Someone forgot to plug in the Internet - Missed Opportunity to showcase Youth to Live Global Audience - Forum

Ball Dropped on Junior Panorama 2017 Steel Orchestra Finalists

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - It’s 8:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (9:00 a.m. local time) February 19, 2017. It’s the morning of the annual National Junior Panorama steelband competition in Trinidad and Tobago featuring steel orchestras from the primary and secondary schools, and junior steelband organizations from around the twin-island nation. Anticipation is usually high for folks around the world who cannot be physically in Trinidad, and so log on to the internet to watch and listen to these bands. It is the gathering of the largest number of the best youth steel orchestras anywhere, and they participate in their annual competition, showcasing both the awesome talent of the young pan musicians of Trinidad & Tobago, and the genius of the steelpan music instrument.

There is only one thing wrong. The Trinidad and Tobago cultural ministry forgot to ensure access to, or lacks sufficient interest in providing - an internet stream for the world to see these young musicians at their best.

It is ironic that WST (When Steel Talks) received a Facebook alert reminding us to watch the competition on Trinidad & Tobago’s ‘local’ station TV4. With a list of finalists provided by the organizers earlier in the week, WST alerted tens of thousands on the WST Network to tune in and enjoy the great performances of these musicians. The internet stream has been generally available and enjoyed by enthusiastic pan music lovers and eager supporters of the youngsters, over the past few years - certainly for the last two or three. When WST contacted the news.gov.tt people about the subsequent surprising lack of a stream, we received a message that said “Unfortunately our streaming service is currently offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

In an age when live-streaming options like YouTube Live and Facebook Live are readily available to virtually anyone - this missed opportunity to show the brilliance of Trinidad and Tobago youth and culture to the world is frankly unacceptable. Oh, and by the way, finding even a simple online AUDIO stream from local radio stations has proved fruitless at this point.

Like I have been saying all along that Trinidadians are its worse enemies. This is total disrespect and a damn shame that the steelpan playing youths of T&T were denied exposure for the outside world . I personally have been trying since morning to get an audio and video feed of the Junior Panorama competition without any success. Social media is so full off bad news like the high crime coming out of Trinidad . The the school children playing Pan would have been positive news for the twin islands and tourism which they badly need. 2017 is a very critical year for Pan because of the ongoing battle between the Ministry of Culture and Pan Trinbago that is about to take place in the Courts soon after the panorama season. Pan Trinbago could use this against the Ministry as bad public relation and not being intune with the art form. All I could say is we have to keep our fingers crossed because the Panorama Semis was cut short because CTNT/Ctv decided that it was time for them to discontinue the livestream at a time when four off the large bands including All Star didn't play yet. Nothing surprises us overseas nationals about Trinidad when things like this happen. Very sad state !

Replies

Annehara February 20, 2017 at 7:28am

Every year this is done to our Juniors. You see all the Pan Trinbago Media people on site - taking pics and making vids. They have a vast library of all these performances but it's for their eyes only because none of it is ever posted online for the public to see. How are we supposed to keep encouraging our youth? Why are we not praising them for their commitment to the National Instrument? Does Pan Trinbago not have any vision regarding our young pannists?
Barbara February 20, 2017 at 12:12am

No surprise here. The level of incompetence in T&T and T&T related services in the USA, as at the New York Consulate is truly astounding. No one takes responsibility only excuses are provided.
Ayesha Mohammed February 19, 2017 at 4:51pm

Lawd! when are we going to eradicate "mishaps"? Marks and Roberts, talking and talking, and we cannot get the title of tunes in their talk.
eslyn alexis February 19, 2017 at 4:47pm

Whats happening that we cannot view anything on things that has passed on your system, like the semi finals for the large bands.
ARTHUR W TRAVERSO February 19, 2017 at 1:47pm

Like I have been saying all along that Trinidadians are its worse enemies. This is total disrespect and a damn shame that the steelpan playing youths of T&T were denied exposure for the outside world . I personally have been trying since morning to get an audio and video feed of the Junior Panorama competition without any success. Social media is so full off bad news like the high crime coming out of Trinidad . The the school children playing Pan would have been positive news for the twin islands and tourism which they badly need. 2017 is a very critical year for Pan because of the ongoing battle between the Ministry of Culture and Pan Trinbago that is about to take place in the Courts soon after the panorama season. Pan Trinbago could use this against the Ministry as bad public relation and not being intune with the art form. All I could say is we have to keep our fingers crossed because the Panorama Semis was cut short because CTNT/Ctv decided that it was time for them to discontinue the livestream at a time when four off the large bands including All Star didn't play yet. Nothing surprises us overseas nationals about Trinidad when things like this happen. Very sad state !
Carvy February 19, 2017 at 1:05pm

And here I'm in ANU suffering how sad!!!

This reply was deleted.