Blog 2.0

Attention: Mr. Nigel Williams and the management of Massy Trinidad All Stars, La Famille United Steel Orchestra would like to take this opportunity to thank you for sponsoring La Famille for Panorama 2017. Information from the past, it has never been done before having a large band sponsor a single pan band.  We just wanted to express our appreciation for your contribution to our band.

Yours truly,

ROGER WHITEMAN

MANAGER

"Passion, precision, percussion. The panman dedicates sleepless nights and countless hours to memorizing arrangements of calypsos for competition, the Panorama. The necessity for that element of competition in Carnival is still being debated." Photo © 1997, Cyan Studios Ltd. Excerpted from the book, Return to Kairi: A Trinidad & Tobago Journey (Port of Spain: Jett Samm Publishing, 1998)

I am a steelpan fan, not necessarily an overt steelpan junkie, but I do appreciate the music born here in Trinidad and Tobago and that sound that makes that original music. This is ours, and once a year, we can all participate in a festival that not only celebrates that sound, but reminds those who are sensitive to the subliminal signs of what steelband researcher Kim Johnson called “the audacity of creole imagination.” The annual Panorama competition has increasingly become a “must do” option for Carnival because, to me, it is more than music, it is history and individual biography, it is sociology and science, rhythm and motion, it is tonic and elixir for Carnival. It is fun. I become a “people observer” trying to create stories out of the snippets of overheard conversations, and the sights and sounds of this organised chaos that we call Trinidad Carnival.

First things first: Trinidad Carnival is not a spectator sport but a participatory event, or a series of participatory events: soca fêtes, costume masquerade, pre-dawn j'ouvert, soca and calypso competitions, and the Panorama. Panorama Finals, a celebration of and a competition among the best steelbands nationally happens in the Queens Park Savannah in Port of Spain—or the Big Yard, as we refer to it locally—on the Saturday before Carnival. It includes bands from all over the islands performing eight-minute arrangements of calypsos, although one is now more likely to hear arrangements of soca songs increasingly composed by the steelband arrangers who don't normally produce songs to compete in the hustle and bustle of carnival music.

The Panorama Final is the end of a series of gatherings that awaken a spirit that anybody can partake of. If you are in the island early enough, about 3 weeks before the Carnival days, one can do a panyard crawl to sample the sounds and sights of that urban space where late-night practice makes for a blending of musical dexterity, rote learning devoid of the fully understood theory, and wilful determination towards an oft elusive Panorama champion title. As in the football World Cup, there are just a few winners in the history of Panorama, but that has not stopped bands from all corners of the island from competing for the idea of Panorama champion. Arguments about “who play better,” and “who had more excitement in the pan”, and “that is not a tune for Panorama” resonate for months after Carnival is over. Panorama is more than music.

Panorama is music in motion. Panorama is an awakening of sensibilities that give us permission to behave badly. Music and movement and emotion all in one. The motion of the players rocking and grooving to the sound and rhythm of the engine room, the percussive centre of the steelband. The motion of the fans dancing to this music, percolating at a clip rhythm that guarantees body and tempo should become one. Dancing is inevitable. Dancing in time with the music, more so. Chipping (slow steady sliding steps as you move forward with the bands) and to a lesser extent, wining (sexy and suggestive gyrating of the hips, preferably with a partner), and jumping up (vertical with hands in the air, and in time with the music) are the dances of carnival and the dances inspired by pan music. Shoes, then, become mandatory. Slippers may work, but if pedicures are important, sneakers are better.

When you consider that the early Panorama preliminaries in the 1960s were judged “on the move”—with steelbands in racks being pushed on wheels by partisan supporters from the community—you may question whether we have gone backwards or away from our Caribbean instinct to move. Now we have bands being judged in a static formation on a stage, facing one direction, orchestra-like, in defiance to the urge to jump up. What ends are we serving, a European ideal for conformity or a Caribbean reality for participation, joy and movement? I guess the answer can be better considered depending where you are seeing and hearing the Panorama. For we do have a couple options: the drag or the stands.

The action, the real action takes place on “the drag,” a strip of tarmacadam that wends its way in and out of the Savannah passing in front of the Grand Stand, an evolution of the old horse racing grandstand. (The original was demolished in 2006 to be rebuilt as a clone in 2011). That original pavilion for Sport of Kings birthed a sister stand, the North Stand, which has become the playground of and a magnet for the imitative “mimic men” of the middle classes, pretenders looking to become one with the people. Between the drag and the North Stand, you can sense what the atmosphere of true liberation—and libation—the Panorama can be.

The North Stand is the fun place to be if you're is liming in the stands. A cacophony of rhythmic iron clanging, hand drumming and bottle and spoon beating makes for a noisy air of communal spirit and activity that one may find at an EDM festival or Glastonbury maybe. In Trinidad, rum rules, and the idea of the primacy of music is slowly giving way to the idea of a new kind of hedonism that travel writers casually describe as a selling point for Caribbean people.

All this pleasure becomes evident when you're on the drag. From this vantage point, you can hear all the bands do a final practice performance of their competition tune and it's all free. Restriction and freedom are two opposites that shaped Trinidad history. At Panorama, on the drag, they live side by side to shape what we see and hear. Food and drink, drink and food, the cuisine of the casual participant is the fuel for what seems to be an endless celebration. Time has no boundaries at Panorama. The Panorama semi-final, an important milestone in the series as this allows for a gauge of what is possible and what is really happening in steelband music is normally a 14-hour event starting before mid day!

