I have observed over the years two things on this site,
1st Panorama time is when it come alive
2nd not many members are willing to add a discussion.
Pan Times is doing an excellent job keeping us informed about all that's happening in the pan world, but we can be so much better if members contribute topics for discussion.
I know for sure that all the ole pan stories have not been told and Diaz and his gang is still running things, there are so many things to talk about, where should we start?
Replies
Father's Day Greetings and a pleasant Good morning to all the Fathers out there reading on this forum.
Just came back from the WeBeat Steelband Street Parade held in St. James...sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism.. A great great time....Exodus to Rhapsody with Starlift, Harvard Harps, Musical Gems, Valley Harps, Brimblers, Invaders, Old Tech and Phase II coming down Western Main Road, all the players and the people, HE Diaz et al as well chilling in the mix.
Following Goddard's post, let us put things with PTB into a kinda context if I may. PTB is operating in a country where most it not all of its funding is public, in an environment where the Cabinet of the TT Government approves spend 6.5 million to salvage a less than 2M valued FIRE TENDER, that fell 35 feet off the roadside. In a country where Insurance is King... Operating in a country where people are fleeced of their pensions, savings and other valuables and possessions (of all kinds). Greed is the order of the day and money is the Merchant's God. Legislation vs justice damn if you do , damn if you don't" As Eric Williams once quipped-- " Love it or leave it that is what it is here in Trinidad. If you don't like then get to hell out of here." PTB is the third incarnation of a body representing all things pan. It operates in an environment where as my new found friend, Claude, correctly advises "the court system in Trinidad is as quick as the molasses running out a bottle, and time is the thief with lawyers smiling all the way to the bank with litigation costs racking up into casym of debt for I guess the National Treasury and taxpayers to bear.
Civil Disobedience hmm let me think about this. When Steel Talks, Diaz Doesn't Listen. Correct is right. But more than likely he reads or is read to or advised. I suspect that HE Diaz reads..when I go back and look at my posts and the archival history will recall a turbulent little piece of hellfire with the leadership at PTB last year 2012 all year ....The short end of the stick is this....unless someone is prepared to do for this movement in Trinidad what Kubalsingh did for stopping the highway to Point Fortin to revise the critical environment and other changes interalia:.....(hunger strike in front PM office for 24 or whatever days like that) willing to die for the cause.....then Goddard's edict-ed points 2(f)&(g) in his post "UNITY with MOBILIZATION is STRENGTH, and not ALL "talk is cheap"......stop with dat ole talk right there.....Reality is Perception and Perception is also a reality. so lets be real When Steel Talks, I think is a very very important medium especially here in Trinidad & Tobago, and I can tell you for a fact that every single time I personally post anything on this forum, guaranteed it is being monitored by the leaders at PTB, even if they being portrayed as self-serving, egotistical, self-appointed steelband "elite"; a small bunch of testosterone-laden veterans, in the twilight of their years, and have no other desire than to fill their egos against the sleeping elephant of the masses lying dormant, slow to waking up, moving like they are under water. A new framework, critical in the absence of key information always would leave inquiring minds to wonder in this sweet land of ours.
Father's Day Special by All Stars yard......small monies for a nice jam to bring in the special day. 7PM tonight.
PLEASE SEND FEEDBACK WST MEMBERS TO THIS DISCUSSION. GOOD, BAD, INDIFFERENT,officers, rank and file the more the merrier..THANKS much...more love..
.
Gregory: I like your passage below:
The short end of the stick is this....unless someone is prepared to do for this movement in Trinidad what Kubalsingh did for stopping the highway to Point Fortin to revise the critical environment and other changes interalia:.....(hunger strike in front PM office for 24 or whatever days like that) willing to die for the cause...
But OLE TALK is easy and ACTIVISM is close to suicide!!! On a lighter note I have to tell you that not ALL THE VETERANS in the TWILIGHT OF THEIR YEARS are TESTOSTERONE-LADEN.
Lets see by the raising of hands all who think the time has come for pan people to have a MINISTRY OF PAN?
Gregory,
How do you think this forum would be without those "self-serving, egotistical, self-appointed steelband elite, that small bunch of testosterone-laden veterans, in the twilight of their years? Fathers Day Greetings to you my brother.
This is what I have to say
(1) I have pointed out that only a selected few members post on WST.
(2) There is a preference for nothing but Panorama and discussions about who "buss on stage", as opposed to the NUMEROUS discussions I raised on (a) defining the "Steelband Movement", (b) developing our own "pedagogy" to lift our collective "intellect", (c) managing our "national instrument" and responsible governance, (d) developed a COMPREHENSIVE "Blueprint" that takes us from where we are to where we would like to be, (e) exposed Pan Trinbago, Keith Diaz, Chief Bowei, FCL, Lambert, the "Greens", and the ATTSDC, (f) how to legally reclaim i.e. REVOLUTION, what is ours from Pan Trinbago and its cronies, (g) AND spoke of IMMEDIATE boycott and other methods of "civil disobedience". Unfortunately, as I also stated, MOST opt to only cry and complain, until next Panorama when the topic becomes who chune soun'in' better, and who go win Panorama. And the amusing cycle of discussions continues.
(3) In keeping with that, it is disappointing, though not surprising to witness the lack of proper "send off" that a SHERO of the Steelband Movement, Kaethe George, is being given here on WST. I get the token gestures, but we MUST learn to honor our own as well as others. I can only imagine the posts if it would have been someone like Kitchener (assuming he was still here), and I would bet that his passing would have been the NO. 1 discussion on WST. What if it were Boogsie or Robbie? They would make number one news. Those who serve as managers, administrators, political and academic leaders, "die-hard" promoters and national ambassadors of our culture, deserve much more recognition and honor, in my humble opinion. I would hope to see the day when we come to understand the IMPACT that people like the DISTINGUISHED Kaethe George had on the progress of the instrument.
