Revisiting -- Steelband BANNED! No Pan on the Road in Leeds

Ban on steelbands in Leeds West Indian Carnival parade EXCLUSIVE

England, U.K. - Traditional Caribbean steelband music has been banned from the 44^th Leeds West Indian Carnival parade.

The carnival committee of 13 members took the unanimous decision to have no live music in the parade itself at an emergency meeting this week.

Members said due to recent “unrest” in the Chapeltown area they felt they had no option but to make this year’s carnival “a bit calmer” with no steelbands playing on any of the floats.

Chairman Arthur France said: “We are not putting any steelbands on the road in the parade this year. It was a decision taken as we are being extra cautious following recent unrest. In light of violent events, and after careful consideration, we decide that we will not use any steelband on the road, which means no live music.

Replies

jerome ebenezer clarke August 23, 2011 at 6:46pm

As an old steelpan ,,tuner,,,trainer and arranger, leader, i do know what it, feels like to be treated in such a inhumane,inconsiderate,belittled and selfish manner,,i was there and have done it all,,sacrifices,,time,,energy name it and i,ve been there, this ought not to happen to steelpan players, respect due for their sacrifices they did not stat the riot,point out.
Salah Wilson August 23, 2011 at 6:32pm

Cindy,

I grew up where as a young fellow I saw some of the era of "bottle & stone" and "steel band clash" but I was a 'lil fella' not yet playing Pan ..my uncles and relatives would not allow me to play even though the Steelband was in my grandmother's back yard. ( Flamingoes) ..however in the very late '60's and early 70's when I was allowed to be in the band, as far as I recall the "atmosphere" had changed ...It was the "Peace & Love" era where bands would be visiting other bands doing the "Pan Blokos" and more and more that "Bad John" era was literally wiped out......the only war with Steelbands turned out to be a "musical war"

.Now the 'Hooligan supporters' of English Football teams as reported by various medias who cause unscrupulous damages ...their behavior cannot be attributed to the various Football teams,, similarly If there are "steelpan hooligans" causing problems definitely Thge Steelpan groups cannot be held accountable...But even so I have not heard of any incident(s) in decades concerning Steelpan riots in any part of the world ( I stand to be corrected).I believe that a lot of respect and admiration for the Steelpan people is part of the development that has occurred especially as the Pan did spread and was embraced by so many different cultures as what you have today

I have never been to the Leeds Carnival, I hope next year to be able to go to Nottinghill primarily for the Panorama ( hope to arrange for a band there ...hint..hint..) But even so I have never heard of any disturbances in any Carnival celebrations there involving the Steelpan community and I cannot say that I agree with your assumption that the steelband community have acquired SOME followers who have embraced violence as a way of being. They need knives and guns to have a good time

I honestly feel safe in any Steelpan Community here in Canada and I also feel safe in almost any Pan Yard when I am back home in Trinidad & Tobago. ( I no longer go by my old band Dsperadoes up on the hill any more not because of the Band or the Pan players ..but because of the crime climate in T&T and the hot areas of which Laventille unfortunately has become).

But my point on the Leeds topic is simply that the decision was wrong to stop the Steelpan Music if they continue to still have the DJ music.

Nuff respect

Salah
jerome ebenezer clarke August 23, 2011 at 6:23pm

Now Brazil has it,s carnaval which is in sync with their musical culture, drums etc,,,,Guyana Mashramani Celebrations for years is only one thing steelpan from the inception,,this was copied from T&T, for the moment i know not, for most of the dedicated ones steelpan players have migrated,now in the name of our supreme being,TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, the founder of the steelpan, has one word for their respected celebrations ,,that is CARNAVAL,,whenever we do hear the word Carnaval, ,it,s logical reasoning that the two are associated,,Steelpan,,,,Carnaval,, in Leeds there are steelpans thus it,s common sense that the steelpan would be doing their thing,, it,s uimaginable that someone whom had started the Carnaval in England and to cream it all,from the caribbean,assosiates himself with others to ban the steelpan,,,THE WORD ,,,,BAN,,,,AS FAR AS I,M CONCERNED IMPLICATES THAT THE STEELPAN PLAYERS HAD COMMITED A CRIME,, THEY HAAVE STARTED THE RIOT ,SO THEY ARE BANNED FROM TAKING PART,,,,then comes the other word,,,,it isn,t the NOISE..in the earlier days we may have been illiterate ,,,NOT ANYMORE..ah gon seh it again ,,,NO STEELPAN,,,NO D.J,, these are the kind of things and persons that demotivate s ones spirit,,,.,self opiniated,,,,egoistic persons,,,,,I do hope that you people in Leeds are reading the commets and that you do get the message,, IT,S WHAT WE DO CALL FREEDOM OF SPEECH,,consider your ruling relevant to the steelpan performing for the Carnaval in Leeds..
- Cecil hinkson > jerome ebenezer clarke August 24, 2011 at 1:28am
  
