Congrats Glenroy...from WST to Trinidad Express
Part 2
To me, growth of the steelband means more participation by our youth, more opportunities to generate income, and more steelband activities throughout the year.
This is why I have been an advocate for moving the Panorama to another time of year, maybe as the climax of a month-long pan festival.
The Carnival season is relatively short, with many aspects of culture -- chutney, soca, calypso — competing with each other for location, time and the fans’ Carnival dollar.
From purely a business perspective, it would seem to make sense to move the Panorama to a time of year when there is little cultural competition.
The Panorama could then be scheduled to give all aspects of the steelband time to be sold, promoted and advertised.
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/commentaries/The-power-of-steelband-on-the-road-249222031.html
Replies
I find it extremely interesting that if we think about it, all of these current discussions are connected; pan on the road, the role of women in pan , and the future of panorama.
I was speaking to a steelband leader the other day, and it was no surprise when he told me the young players were getting bored with the extreme focus on one tune, consuming their entire carnival.
This is no surprise, since the sum total of all that work is the possibility of appearing on a stage two, maybe three times to play an eight minute tune, while the carnival celebrations are raging around them.
If you notice the makeup of a Panorama band, you'd notice mostly older men, kids, and women. The young men seem to be losing interest.
And I don't blame them.
As much as I loved pan as a young man, I doubt I'd want to spend my entire carnival in a panyard practicing one tune, especially if my band wasn't a big name band, and had slim hopes of appearing on the big stage on finals night.
Personally, I loved the entire experience, and back in my day I was fortunate to play in a church (St Paul's Anglican), at various affairs, at panorama and especially on the road, which I loved.
The discipline of a nightly panorama practice is, IMHO much more acceptable to young women, especially those who see it as a way of "getting out".
Young men, on the other hand, being more rambunctious , may find it more difficult.
Hence the larger roles of women in panorama bands, and the greater possibility that the ranks of future panorama arrangers will be filled with women.
This is where Pan Trinbago should take the lead, the dynamics in the panyards around Panorama as we learned from the interviews shows these kids have to choose between getting their school work done or spending all night rehearsing, it’s one thing to love the Artform and another to be seen as a form of abuse or exploitation. There should be questions raised about child labor laws in T&T; I’m assuming they are being paid for their services.
The senior members most likely older women in some bands are now taking on roles as substitute parents providing a sense of safety and security for them.
PT need to come up with solutions for the sake of our future generation and redesign the Panorama format, maybe it’s time to create new Steelband products with an emphasis on the youths and showcase the women arrangers.
odw,
The same old, same old is not going to work anymore. People have to step up or step aside.
All steelbands have to make themselves "ready for the road" All Stars is......
Here’s another solution for Steelbands on the road….investors take note.
PANWAGON: A single or two-tiered mobile vehicle specifically designed and constructed to accommodate a steel orchestra and/or ancillary sound reinforcement equipment.
Source: 2003 Simeon L. Sandiford
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO STANDARD GLOSSARY OF TERMS RELATED TO THE STEEL PAN 2003
ODW, I don't know how many people know how much impact Sanch Sandiford has had on the artform.
Those who say there isn't quality recorded panorama music out there hasn't really looked.
Since about the late nineteen eighties Sanch has been producing Panorama recordings of the highest quality.
It was one of his cd's , if memory serves... I'll have to check... that contained a booklet that spread the music sheets for Jit's arrangement of Kitch's "Pan in A Minor" around the world.
Some of the greatest panorama music ever, folks, and "Music doh spoil"
So when allyuh talking about selling panorama music, there's enough quality stuff out there, folks!
Glenroy, I don't think that you are saying that 'PAN' should be removed from Carnival. My understanding is that "PANORAMA" should be later in the year; and I agree with this.
I would like to add that in addition to Panorama, the "Pan" events like Pan Ramajay, Pan Jazz, Pan is Beautiful can all be
accommodated around the same time of year so that the foreign and local pan lovers can soak in all the Pan Juices
around October/ November
Pan Orchestras can therefore concentrate on a wider repertoire,and become more marketable around Carnival...Just saying..
Pan Alive in Canada is 1st August and the parade next day. UK bands will be in practice mode for theirs and I would think USA bands too, with arrangers/tuners working outside for these events, so are we ending up with a local repeat if the date for this "international" panorama is kept?
Pan Trinbago is boss, they do there stuff regardless of what's happening elsewhere.
Glenroy, let's see how it all "pans" out hopefully for the greater good. Valentine. The focus in many bands now is junior bands. Many youths were seen playing in various bands this year more than before,with few elders around and allowing them to play on. We had more this year than ever before,so while the chart was showing a downward trend the youth programs in bands has started an upward movement.
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