D’Original Woodbrook Modernaires Steel Orchestra, third prize winners of the Single Pan category in the Steelband Music Festival, ”Pan Is Beautiful XII”, which was held in October 2013, is appalled at the recent plea by Keith Diaz and his group, for $25 Million of public money, to fund a so - called International Conference and Panorama in August next year, and also to pay the outstanding $2 Million in prizes, which they owe to us and several of the bands who won prizes in the competition last year.
We are appalled to learn that Diaz and his group, who are without a mandate to run Pan Trinbago Inc, as they steadfastly use the organisation’s resources to avoid holding the elections, which were due in 2012, can be so brazen as to feel that they can seek public assistance to finance another of their delusions of grandeur, when they have been unable to organise and run anything profitably besides the cash cow of Panorama. Every other show, like Pan Is Beautiful XII, has been a dismal failure. All the traditional sponsors who were proud to identify with the National Instrument have cut and run away.
We must ask ourselves why? What is it about Keith Diaz, Richard Forteau and Bryon Serrette that has made these sponsors react in this way?
To hear Diaz bemoaning that he has to go cap in hand to beg for funds, would be amusing, if it was not so serious. The Steelband Music Festival was concluded ten months ago. It was Diaz himself, who announced at his lavish launching, at the Capital Plaza Hotel, that he had available, $2 Million for prizes, and that the competition was finally going to take place. It was he who said, that the competition was being run with $2 Million, as his earlier request for $5 Million had been denied. It is the same Diaz who, in his last comment on the Festival, said that a note had been taken to the Cabinet, by the Minister of The Arts and Multiculturalism, requesting the funds. To come now, to make excuses is just not good enough. In any case, Diaz and his boys must explain why millions of dollars of the organisation’s money are being spent on all sorts of self serving activities, while the Steelbands and Players from the Festival are being denied their just dues.
It is estimated that Diaz and his crew pet project, the Panorama Greens and Swimming Pool Party, at this year’s Panorama semi-finals should have netted as much as $10 Million Dollars. With the exorbitant entrance fees charged, it is estimated that when the Panorama Finals were included, the income could have increased to $18 Million. They could have paid the Festival prize money from this windfall. Instead Keith Diaz, Bryon Serrette and Richard Forteau have become globe trotters, flying here, there and everywhere, spreading the good news about T&T Carnival on our behalf!
When it’s not Nigeria, it’s Ghana, and when it is not Ghana it is Sierra Leone or South Africa. If it is not Africa, it’s Europe. London and Paris are the preferred destinations. The USA has not been left out. New York, Florida and Illinois have all been covered. The boys keep flying, spreading the gospel of Pan, making deals, forming companies, establishing contacts here and there.
Most times, member bands, and even their own members of staff have no idea where they go, what they are doing, and what are the benefits to the Pan movement. The usual mantra is that things are at a delicate stage, and information is secret. The word is that Australia and New Zealand are now being considered as the latest frontiers to be conquered by these Jet Setters and self appointed missionaries of the T&T’s Pan and Carnival.
The Financial Statement of the organisation for 2013, shows that over the two years 2012/2013 stipends, subsistence, and travelling, including overseas travel amounted to $1.1 Million. During the same period an astonishing $.93 Million was spent on motor vehicle expenses. Honorarium and bonuses accounted for the sum of $1.99 Million. Professional Fees, paid to whom and for what, cost a whopping $1.5 Million.
No one can accuse Pan Trinbago of being stingy. Donations and Tokens came up to the small amount of $736,000. The advertising for SteelfesTT 2013 of $1.04 Million have not been properly explained.
As can be seen, it is crystal clear that if Diaz and his cronies wanted to pay the Festival Prize money, Panorama alone could have covered the cost. Instead, the same mas is being played in 2014 all over the globe as happened in 2012 and 2013. In the land of the blind, Keith Diaz, Bryon Serrette and Richard Forteau have used the “Eat Ah Food” syndrome to telling effect.
They have cultivated a minority group of bands who are prepared to sell their Principles for handouts, while Diaz and his gang go their merry way, ostensibly seeking new places to introduce the Pan, and T&T’s Carnival. They eat the cake, while their “Eat Ah Food” minions, fearing victimisation and the loss of a play out, scramble for the crumbs. This is the great secret of their exsistence, almost two years after elections were due to be called.
Today, we demand that Diaz and his treasurer pay the prizes from the Super Profits made at “The Greens” and “Swimming Pool Party”, and that they must not touch one cent of it, don’t take out the 10% deduction, as the bands and players have already suffered great losses due to their delayed payment of prizes.
In his plea for public funds, to finance his latest efforts to appear as if he is doing something for Pan, poor Keith Diaz complains about how he is being bounced around from Permanent Secretary to Permanent Secretary, without any success. He has for the second time laid the blame of non payment of the prizes on the Minister of the Arts and Multiculturalism, the Honourable Lincoln Douglas.
We do not accept Diaz excuses, however, we believe that the time has come for the Honourable Minister to break his puzzling silence on this matter. The entire Pan fraternity and indeed the Trinidad and Tobago public, after Diaz’s recent $25 Million News Conference Plea, would like to know from the Honourable Minister himself, did he deceive Keith Diaz and his gang who now run the affairs of Pan Trinbago, as they seem to be alleging? Honourable Minister, your credibility is being called into question. You should clear the air once and for all, and at the same time seriously consider whether $25 Million should be placed in the hands of Diaz and his cronies at this time.
Douglas Williams,
Manager,
D’Original Woodbrook Modernaires Steel Orchestra
Replies
It's makes you mad as hell to see how the executive of Pan Trinbago and their lawyers are playing everyone in the Mecca, from the PM down to the last panman.
They are unstoppable now because they realize how much they can get away with, there is no reason to call an election because the legal system is supporting their actions.
The Minister of Culture seems to be physically afraid of these people because he keeps giving them money knowing there will be no accountability, it's only fear makes a person do this.
In the mean time the New Visionaries are waiting, waiting on the next slap in their face from Diaz, waiting on the court, waiting, waiting, waiting.
We are waiting on you guys to remove Diaz and his boys, it's time to involve the Governor, PM, MP, Media everybody in LA LA land because it's their tax dollars that's funding Diaz and his boys HAPPY DAYS.
With all that was stated about Diaz and his boys why are they still running Pan Trinbago? If the New Visionaries lawyer cannot make a case demanding an election they should get one who could.
Why is it so difficult to convince the government that Diaz and his boys are making them look like fools .
Cecil, Maybe the Boys in the Government is Dipping Too,