It is strange the silence from pantrinbago 'guardian of the steelpan'. Imagine the tassa association attempting to degrade the steelpan in the worst manner ( see the express article "honour tassa just like pan http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/_Honour_tassa_just_like_pan_-167400415.html
Not a word from our parent body.
If tassa want to be the second national instrument, then justify your claim but dont try to degrade the steelpan to achieve your goal.
Comments
Another attempt to denigrate the steelpan and its prominence and to retard the growth of the industry by any means.
The tassa drum is not a creation of the nation of Trinidad and Tobago- pan is!
It is ridiculous to presume that the pan is not a creation of TnT because the materials used to make it are imported. We could easily make the material here as well since we also have a steel industry, but the beauty of pan is that it's primarily made from discarded and reused, recycled material making it even more important and attractive.
A tassa drum does not even come close. It's better to claim the sitar if we are going to go to these extremes.
If those who are pushing the Indian instrument as a way to balance the scales so to speak with a cultural heavyweight such as the pan, maybe they should just stake a claim for having the roti declared the national dish.
Tassa is probably the National instrument of India anyhow. It was not invented here.
We are not world renowned for the tassa.
As my former Colleague and chairman of the now defunct E.I.D.E.C.O., Mr. Val Rogers, opined "Pan, Mas & Calypso are reverse colonizing first world countries, especially pan". Tassa is nowhere on the horizon in these illustrious company. As another colleague challenged "Let them play the National Anthem on the tassa".
Nuff said.
Panicus Maximus!
Haydn, you hit the nail on the head I think Wendell Eversley is either the vice-president or vice-chairman of the National Tassa Association and he is using his position in the Congress of the People (COP) to start this dicussion.
Remember Dr Lincoln Douglas is the new culture minister and he is a COP - so people's watch this issue unfold and develop.
Issues like this cannot be fought on WST alone the media and the authority of T&T have to know our positions on this matter, I listen to Keith Diaz radio program on Saturday 8th September and this topic was a heated discussion through-out the his program.
Trinbagonian are to laid back to defend the National Instrument this topic on the radio or newspaper are dead issues, they react for a few days and the issue is bury.
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This massive set of fuckery doesn't warrant any comment except that it is a NEGRO' Wendell Eversley behind it. Some people say he is still traumatised by being a hostage in the attempted coup.Probably the brain is now dying
Trinbagonians love our Tassa but don't disrespect our greatest National invention by equating Tassa drumming with the locally invented Pan which is a complete musical instrument with all the ranges of music. Further Tassa is a drum that originated in Persia(now Iran). Check Wikipedia. Stop these nonsensical claims that seem to be all based on ethnic chauvinism. These foolish utternances and claims only serve to divide our people. Let us enjoy our Pan and our Tassa and stop this nonsensical attempt to make an instrument that came to our country from Iran via India/Pakistan by the Muslim Indentured Labourers and made its appearance with the Shia commemeration of "Hosay" which mourns the death of the two grandchildren of the Prohet Mohammed(PBUH) - Hosien (Hosay)and Hassan.
The next discussion we'll have is between Dhal and Rice and Pelau and Calaloo. It looks like there is element of the T&T society that is bent on playing the "Race" card.
The pan is indigenous and unique. It doesn't matter that it was created with imported raw materials, because it was created here - first by grassroot music innovators and later by individuals of all strata. It was first Trinidadian and later Caribbean. Now it is worldwide, but it started here. We must preserve its history and keep it alive and prominent as our heritage.
Please, please all you pan folks. I think you all are fussing over nothing. Don't you have any confidence in the pan ?. What are you'all worried about ?. when can this tassa take over the steelpan which is all over the world and keeps on growing.I am not worried. You don't have to take on everything that someone who is not educated on the subject says. Why not put all that effort into ideas for improving the instrument. As Ian Alleyne says " Doh hot yuh head " Mr. Wendell Eversley sounds to me like some parts of his brain got mixed up in explaining what he said. " The pan was imported" . He does not know the difference between a barrel (drum) and a pan, he is calling a barrel a pan. Incase he don't know , a pan is after it is made from the drum. he also said, "The goat skin is from here, the sticks which is made from sugar cane is from here". Incase Mr. Eversley did not know, the man that made the pan is from here too, born and bred from a sugarcane plantation.Now, just to update Mr. Eversley, The tassa is now being made with the cooking gas cylinders and drumset skin with the clamps and screws for tuning with a drumset key.No lighting fire to tighten skin. ( I do hope this does not sound too complicated for him). I am not against the tassa, but a local invention is a local invention. " Doh,
hot yuh head "
Tassa is a form of kettle drum, presumably of Persian derivation. Tassa drums are widespread all over India. Typically, one or more tassa drums are played together with a heavy bass drum called dhol, perhaps along with brass cymbals or a metal shaker. Tassa-dhol ensembles of three to five players are especially common in street processions, whether associated with weddings, political rallies, or Muslim Muharram commemorations. In Maharashtra, ensembles of several dozen drummers compete in festivities honoring the deityGanesh. Drummers in these ensembles are often amateurs, or specialists in other drum traditions. Brought by indentured workers to the Caribbean in the 19th century, tassa ensembles have flourished with great dynamism in Trinidad, where they were used in the Muslim Hosay festival, and also in Florida, Guyana, New York, Texas, New Jersey,Canada and various other places where Indo-Caribbean communities are found.
On the other hand.....
Steelpans (also known as steel drums or pans, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steel band or orchestra) is a musical instrument originating from The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Steel pan musicians are called pannists.
From Wikipedia
'Nuff said!
The tassa originated in the Persian region of Karbala what is known today as present day Iraq.
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