A meeting took place yesterday, Wednesday in Trinidad in the Crowne Plaza Hotel to discuss Carnivals around the world.  If I'm reading the third "paragraph" in the article, which is really just one line - its printed:

  • The minister said in the case of the steelband, there was no stamp that said it was created in T&T.

The link to the full article is here - http://guardian.co.tt/news/2011/03/11/world-s-carnival-boards-talk-strategies

 

This is a strange statement supposedly coming from a government minister in the Land of the Steelpan, which says to the world that IT is the home of the steelpan.  I thought that Trinidad claims itself as the place where Steelpan was born?   Is this story true, or did the reporter get what was said by the Minister right or not?  I hope this is a mistake.  How was this statement supposedly made, and in an apparently international meeting?   Anyway:  the first part of the article is below, and the Minister who reportedly made this claim appears to be Trinidad's Trade and Industry Minister Stephen Cadiz.  Read carefully.

World’s carnival boards talk strategies

Corporate secretary of Miami Carnival, Asa Sealy, spoke to the T&T Guardian following the Heads from various carnival boards throughout the world met as part of a global carnival Initiative to discuss strategies to develop carnival festivals. The meeting was held on Ash Wednesday at the Crowne Plaza, Port-of-Spain.  It was aimed at forging stronger ties with diasporic carnivals as well as engaging the T&T Government in assisting carnivals abroad. Attending were Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism Winston Peters, Trade and Industry Minister Stephen Cadiz and former Port-of-Spain mayor Murchison Brown.

Among the carnival boards represented were Denmark, New Jersey, New York, Miami, Boston, Montreal and Toronto. In an interview yesterday, Cadiz said Government was looking at various ways to market T&T as there al home of Carnival. He said despite the fact there were many world carnivals, such as Nottinghill in the United Kingdom, and Caribana, there was no T&T representation during those festivities. He said his ministry was looking at ways to use the T&T Film Company and T&T Entertainment Company to market and brand Trinidad Carnival.

The minister said in the case of the steelband, there was no stamp that said it was created in T&T.
 

Corporate secretary of Miami Carnival, Asa Sealy, spoke to the T&T Guardian following the meeting.

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 wow.

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  • pan activism lives

  • People in T&T will always lay claim to the Pan as "OUR" national, but unless its becomes an Emblem and the National Instrument by an ACT of Parliment and not incoroporated as in the case of NCC, National Steelband, Pantrinibago or Chutney, its an irony to our patriotism. Pan Trinbago must actively ensure that Pan become an Emblem of Trinidad and Tobago and truly our National Instrument, with  the legislation and an Act of Parliment that Proclaims the Steel Pan Our National Instrument..
  • Trinidad maybe the home of the steelpan as we know it.   Is there a document that "states" that the steelpan is a product of Trinidad?   When the steelpan was created, did the originator write anything down, are there any notes that specifically state that it is a product of Trinidad?  If there is no PATENT for the pan, anyone can claim it as their own.  If you want to put a stamp on the pan, have it PATENTED.  I have a steelpan but there is no stamp on it that says "MADE IN TRINIDAD," or anywhere for that matter.  Perhaps that is what the Minister was saying.  CHECK every item that you have in your home, even food in a tin, and you will see that it was made or packaged somewhere.  I am sure that you are familiar with the "MADE IN CHINA" stamp on things.  No one can dispute where the item was made or who owns it.

  • When was the Steel Pan declared the National Instrument and an Emblem of T&T?
  • Comment by Hameed Shaqq on March 9, 2011 at 3:30pm Delete Comment People in T&T will always lay claim to the Pan as "OUR" national, but unless its becomes an Emblem by an ACT of Parliment and not incoroporated as in the case of NCC,and Pantrinibago or Chutney, its an irony to our patriotism. Pan Trinbago must ensure that Pan become an Emblem of Trinidad and Tobago with more than these beauracies. Where is the legislation from Parliment that Proclaims the Steel Pan Our National Instrument and when was this Act passed? .
  • And what about the national flag?!!!, just like they do in the US?  Has there ever been a T&T stamp with the flag?

     

    Peter Gray

  • Many take the words out of context.  Are we talking postage stamp or made it T&T stamp.  We coulda/woulda/shoulda patented the steelpan with a utility patent way back and missed the boat on that.  The G-pan patent was an attempt to make up for lost ground (more than anything else), by disclosure, it inherently protects the steelpan as being Prior Art. invented in T&T, period.  T&T Governments challenged all the so-called foreign patents and won some/lost some.  The E-pan was invented by a Trini resident overseas, but over-stepped for local T&T IP Rights by the PHI-pan, which was/is a bad move and dilutes local credibility for all the wrong reasons therein.  Why was the steelpan removed from the tails of T&T's National Airline carriers???
    • @ Andre-Roger Dellevi -

       

      "Why was the steelpan removed from the tails of T&T's National Airline carriers???"

       

      Patrick Manning and his government simply made Nizam Mohammed's job all the more easier, lol

    • Guess the brand does need protecting, ent???

      http://www.facebook.com/carnivaltvtt/posts/132037730203093

  • After reading yhe article , I believe the Minister said, there is no stamp stating that the Steelpan was created in Trinidad..meaning that anyone /country can say that pan was created in their country if we do not put a stamp on our national music instrument.
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