(4) At the end of the day, who really cares what we have to say. WST, in reality, for many, is no more than a smorgasbord for the appetite of a self-serving, egotistical, self-appointed steelband "elite"; a small bunch of testosterone-laden veterans, in the twilight of their years, and have no other desire than to fill their egos on this forum. (Did I say that? Yes, I did.) UNITY with MOBILIZATION is STRENGTH, and not ALL "talk is cheap". (Diaz in Africa, "talking" as we speak.) When Steel Talks, Diaz Doesn't Listen. Why should he? WST is not a threat to his hops bread and Fernleaf butter. What do I have to say? Review my NUMEROUS posts, and you'll realize that what people pretending and fronting as being novel and brilliant, were already addressed, discussed, and provided solutions by yours truly.
(5) Where should we start? Hmm... How about from the "Blueprint"? (Just asking.)
GHOST - Who Knows You Know The Rest...
Pan'tum and the rest of WST active members looking on from the outside THE STEELBAND MOVEMENT Lobby is not together, is very weak, is not consistent November 2012 was supposed to have PanTrinbago Executive Election, due to legal matters we are waiting on the courts for the appeal decisions. I can tell you that in TT this issue is not on the radar, what is the latest on this election matter????
WST members have the power to exposed PanTrinbago by getting TT Citizens involved send your comments on a regular basis to the 3 dailies via emails Guardian, Express, Newsday and their would would be a difference in this Pan Trinbago FIASCO. TT Nationals are CLUELESS of this FIASCO....
Claude morning.........Cecil, Bertel ..hope all yuh out at WeBeat Steelband Festival night. Hope to see all there.
Gregory In the spirit.
Claude i agree with some of your positions. I however do not agree that a presidential candidate should only come through the rank of the steel band movement but should be any member of the organization with a track record of.performance, integrity, honesty, humility and a strong relationship with the creator. Coming through the ranks does not mean that one automatically qualifies not in this century and if that is the case then all three presidential candidates for the election qualify.
When i visited Beverley's pan yard a few weeks ago i took up a brochure from the library and another from the gift shop and based on what i have read so far i believe that her band is one of the best organized and successful orchestras today. That is why i am rooting for her. At first i was supporting Mr Merancie because i never heard about her before but after talking to her and seeing with my eyes the good work of that Tobago band i am convinced that this is the kind of modern leadership the movement needs today. Coming up through the ranks alone will not cut it. Claude, according to the brochure Beverley is the daughter of a pioneer of the oldest band in Tobago and seven of her uncles are pioneers and all her children plays the instrument and she grew up in the pan tent so she should really get busy and sell her self. The lesson i have learn' t from meeting that woman is to hush if you do not no people because when i heard she was running for president i had a mouth full to say. All i can say now is for her to go brave. She has won me over.
I do not think Beverly wants the job of president badly, Claude, because she said its not about her becoming president but about a team of servant leaders who are prepared to turn the organization into one that puts people and pan first. It is about team work and not i work, so its is not about becoming president for her it is about developing pan people. The visionaries are really tame and should really carry the fight to Diaz but politics is about war and money. money buys the ammunition for the political war. while Diaz has Pantrinbago treasury the new visionaries begging. Who have more corn feed more fowl not so?
Pan politically Beverly is no match for Diaz? Well if pan politics is about dishonesty, lack of accountability and under the table deals, self preservation, dictatorship and bad john tactics ect, Beverley my advice to you is to stay in Tobago and continue your excellent job because that type of politics is not for you.
Hermin:
I like and respect your response. When I say that the president should come through the ranks of the steelband movement, I have my reasons. The movement is not mature enough at this time to allow an outsider to take charge even if it will be in the best interest of PAN. At this stage in the instrument's development in Trinidad if you brought in some LOCAL WHITES or INDIANS or SYRIANS or CHINESE to run Pan Trinbago there will be riots in the streets because the pan community is MUCH TOO SHORTSIGHTED and needy at this point to look beyond the next handout.
So mostly for that reason I continue to believe that the leadership should come through the ranks. Now, we know the history of the ranks (although many johnny-come-lately historians are trying the sanitize the violent history) and we know what to expect from those ranks -- but it is a castle that they built through their blood sweat and tears and it is THEIRS. And that's the conundrum!!! If we are going to break away and bring in REAL LEADERSHIP we need to jump over BEVERLY AND THE VISIONARIES and go straight to the BUSINESS COMMUNITY or the ACADEMIC COMMUNITY to find a leader.And in some ways that will not be fair to the PAN MOVEMENT.
Bottom line: The movement is not ready for administrative change. Nor is there going to be any administrative or competent leadership for years to come. I have said this 100 times before and I will say it again: With the money coming in from the GREENS now, it will take a WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION to get Diaz out of that presidency. And even if the NEW VISIONARIES do manage to put Beverly in as President (when the molasses reach the court house three years from now) the culture of begging (shaming and strong-arming, actually) corporations and begging the government for money will continue to be the source of funds for the movement -- because that is all they know. And that is why we need to jump to the next level and bring in corporate thinkers not just to run the GREENS but the WHOLE ORGANIZATION.
Boy, Bertel and Cecil go get vex with meh and stop defending when dey see me limin with you so much!!!
Claude
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