calderon, president of the St. Lucia National Steelband Association (SLNSA) - When Steel Talks has been informed that there will indeed be no panorama this year. In the statement it was revealed that “this is partly due to the fact that several bands which took part in the competition last year are yet to be fully paid their prize monies.” The SLNSA, along with the band leaders, is planning to hold a Pan Fiesta in its place.
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I am from Barbados and have never been to panorama in St Lucia but I am sure that it is a great experience. This is indeed sad and ironic as I was considering attending this year. I like what you are doing instead, having a festival and I guess this is because you have an association. Barbados has no such thing. Government had announced a steelband competition here this year but cancelled it. Hope the alternative is successful and perhaps this may be a stepping stone to start your own thing.
Well i for one i was very upset when i heard that there was not a panorama this year. We were all looking forward to it . They should really do better than that and pay the bands what is due to them. Anyways we are happy since they have this pan fiesta in place of it . At least we have something to keep us occupied and something to help keep our skills intact . We would do anything just to play pan. WE JUST LOVE IT.... DIAMOND STEEL ORCHESTRA FOREVER!!!!!! One Love!! PEACE!!!!!
Pity...but maybe removing the competition aspect of it may be good...We know there is corruption in steelpan competitions worldwide (and I don't understand why ppl don't take their pesonal agendas out of it and just focus on the instrument....). People have been calling for this kind of move here in T&T for a long while. We'll see what comes of it.
That is a shame indeed. But please people do not be harsh.Remember that some of these places unlike T&T depend fully on tourisim and in this economic downturn which probably have been hitting them before we noticed. Look how long it took us to pay the bands their winnings on the night "we", the mecca of pan, those fellas had to wait months for that.Look at how long we took to pay the players, long time fellas played pan just for the love of it. I hope that they resolve their problems. Who is responsible for their pay is it their minister of culture through their Pan body or who,? disgraceful.
I'm seeing the same nonsense over and over again when it comes to pan and steel bands.
Until pan people come together under the umbrella of our own "independent" organizations, who put on their "own" events, things like this will continue to happen. It is not difficult to put on our own panoramas or "pan jazz" shows, where we control the monies, the advertising or marketing and even if we don't know what we are doing, we should be smart enough to hire consultants to run those events, say for the first two years until we can do it ourselves. It is my belief that pan events should, for the most part be run by pan people, but until that happens, we will continue to be exploited.
Another thing, when a steel band association like the SLNSA, takes a stand by refusing to participate in a panorama, the powers that be should not be able to say, "alright then let's get some steel bands from out of town". There should be communication between steel band associations, so that we are united across cities, states and countries...no one should be able to exploit a steel band anywhere and expect to use a steel band from elsewhere.
Unfortunately, for that to happen we have to start looking at pan as a business and not as a hustle; the day we do that is the day we take control of our own destiny.
I smell something cooking in de pan like fish
And I so vex ah can’t even write de queen’s English
And don’t let dem fool we
Dere eh go be no whatucallit? Fiesta?
Ha Ha Ha
Pass by de pan yards and see if anyone practicing
And all dem hypocrites dat say dey love pan
When last u see anyone chipping to pan in a carnival band
here in SLU? Or for dat matter
any other function during the year after Panorama?
Sometimes de pan racks remain right by the venue
cause the owners have no use for dem till the following July
Ask Ivan if u tink I lie.
I feel sorry for de pan playing youths. They used to have Panorama Junior and Senior to look forward to, now dey have zilch. No I lie, they could go down on de block and indulge in some crime
as on dey hands dey have plenty time
Woe unto those responsible for leading de artform astray.
Shame Shame! Shame! on de bookkeeper and by the way,
did de prize money every come
and if so, where did it go?
According to Wally, ” Wey de money gone??????????”
I for sure would like to know
Cause as a paying patron at Panorama gate,
Deserve explanation cause I have a stake
Shish…………I so shame for de neighbours to hear dis quarrel for money going on
When last you see a mass band hiring a steelpan. Too much people to pay they will have to put up the price of costumes, and they will still feel to keep all those rosy dollar bills at least here in Trinidad and Tobago the mass bands will not entertain a steel band they want that money for themselves.
Hi Panworld. I'm ashamed for the very first time to proclaim being a member of a pan side in St Lucia. Not for anything less than the finger-pointing of the wider world on us because of our behavior towards each other, especially in the Caribbean. This whole thing, to me, is the direct result of the commercialization of the artform. The Pan Administrators - and by extension, the Political Administrators will keep on feeding us shit, hence prostituting us and our talents, and pocketing the earnings and also the profits! We need to stand up as a "Caribbean Pan Association", or some large entity which serves the Caribbean - or even World Steel Panmen/women with the common goal of maintaining - and raising the respect for members and bands. We as members need to respect the authorities, and exercise diplomacy when in discussion of our problems and solutions to this.
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Until pan people come together under the umbrella of our own "independent" organizations, who put on their "own" events, things like this will continue to happen. It is not difficult to put on our own panoramas or "pan jazz" shows, where we control the monies, the advertising or marketing and even if we don't know what we are doing, we should be smart enough to hire consultants to run those events, say for the first two years until we can do it ourselves. It is my belief that pan events should, for the most part be run by pan people, but until that happens, we will continue to be exploited.
Another thing, when a steel band association like the SLNSA, takes a stand by refusing to participate in a panorama, the powers that be should not be able to say, "alright then let's get some steel bands from out of town". There should be communication between steel band associations, so that we are united across cities, states and countries...no one should be able to exploit a steel band anywhere and expect to use a steel band from elsewhere.
Unfortunately, for that to happen we have to start looking at pan as a business and not as a hustle; the day we do that is the day we take control of our own destiny.
And I so vex ah can’t even write de queen’s English
And don’t let dem fool we
Dere eh go be no whatucallit? Fiesta?
Ha Ha Ha
Pass by de pan yards and see if anyone practicing
And all dem hypocrites dat say dey love pan
When last u see anyone chipping to pan in a carnival band
here in SLU? Or for dat matter
any other function during the year after Panorama?
Sometimes de pan racks remain right by the venue
cause the owners have no use for dem till the following July
Ask Ivan if u tink I lie.
I feel sorry for de pan playing youths. They used to have Panorama Junior and Senior to look forward to, now dey have zilch. No I lie, they could go down on de block and indulge in some crime
as on dey hands dey have plenty time
Woe unto those responsible for leading de artform astray.
Shame Shame! Shame! on de bookkeeper and by the way,
did de prize money every come
and if so, where did it go?
According to Wally, ” Wey de money gone??????????”
I for sure would like to know
Cause as a paying patron at Panorama gate,
Deserve explanation cause I have a stake
Shish…………I so shame for de neighbours to hear dis quarrel for money going on
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