In all that's happening these days not once did a steelband make a statement, on behalf of their players, or jointly with other steelbands. Why it is that the management of steelbands don't see it fit to involve themselves in issues concerning their players?
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Remembering the Beauty of our Steelbands...
Not sure people on this forum are either informed or are steelband members.
First of all there are really no steelbands. There are bands of players loosely affiliated with one or other band or arranger. For example Phase II is really Boogsie with a following of about 120 players and a band leader and manager. Even the drill sergeants are changed from time to time as convenient.
For Phase II to make a statement, Boogsie has to make a statement and he has many times. Same goes for Pelham and Exodus, Silver Stars etc. That does not change the equation at all.
The majority of the pan players actually have no say in whatever goes on.
It might be accidental or planned but that is the way the entire pan fraternity in TnT is organized. That is why you can have one man or a small group of men making decisions for thousands without any input from them. It's the way things are done here and have been done since the beginning.
The only way out is to form an association of players that meets regularly and makes democratic decisions for the membership, with input from all the members, that is transmitted to whomever holds the purse strings for pan, whether it be government, sponsors or whatever.
Until that is done we're spitting into the wind.
Idea: Stop complaining and do something for pan.
On another note in response to another post, it is impossible to patent the same thing twice especially in the same country as stated, so it goes to show that the patent authorities have decided that the G-Pan does not infringe any existing patent. By the way regardless of what or who you know, the president of the United States cannot prevent or start any extradition of anyone from anywhere.
I left Trini in the sixties , and contrary to what some people may think , there isn't anything new in these comments. There have always been a cadre or people in steelbands that made all decisions , and in some cases did all the work in keeping the band functioning, and usually managed to get some type of compensation for their efforts.
This would include the tuners , arrangers , captains and those hard core , key band members.
It is no surprise that these people's interests may be different from players who join the band to play "on the road" in the old days , or to play for panorama today.
it's also why the idea of a players union makes sense.
And btw , I try to refrain in silly discussions that divide pan people by age , and whether we live in Trini of "foreign".
I would hope that we all have the same interests at heart. i.e. advancing the art-form , at home and worldwide.
These people who make all the decisions, make the same recycled mistakes, hence the reason why we are stuck in the mire of mediocrity.
No idea/suggestion from foreign is acceptable or considered.
Some people's interests are self centered, so it's correct to say Phase11 is Boogsie, and he is not singular in that regard. Does he listen to ideas/suggestions? Me eh know.
"Not sure people on this forum are either informed or are steelband members."
Most of the regular posters on this forum left Trinidad in the 60's and 70's and are still viewing T&T through that LENS ... they used to be informed and they used to be steelband members but the world kept spinning when they left Trinidad while their minds stayed right there in the 60's and 70's ... now yuh make people on this forum get VEX with meh again WAYNE!!!
Lord Kitchener - The Power of Music
Yes CH; I concur in part, that is Y i'm going to use what ever influence I have with the newly President elect Donald J. TRUMP, whom I've known for the past 20 years, to expedite the extradition of Brian R. COPELAND et al, for Criminal Conspiracy, Money Laundering via a Copyright infringment of S.N.S.E's / Anthony Williams of PanAm North Stars big tenor pan, that I Copyrighted thru the Library of Congress, Washington D.C. November 1999, Copeland call his Genesis - G -pan, he Copeland Patent in the U.S. 2010, where NO one can Patent an already Patent or Copyrighted ITEM twice, in the U.S. or any part of this planet...
JJJ, good luck, it has the makings of a interesting topic for the forum.
Lord Kitchener - Pan Earthquake
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