Can anyone in the pan movement in Ontario, Canada please tell me what is happening to the O.S.A. ( Ontario Steelband Association ). There is absolutely no information on their website, and as a matter
of fact, I’m not sure that it’s even still functioning ( both the website and the Association ) There have been no meetings of any kind for the past year and as a matter of fact, if you go on to their website,there is a note from the webmaster stating, “ if you are the owner of this site ……”
I have been asking some of the older heads about this situation and all I keep hearing is, “well boy, I really eh know what going on nah”. My response to this association, if you , the President or Chairman
or whomever, is not interested in representing the pan people and steel band lovers in this country, at least have the common decency and resign or at least, call a meeting and ask for a new board of
directors to be elected .
There seems to be only a handful of people that have kept the pan movement going in this town,but it seems that there is nothing being done by those individuals that were given the assignment to “do something for pan” People like Wendy Jones who has been doing the odd concert, the La Pierre’s who have always been there in the background and also Salah Wilson, who has been an Ambassador in
the pan movement, holding pan tuning clinics, teaching youngsters how to play our National Instrument, and carrying the pan to new heights. But what of the O.S.A….. nothing.
Once again, no respect for the pan. My advice to you, either shit or get off the pot !
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Well, it seems that Mr. Ken Bhagan and Mr. Peters were re elected into their old positions once more, I was amazed at the petty squabbling that went on at this meeting, but the major, important issues, like prize money and other points brought up by Mr. Salah, were just passed over as " we'll deal with that later" . ( ah see yuh smiling Salmon )
I, however, have paid my membership, offered my services and also offered to be a part of reaching out to other bands on the outskirts of the Toronto area, to keep them informed and in what is happening in the pan community. As I see it, there is a band in Windsor, London, three in Kitchener,one in Cambridge, one in Guelph, and they have absolutely no idea as to what is happening in the pan feternity, or the OSA for that matter.I have made my offer, now I will wait to see what happens.
There is an organization called OSA which is the main organization for steelpan in Ontario. There's also another organization called CFS (Canada Federation of Steelpan). Ken Bhagan used to be the man in charge of OSA. He was voted out of office and because he is so in love with power, he formed his own organization called CFS. So for all those who are mixing things up, hopefully everything is now cleared up. The government gives the money for running the Pan Alive competition to OSA. CFS has never hit the ground running and does not hold any power whatsoever. In other words they are a non-entity in my eyes. On the other hand, OSA receives all the money to distribute to all the different steelbands participating in Caribana. As an organizing they are supposed to have power, but they lack leadership so they are a non-effective organization. New blood needs to be elected so that there will be new mistakes moving forward, instead of recycling the same people making the same mistakes year in and year out. There is no country in the world that has a better youth education system for Steelpan like Toronto does, yet the average band can only field 20 players. All the youth steelpan players fall through the cracks between adolescence to adulthood. There is nothing in place in the steelpan community to embrace these young musicians after they leave the Elementary Education System. And over the last 20 years, I have not seen any of the band leaders being able to capitalize in this major flaw that the steelpan community faces. Furthermore, OSA only resurrects themselves around Caribana time. They are a waste of time in my eyes. The people who are running OSA are running it like it's a hobby. They have no vision and no plan.
Well said Salmon,
So here's where we stand.... we have an organization that means well, but can't seem to get it together. Why don't we, as a group on interested entrepreneurs, get together and elect new, fresh blood into the organization and make this really mean something, let's really do something for pan here in this country. I'm sure there are many pan enthusiast out there that feel that there is a need for change, let's all get together people and do something positive.... not just talk about it, lets do it ! I will be there at the meeting, roll call, who's with me !
I like your spirit Jerry, GOD knows the steelband needs a lot of people like you.
It's the same thing in the MECCA Salo, so we should not feel too bad.
Looks like the Steelpan Community is NYC/USA could teach us a thing or two to do more to keep pan alive in T.O., Onatrio, Canada ent...
Jerry, was OSA>CFS ever involved in helping support the fight to save SOS (Save Our Steelpan) in school program with the TDSB?
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