Total Disrespect

By Raffique Shah - Trinidad Express

I HAVE been nursing a not-so-quiet anger since last Sunday's Panorama Semi-finals, and no, it has nothing to do with Despers being omitted from the finals, although I feel "a how" about that. I have asked fellow pan-fans, many of whom, like me, no longer make the pilgrimage to the Savannah, but who, nevertheless, do not miss a note, "How could they show total disrespect to pan, to the thousands who labour in panyards to produce one of the world's biggest musical extravaganzas?"

By now readers must have guessed what angered me: the dotishness of Pan Trinbago officials who, in the name of the almighty dollar, sacrificed the sanctity of the art form by allowing well-heeled party animals to stage a big fete on the "Greens" while pannists, most of them teenagers, played with their hearts to impress the judges and real pan-lovers. How could they? As I sat in my living room tuned into what is for me one of the best events in Carnival, I could hear the distant din attempting to drown out the sweet sounds of steel. And I wondered what drove Keith Diaz and his executive, all of whom are or were pannists, to such a desperate distraction?

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  • Thank you Mr. Shah for expressing again what serious pan lovers are so angry about.  Pan Trinibago did it last year and it was much worse.  I believe it was Renegades who was drowned out by the horendous explosion of DJs on the Greens last year, making them wait for the noise to die down with the MC screaming in the sound system for quiet.  The pannists could barely hear themselves and we know what can happen when tenors can't hear middles, etc. 

     

    You would think that with the number of complaints from the public in attendance, those viewing the show on TV, and the bands themselves, that Pan Trinbago would have been a lot smarter about when they held their bachannal on the Greens..  But like you say, dollars talk.  If it was at all possible for us to boycott panorama and let them really feel it where it hurts (their pockets) they probably would listen.  However, as patrons of the steelbands we would be hard pressed to make that kind of decision.  We couldn't deny the pannists the ability to show off their skills after working so hard.  I personally could not survive without my panorama.   As Boogsie said some years go Pantrinbago killed pan.  WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE INTERNATIONAL GOVERNING BODY OF PAN.   Governing body ???   a ridiculous phase if I ever heard one.

     

  • We all know what people will do for the love of money!

  • You know what's great about this article?

    A wordsmith like Raffique Shah couldn't find a more apt word to describe PanTrinbago's behavior  than " dotishness".

    and you know what?

    I couldn't come up with a better word either.

    That's exactly what it is, in plain Trini language

    "Dotishness"

  • I am in total agreement with Mr. Shah on this article. Wake up people!

    • "THERE ARE A LOT OF TRINI'S DONT LIKE PAN"

      well, yes, of course. so what?  that's not the point.

      the point IS, that who don't like pan has no need to be AT THE PANORAMA while there's a PAN EVENT going on.

      What kinda STUPIDEE pays money for a ticket to an event they nah like?  There are PLENTY of fetes and parties  for them who don't like pan.  THIS event, is not for those people.  so why are they even there?????   STUPID.

      and yes - MONUMENTALLY disrespectful for all that noise and carrying on to be ENCOURAGED to frack up the pan.

      .

  • As a person who was born in London of Jamaican parentage, I am totally shocked not at the fact that people who don't like pan and come to panorama to lime and be seen, but the fact they are catered for.
    This is pan season in Trinidad a special time, so people who don't like pan should simply £¥€* off elsewhere and party!
    It's not as if they can't find another venue to cater for them!
    Do you think they would have a calypso tent interfering with sunsplash in Jamaica? No its simply see sunsplash or go home!
    DON'T LET PAN TRINBAGO MAKE A MOCKERY OF PAN!

  • Excellent article from Raffique Shah - a true culture warrior from way back, with the heart of a revolutionary

  • and Pantrinbago say they LOVE PAN..............yea right......

     

    • In this country we follow what is of the day. Meaning that what is happening now, or in style, we follow. So Pantrinbago is no exeption in making foolish mistakes. When they suppose to improve and make shows like these more marketable and professional, it's been changed into another lime and fete. Mad!!!!!!

  • what is wrong with pantrinbago is time pan men look to do something  pan pantrinbago is doing nothing more than full there hands and pockets we want some body who will put the pan men and women in a respectable place that they could make a living from it and feed their family all we want is respect.

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