Blog 2.0

MY first Blog... not sure on what to do...

However, please do check out my first born doing his thang!, on the SOPRANO PAN!!. HE WON 1st PRIZE,... 1000$!!!

HIS FIRST SOLO COMPETITION.

(Sandra Blood writes on the humbling of Renegades)

 Renegades extends congratulations to the bands that are cited to perform at Panorama finals come Saturday 5^th February, while at the same time, thinks it fitting to addresses the unfortunate circumstance that skewed the judges ability to properly hear its rendition.

On Thursday February 10, five days before Panorama preliminaries, a feature “Renegades coming ready, deadly and lethal” graced pages B12 and B13, respectively, of the Guardian newspaper. On Sunday February 20, however, following their performance at the semi-finals, six adjudicators – Bernadette Roberts, Lennox London, Lambert Philip, Richard Pierre, Corinne Soo Ping Chow, and alternate judge, Damian Phillip – concluded that the band may have been lethal….but certainly not ready.

 This we know from their remarks and, clearly, from the points they awarded the band. 

How can five days prior to, in the preliminary leg of the competition, a tune appealed to judges, heard “clean and precise”, and on the internet as well, subsequently, further rehearsed and drilled to precision, and five days after at semi-finals, all fell down?

“Let’s hear it for band No.1 appearing in the large band category…bp Renegades,” declared the house announcer, readying the banner holders, followed by the Renegades players and supporters, and racks for the pans, to the sound of “How We Coming”, blasting from the house DJ.

Then the time to perform shortly came when a constant announcement soared through the air, requesting “the music in the North Stand to be stopped.” But no matter how repeatedly or forcefully the announcer urged, the music just continued.

A group of passionate people all warmed up, excited, confident and raring to go, to deliver a solid, acutely laid-down, well-rehearsed piece of music on a stage, where the “world governing body for pan” is hosting a prestigious competition, but they are subjected to getting cold and deflated, as the call to stop the North Stand music seems never-ending, and never heeded.

At that point, after a few minutes of the tiresome, irritating announcement, the now-confused performers-to-be, waiting in cue to take their bow, and the supporters and other spectators, have become uneasy and concerned, fully focusing on the northern side of the stage.

 Players who were facing the Grand Stand, turned around and faced the North Stand wondering whether or not the DJ over yonder wasn’t hearing the announcement, or if they weren’t seeing a band was ready to perform. Meanwhile, the spectators and supporters on the western end of the stage began shouting, drawing police presence.

 Some players were muttering: “But what is this, where d police across there to maintain order?” “Where d Pan Trinbago management team”? “It seems as though they want to frustrate us”!

The players—in their minds, and spirits – what is happening at this point in time?

We are in a quandary as to whether or not this beautiful masterpiece is ever going to be heard any time soon in the manner in which it was rehearsed – to precision.

You may have performed on a stage in the Panorama arena for over 30 years; you may have performed on TV, and to other types of audiences in many countries. No matter how frequently you do it, when the big Port of Spain Panorama moment comes, the ‘psyche’ is built up; the butterflies are tearing at the stomach, yet you remain focused on what is to be delivered and accomplished. But the environment must be reasonably conducive.

That is to say, you come with the understanding that the place of performance is ready to receive, hear, and see you. And where music is concerned, there must be no delays; relative peace and quiet, nothing seriously to disrupt your comfort level.

Should the listeners – including the adjudicators – have heard anything less than a perfect performance, how would they know it’s not a result of the ripple effect of the pre-performance commotion compounded by the constant flow of music in-between the performance? The disturbance of the mind and spirit caused by some audacious DJ/s, some selfish people who evidently lacked respect and discipline; some person or people who do not really care about the art form or what is happening on stage? People who had spent more than $300 just to come and “lime”?

What an insult to the performers, and integrity of the show by extension!

 Weren’t they aware a serious musical competition was in progress?

Clearly not, for they had secured position behind the stands--on “the greens”, oblivious to, or uncaring about, what’s transpiring in front of the massive stands.

Who is to be held accountable for the mental, spiritual and psychological disruption that caused Renegades’ demise pushing them to 13^th place? What do the relevant authorities have to say for the breach of integrity of their show? 

Other big bands encountered delays of their own doing as their supporters refused to clear the stage, but not delays as lengthy as that endured by Renegades’, and the inconsiderate playing of music was curtailed.

Taking what transpired, and all of the above into account, I think the honourable thing to do is to allow Renegades to be judged for the finals. For they have been dealt a blow undeserving to them, arising out of the blatant lack of regard of some patrons of the show…because Renegades is Ready!

Sandra L Blood played seven-bass with Renegades at Panorama semis, and played nine-bass over decades before.

After the curtain is drawn on the greatest cultural show on the planet what cultural infrastructure is set in place by the Ministry of Culture and t Pan-Trinbago to further promote the art and the artist?  As a former player for many years with such bands as "Fascinators," "Forsythe Highlanders," "Huggins Pandemonium," "Catelli Trinidad All Stars," and "Arima Angel Harps" I recall to memory after showtime it was "see you next time."

I believe that the time has arrived for Trinidad and Tobago Government in collaboration with the governing pan-body to invest not only in the upgrade of the instrument, but also to upgrade the social and financial well being of the panist and the art form. 

I suggest having at least three national steel-ban competition per year, [a] National Panorama Competition, [b] Independence Steel-ban Competition, [c] National Steel-ban Classical Music Festival.

I also suggest hosting of a World Steel-ban competition every three years where bands from around the world can come to T&T and compete in three categories for the "Supreme World Championship Title" along with outstanding cash prizes.

I suggest bands should be judged on compositions of  [a] Calypso music, [b] Classical music, and [c] Contemporary music of choice.  What's your thoughts?

