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.
Replies
pan activism lives
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.
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
@ 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