Most of the focus of this forum has been on issues faced by pan players in TT and Brooklyn. And rightly so, especially since these are the venues of the major panorama competitions and pan players and thus the finances and the opportunities for mismanagement are greater.
But what’s happening in Toronto, Notting Hill and Miami? I recall in 2015 there were some rumbling over the payments to steelbands in the Pan is Alive Competition. Have these issues been settled, i.e., have the payments increased? Or, are bandleaders following the model in TT and Brooklyn?
Not much is said about Miami and Notting Hill beyond the annual listing of participating steelbands, their arrangers, tuners, tune of choice, etc., and ultimately the list of winners. Is that a suggestion that “all is well” in Miami? And what’s up in the UK?
Are there some “best practices” in the panorama in the Diaspora which could serve as a model for TT and Brooklyn?
I have hunch that panorama players are being exploited everywhere. I hope my intuition is incorrect!
Replies
And all you care about is STEELBAND IN THE ROAD FOR CARNIVAL. Them parades that yuh parading in front ah meh face is not STEELBANDS IN CARNIVAL like you talking about. Ah look in meh CRYSTAL BALL (Aquil doh like meh CRYSTAL BALL because it too accurate) and ah see that ah have ah next 15 to 17 years to live -- and ah know ONE THING FOR SURE that during that 17 years I EH GO NEVER SEE NO PAN ON THE ROAD FOR CARNIVAL.
Aye Claude pan people ain't buyin dah kinda kool aid yuh trying to sell, nobody want to put the steelband with the DJ. One can tell by the success of the many steelband on the road events held during the year that there are still people that realize the importance of pan in carnival, what's missing today is leadership. The Big5 could have a very successful steelband experience on the road for carnival if they want.
There appears to be some bugs since Ning's recent upgrade. We have been told that they are working on fixes.
You can try rebooting your computer to ensure you have the latest updates on your software (operating system), some apps may have compatibility issues caused buy their recent upgrade.
Is only EXPATS sitting down in FOREIGN "nostalgizing" about their early years and dreaming about returning and making STEELBANDS the CENTER PIECE of CARNIVAL. If the LOCALS wanted STEELBANDS ON THE ROAD FOR CARNIVAL we would have STEELBANDS ON THE ROAD FOR CARNIVAL. THE LOCALS DON'T WANT IT.
So ACCEPT that REALITY and move on. Or take THE RISK and go back home and ADVOCATE for STEELBANDS ON THE ROAD FOR CARNIVAL.
Or VOTE KEITH DIAZ OUT and put and administration in that will BRING PANS BACK ON THE ROAD FOR CARNIVAL. But who really want to jump up to STEELBAND ON THE ROAD when the LOUD, SWEET, PIERCING SOUNDS of the DEE JAY on a BIG TRUCK jamming authentic and unadulterated SOCA to full up the WHOLE BLOCK.
The DEE JAY eh no STEELBAND TRYING TO PLAY A CALYPSO with ah set ah excessive IRON and PERCUSSION killing the CALYPSO. The DEE JAY is the REAL, ORIGINAL, STUDIO PRODUCED AND POLISHED renditon of CALYPSO.
This new, young generation real smart: THEY WANT THE REAL THING!!! And dem new KINDA ah R&B driven SOCA ah hearing this year: How steelband go play that?
Steelbands must first see carnival as a money making opportunity, then organize.
The problem is that the PANORAMA BANDS are TOO LARGE and there are TOO MANY PLAYERS and the "INSTRUMENTS" are too cumbersome and COST OF TRANSPORTATION IS a very heavy expense. The THIRTY FIVE MILLION DOLLAR G-PAN was supposed to bring more power to the instruments needing less PANS and PLAYERS on the stage. But that was nothing but a political football.
And above all, ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS are lacking from THE MECCA all through the diaspora. And don't forget about the STANDARD CORRUPTION. Just last month the PRIME MINISTER of Trinidad and Tobago said that he did not realize that there was so much CORRUPTION in everything down in the island. So CORRUPTION might be NEWS to many people on this forum. By the same token, allyuh doh expect people to spend all year scrunting to fund a PANORAMA and then hand over all the money to the PAN MEN (the lowest level of the already faulty administration). Money is a TRICKLE DOWN kinda thing so the PAN MEN will always get THE LAST TRICKLE.
Ask Doctor Dolly and Keith Diaz how that does work. Matter fact -- just wait until this PANORAMA 2018 and allyuh will see how trickle down does really work when they cut the players stipend to $250.00
The EMPHASIS on PAN should NOT BE PANORAMA. The emphasis should be to produce and export more PANS FROM TRINIDAD. The emphasis should be to COMPOSE MORE QUALITY music FOR PAN. And the emphasis should be to RECORD and SELL PAN MUSIC GLOBALLY.
But people just cannot get beyond the PANORAMA FIXATION which is nothing more than NOISE and untalented arrangers pretending to play music that they don't even understand trying to impress the world that they know about music that they know nothing about.
"By the same token, allyuh doh expect people to spend all year scrunting to fund a PANORAMA and then hand over all the money to the PAN MEN (the lowest level of the already faulty administration)."
Are you saying WIADCA and USSA are "scrunting." The NFL is a tax-exempt organization, their commissioner Roger Goodell makes over $60 million a year, we all know the billions they receive from advertisers and broadcast rights.
The question remains are WIADCA and USSA operating in the best interest of the Pan Musicians? These musicians spend long hours at night rehearsing for the annual pan event, are they now willing to accept non payment for their WORK? I know dey say TIME is MONEY but it looks like Pan Musicians are selling themselves short when it comes to receiving decent compensation for their WORK. Maybe that's the cause for the disrespect.
People pay to see basketball and football.Advertisers and sponsors pay for the huge viewing audiences that sport and entertainment attractions. Mas players pay the DJ trucks for their music to wine to. Who pays the pan players for their music? Start the argument at this point. How should Pan be organized in carnival so that those who like it, enjoy it and use it to wine to, pay for their pleasure?
Outside of the carnival, professional musicians who play pan as their instrument of choice are enjoying various levels of financial and popular success.
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next