The day after could be bitter sweet for most pan players, no more nights of practice and life return to the normal everyday grind.
For a few they would learn another 2 tunes for J'ouvert and even fewer will be on the road for carnival.
After a night where you showed the world your Splendor and Power in the big yard you revert to being a wimp in a corner.
Pan People there must be a place for the Steelband in Carnival, FIND IT. Carnival Monday afternoon is a good place to look at.
Replies
We've been saying this for years , Cecil , with little support from the T&T steelpan community.
Suggestions and ideas like those on this thread have been discussed many times.
Hopefully, as we clamor for change in the steelband organization , let us hope that there is also change in the direction and focus of the steelband community/.
Consider what a difference it would make to our carnival culture, if steelbands would put half the effort they put into the panorama competition into preparing for. and participating in the carnival.
I am sure this would be an immense boost to the steelband movement in Trinidad , and even more so to the carnival itself.
I love the idea of Monday evening pan! I am new to the pan scene, largely because my kids play for their schools, and I have grown to really love it! I have heard my kids lamenting the fact that the season is over and I did wonder why we didn't have more pan on the streets for the Carnival. It seems we don't have a really integrated Carnival program in this country. We can't have Carnival without soca, calypso and pan. But all these elements seem to be pigeon holed somehow so one thing ends and then another begins and there's not much integration of the various activities. I do appreciate that everything can't be mixed but surely, there is no need to close the pan shop after the finals. Pan and Carnival is we ting and it's what makes us true Trinbagonians. It shouldn't just be about the survival of the culture per se, but also about creating and maintaining a carnival experience that is unlike what you can have in other countries. Nobody plays pan like we do so we should show-case it more during carnival. It would (1) benefit the country in relation to tourism, (2) improve steel pan development; (3) engender a greater sense of pride for pan and pannists among the citizenry; (4) foster a deep love for the instrument among our pannists; (5) encourage more people to become pannists and possibly even stimulate better band loyalty; (6) provide loads of entertainment and, most importantly, (7) change the perception that the Arts don't matter in Trinidad and Tobago. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain but we need some enlightened leadership and here is an excellent opportunity for Pan-Trinbago to prove their worth. I'm waiting.
Annehara, you made ah interesting post, I believe that the ministry of culture should have laid down rules years ago to safe-guard the steelband, their hands -off approach has resulted in where we are today.
Today the whole Carnival scene is deplorable, because everyone doing what they want, there's no direction.
The Savannah party could still be held, let corporate T&T finance that.
So what about PanTrinbago? Well, er...er......ahm, they in charge of everything. Which PanTrinbago, you ask? Doh ask me nutten. Doh try dat!
Morning Glory, when you look at Massy All Stars Monday and Tuesday on the road you must see the message that older pan people are trying to pass on. Pan was born on the streets, it up to us to see that it stay on the streets for carnival.
It is indeed unfortunate and sad that Pan has disappeared from the streets on Carnival days. As Pan lovers we feel this hurt. Pan is not alone in this regard. During the years that most of us refer to, when Pan was on the streets, we also saw live brass bands on the streets on both Monday and Tuesday. There were no DJs. They also have disappeared. What is the reason for this. I suspect it is the same for both Pan and Brass. It is too demanding and requires too much commitment on the part of musicians to play music for hours on the road over the two days.
Morning Glory, I hear what you are saying, but what we have to understand is that the present generation of players don't know about pan on the road carnival day, it's just a matter of making the road experience attractive to them, with a good plan they'll be sold out just like they are about panorama. Young people look for direction, it's only in it's absence they are forced to do their own thing. We now have an opportunity to sell Carnival Monday Afternoon as a Steelband Street Party, you get the youths from all the steelbands and let them produce it you'll see what happens.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next