At the INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PAN in 2015 one PRESENTER told a story of working his fingers to the bone and finally getting some MINI-PANS into the TOYS R US stores in the UNITED STATES. The PANS sold out like HOT CAKES and his dream came true when TOYS R US called him and told him that they were interested in carrying the product.
But the order was for 5000 pans.
Well the PRESENTER said he hold his head and bawl because he see the cross but he could not adore it. Meaning that he did not have access to TUNERS who could churn out 5000 pans and ship them to the STATES. And that was the end of that contract and relationship.
(I would say that three years later the demand in AMERICA for PANS is TEN TIMES greater than it was 5 years ago. But we are still short of TUNERS. I presented a solution to this problem on THIS FORUM but it was too politically radical ... but I know that it is practical if not quite humanitarian.)
So this morning I am posting a letter sent to me by one of my cousins in Trinidad!!! As he sits in a front row seat and feels the pain and frustration on the issue of PAN PRODUCTION and TUNERS down in the MECCA of the STEELBAND and listens to all THE BIG PROMISES which never seem to PAN OUT.
This is his commentary:
Tuners including the late Ellie Mannette have been accused of selling out to foreigners by doing tuning work shops abroad, but governments came and left with no interest in setting up training programs to start young men with the proper preparation to build, then work on the tuning. I must say it is happening now as youths unlike years ago are now showing an interest in pan construction and a few were turned out and are working for bands like Invaders, All Stars,Exodus and Renegades.
However, from Ash Wednesday to October, most tuners cannot sustain themselves in Trinidad and must go to FOREIGN or ship to foreign countries, as it's like a shut down. Trinidad & Tobago is one country, there are two hundred and ninety four (294) more on the planet, with a lot of virgin territory where PAN is concerned.
Then you have the payment problems at home where even sponsored bands give stories like waiting on their budget to pass or profits from some fund raising BBQ before tuners are paid. Some bands are saying they can't pay until Pan Trinbago pays.
Yet I continue to read all these UTOPIAN dreams about PAN BRINGING in BILLIONS. But what I have just described above is THE REALITY of PAN PRODUCTION in TRINIDAD, today.
I close by saying that I would like to hear the thoughts and opinions of the WHEN STEEL TALKS COMMUNITY on what I consider to be a PAN CRISIS in Trinidad and Tobago which needs immediate administrative attention and restructuring.
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