  I think we should stop talking about Leeds and start talking about why we don't have more steelbands on the road for Trinidad Carnival.
Salah Wilson August 23, 2011 at 5:00pm

Cindy,

Brothers Glenroy and Cecil made the point that every voice deserves to be heard....after all that is one of the main purpose of this Forum .....to have a say......whether we agree or agree to dis agree. .....the brothers, the sisters, the young, the old, the black, the white, the Panist, the non Panist ..everyone has a say ..so do not Zip up ... all comments on Pan are welcomed.on this Forum...Peace & Love

Salah
- Cindy Cummings > Salah Wilson August 23, 2011 at 5:33pm
  
  Salah,
  
  Let us reason this one out together man to man. Is it not a "well-known fact" that the steelband community have acquired SOME followers who have embraced violence as a way of being. They need knives and guns to have a good time. Is it possible that the people in Leeds had this in mind? I know. I know that the steelband men have polished up their once tarnished image. Unfortunately, their followers do not care. The problem lies with the numb nuts, nit wits and morons. Have you never seen steelband men running for their lives with their pans from the savages? Have you forgotten how many of our Carnivals were ruined because of violence. NEWS FLASH !! Steelbands were ordered off the streets in Trinidad. It could have been the year they gained Independence from Britain. The bands were on the streets, and the Police ordered everyone of them off. As far as I can recall, they all went home peacefully. We were all set to jump with Invaders. Were we happy? NO. I am going to blow the dust of my rocking chair, and take a few chill pills. Blessings ***Cindy***
lady raygun August 22, 2011 at 3:46am

It is certainly a strange decision, and to me (a Brit) bizarre in that they are letting DJs play but not steel bands . Maybe it is out of concern for the players, many of whom are young, and if there was to be trouble would be trapped with their instruments in the middle? That is the only *reasonable* explanation I can come up with! Notting Hill Carnival IS going ahead though with steel bands, and at least four playing sailor mas in honour of TASPO and Dixieland who celebrate their 60th and 50th jubilees in this country this year.
Celia Burgess-Macey August 21, 2011 at 3:45am

I find this a most retrograde step and am utterly out of sympathy with the reasoning behind it. How will the playing of beautiful positive pan music contribute to violent unrest-surely showing the positive achievements of our young people will have the opposite effect. A very bad decision-but Im sure the police will love it-they are always looking for ways to dampen down carnival. lets keep the carnival going. We need uplifting in these difficult times. celia
paddy corea August 20, 2011 at 12:22pm

This decision has NOTHING to do with steel band history or class or the Queen. This decision was certainly not made by this socalled carnival committee. It was forced on them by the British Govt (possibly #10 Downing St itselt)and they have to put a good face on it. Its the OLD Massa mentality (the colonial supression) coming to fore again. I lived enough years in England and know that country and its people/politricks well enough to say this. Pan will survive and pan will live (we too)

paddy corea (musician)
- Mark Mañuel State > paddy corea August 23, 2011 at 9:51am
  
  Perhaps it might be a good idea at this juncture to point out, Paddy, that pouncing upon a so-called "Massa mentality" is, in reverse, exactly the kind of thinking you are opposed to, yet putting into print. Let's not generalize and label folks all over the place with the same brush just because some particular little group has made a mistake in judgement.
  
  Let's hope instead that the ones who made the incorrect judgement call begin to see the dirt start to fly because they unthinkingly kicked it up in the first place. Yours is a good example of what can happen through others becoming upset from some people making a basic mistake. Things can get out of hand.
  
  Sometimes its the large repercussions that show up from mistaken smaller actions that illustrate how wrong those actions were. (That's an old saying I just made up!)

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