Tune played Pantrix - Sung by Steve Sealy

                                Composed by Avis Bruce

                                Arranged by Kareem Brown

The introduction was arranged with two parts coming from the melody.The middle pans solo the verse, this comprised of the four (4) pans and the triple guitars. Then the bass also played the chorus and in between parts of this melody was played down to the end.

The judges Jeanette Johnson, Cuthbert Matthews, Lorna Conyette, Joanne Ragbir stated in their score the band should have played a part of the melody in the introduction, (which we did). The band should have played the melody on the middle pans, (which we did). The bass should have played a part of the melody, (which we also did) and in conclusion they said the melody was played to the end (which we did not do).

This clearly showed these people did not know the tune or its pure incompetence on their behalf. A band of seventy odd players have to suffer for thier incompetence. Pan Trinbago should allow persons who have their degree in music to also have PRACTICAL INVOLVEMENT/EXPERIENCE with the steel band, before allowing them to judge.

Because this panel of four seemed to have lost their way. 

Congratulations to David Aarons, who is a graduate of the School of the Creative Arts at St Augustine, Trinidad, on being one of the four winners of the Concerto Competition at the School of Music, University of Northern Illinois where he is doing his masters in music with the steel pan as the main instrument.

Along with other winners (one clarinet and two piano players) he performed with the NIU Philharmonic Orchestra on 16 Feb 2011 in the Music Hall at Dekalb,. He played the solo part in the  the orchestral arrangement of Liam Teague's Visit to Hell . The orchestration was done by Jaime Whitmarsh and this was the world premier of the piece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rxaGdhlBg

check out the world premier of the orchestral arrangement of Liam Teague' Visit to Hell by David Aarons and the NIU Philharmonic Orchestra at Dekalb, Ilinois, USA on 16 Feb 2011 The orchestral arrangement is by Jaime Whitmarsh

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6rxaGdhlBg

On behalf of all conscious Pannists everywhere, I extend a heartfelt thank you, to Bro. Salah Wilson and those Pan Lovers around the world, who signed a petition in support of our struggles with the Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism to retain the One Thousand dollars as negotiated with the former regime, to which the Panorama players had become accustomed. Regardless of the outcome, I say thanks to all of you.

In Trinbago, the home of the Steel Pan, there is mischief afoot. Please allow me some space to tell my story.On the night of Feb. 9, 2011, just around 10:45PM the Southern Marines Steel Orchestra was outside their Pan Theatre rehearsing for Panorama 2011, as is the custom and practice for the near sixty years of this Steel Orchestra in the community of Marabella and with Panorama preliminaries just three days away two Police offi-cers, PC #13246 and WPC #17908 (information given by them) in Police vehicle # PCL 9796, came and informed a member of the leadership that the Steelband does not have permission to practice outside the yard, and they should stop playing the instruments immediately.

The members thought this had to be an early all fools trick, so they kept on playing. I came in time to see the driver reentering the vehicle. I indicated to him and the WPC at his side, that, maybe we should talk. He made a sign indicating that he was not hearing and drove off. Within half an hour a member came into the Pan yard to inform me that they were back, with reinforcement. When I came outside, I saw one other officer, making them three in number and they were trying to explain something to a member of our executive.I intervened by saying goodnight, who is the senior officer in charge here. The new comer identified himself as the one.

I invited him to walk into the Pan Palais where it was more appropriate to converse, seeing that the band was rehearsing outside. Inside the Palais, I asked him for his name to which he replied that he was Gar-raway #10886, and we were breaking the law by playing outside of the Pan yard, and we should stop.I gave him a brief history of the Steel band in the Community of Marabella, and in my sixty odd years in this community where I was born, this is the first time the police had made such a demand.

His reply was, we’ve been breaking the law all those years and somebody was afraid to tell us. (I must say at this point, that there was no hostility displayed at any time of our conversation).He went on to state that anytime we want to rehearse outside of the Pan yard, we must go to the station and make a request. (Southern Marines Steel Orchestra played at the opening ceremony of the said station). I, still in a taken aback mode, said that this is the strangest thing outside of the shooting of pannists in the Pan yard.Southern Marines always rehearses outside the yard the week leading up to Panorama/Carnival.

He went on to talk about the EMA and noise levels, and how somebody made a report, and the fact that he is from Point Fortin, and is nothing personal. There and then, I started to wonder if something was amiss. I started to recall the many sleepless nights full of fear and unease over the years that the people of Marabella have had to endure because of noise and chemicals in the atmosphere coming out of the Pointe-A-Pierre refinery.Only a few weeks ago, the whole Community was startled out of their slumber due to a loud noise coming from the refinery, that started around 11:30PM, and lasted till around 3:30AM.

The whole of Marabella was affected. Where was the EMA?But some young people, in a crime riddled community, coming together to play the National Instrument, in preparation for a National competition within the National Festival, suddenly become the target of the law en-forcers. Somebody please tell us what is really going down? Are we going back to the Good ole, Bad ole days?

There seems to be mischief afoot.Why after all these years of conflict and pain, blood sweat and tears, we still have to be defending our right to enjoy the beat of the DRUM…be it skin or steel? Why today, when the Steel Pan is now established all over the world, and those involved could make a career of it, some one or the other, is working over time, to frus-trate and turn the minds of those involved away from it?What is this mind game all about? If the early Pioneers did not give up so today we can enjoy the fruits of their struggles to preserve this god given instrument, who says that we in this generation are prepared to give up now.Pannists awake…somebody is stealing the soul of the nation before our very eyes.

Michael L Joseph {Bro. Scobie}

President

Southern Marines Steelband Foundation