Panorama, to some, is the apotheosis of the steelband. To others, it reflects a growing decay of the communal spirit associated with the movement and a movement. Commercialism ;and a kind of redundancy, and a number of alternative events have eaten away at some of the appeal of Panorama. But for me, it is a rekindling of hope that we are masters of our domain, not necessarily conforming to the dictates of gatekeepers that rule media and creative enterprises. It is our little rebellion. Our fantasy that for a day, after many days and nights in those panyards, those crucibles of creativity and sweat and fire, we as a nation can make something that will last the test of time. It is also our chaotic and fervent and rhythmic moment when time stands still, literally—we can all move as one to the beat.

* Originally published in the January/February 2017 issue of Caribbean Beat Magazine

© 2017, Nigel A. Campbell. All rights Reserved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt2mMno1WHQ

Word has reached me that my expression of disappointment with the speed at which CAL Invaders delivered their rendition at the Oval Car Park at the Preliminaries for the Large Bands Category has hurt or even angered members of the Invaders fraternity.

I take this opportunity to unreservedly apologize for the negativity it has caused and to stress that there was absolutely no malice meant.

I remain

Yours respectfully

CHAIRMAN – NORTHERN REGION 

PRO Fails in His Attempt to Defend the Pan Trinbago Oligarchy Against Charges of Corruption

By LuvMehPan

[This is a review and critique of “Pan Trinbago Defends Itself Against Charges of Corruption,” by Michael Joseph, PRO of Pan Trinbago, published on When Steel Talks]:

http://www.panonthenet.com/news/2017/jan/pan-trinbago-strikes-back-1-9-2017.htm

At the onset I should indicate that I have known Mr. Michael Joseph for some time, but mostly at a distance. I have admired the work he has done over the years with Southern Marines. One of the things we have in common is a grassroots perspective on the steelband movement. Simply put, pan evolved in response to the social conditions affecting the “lower-class” who therefore should remain the custodians and the main beneficiaries of its development and expansion.

I have also observed him over the years as a member of the Pan Trinbago Oligarchy, a fitting characterization of leadership of the steelband movement as suggested by their practices and policies over the past 35-40 years. I should also acknowledge the many accomplishments of Pan Trinbago, especially those related to young pannists, such as the Pan in Schools Program which prepares them for careers in the steelpan industry and other areas of cultural and festival arts. But overall, their operations have been mired in controversy.  Questions about transparency, accountability, financial management capability and, in many cases, experience and expertise to manage a critical emerging industry have been raised about the organization’s leadership. These are just some of the issues which have impeded the forward progress of the steelband movement in the “Post-Goddard” years.

Mr. Joseph should be complimented on responding in defense of the Pan Trinbago officials against whom charges of corruption have been made. After all, he is fulfilling the mandate of his job as the Public Relations Officer by presenting a positive image of the organization. Additionally, he has been a main figure in the steelband movement for many years and therefore should be privy to its inner workings. There were many factual statements in his response, with those I concur; however, I take issue with several points he made.

A “clear history of the evolution of the Steelpan”

First, let me indicate that I have reasonably “clear history of the evolution of the Steelpan.” I have a good understanding of the steelband movement because I have made the study of the steelpan from its origins to today my lifelong work. More importantly, I have been directly involved with the steelband movement since the early 1970s, when I served as a member of the Executive Committee of a top steelband in Trinidad and Tobago.  Additionally, I have been the director of a steelband in the US for over 30 years. This gives me a broad perspective on the steelband movement. From the mid-1990s I started formerly applying social science tools of analysis to researching, dabbling in theory and offering rational suggestions to steelband administrators. I have organized symposia, presented papers at conferences, and engaged other activities directed to contribute to the maximizing of the economic benefits that accrue to pan players.

In April 1997, for example, at the “Steelband Experience: A Pan Trinbago Symposium,” held at La Joya, in St. Joseph, I challenged the orthodoxy that steelband administrators have an inherent right to manage the finances of steelbands to their benefit and without much accountability to pan players. That belief is based on the administrators being the ones who did all the year round work to keep the band solvent.

Some steelband managers present at that symposium were advocates of that perspective. (The T&T Broadcasting Company has the audio recording of that conference.) And, true to form, many steelband administrators, leaders, managers, captains, etc., have made a living (and a good one at that), essentially skimming of the top of their band’s finances, at the expense of the pan players. Similarly, at the national executive and regional chairmanship levels, the benefits and perks received by Pan Trinbago far outstrip the income received by even the best “crack-shot” pannist.

Why is Pan Trinbago “fighting for its survival . . .”?

I agree with Mr. Joseph that Pan Trinbago (and its precursor organizations) is indeed one of the oldest grassroots organizations in Trinidad and Tobago. The question is why at this juncture “it is fighting for its survival in the space and the arena that it struggled long and hard to establish and maintain for over sixty years.”

Mr. Joseph indicated that “Pan Trinbago produces an audited financial statement annually to NCC, the Minister and the Permanent Secretary, unlike most other entities across this nation.” That is indeed true.  But questions should be raised, and have often been raised, regarding the contents of those statements.  

“audited financial statements”

Correct me if I am wrong. These “audited financial statements” are included in Pan Trinbago’s report which is presented at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). That report is the basis of decision-making which results, for example as with the 2015 AGM, in the election of officers for the organization. My understanding is that these reports are made available to delegates on the morning of the AGM. Why can’t these reports be made available say, a month before the AGM, so that they can be read, understood, and discussed within individual steelbands, thereby enabling delegates at the AGM to make rational decisions on their band’s behalf? Without some knowledge of accounting, which could be true in the case of some delegates, it may be necessary to get an accountant to explain the financial statements in the reports. Further, as in the 2015 report, critical financial information was missing. That needs to be changed.

I have reviewed several of these “audited financial statements” and my first take is that the auditors themselves need to be audited. For example, the following two phrases recur in each of these audited statements qualifying sections that should be called into question. The first statement which should be subject to scrutiny is the following:

“In common with many non-profit organizations, Pan Trinbago reports gate receipts and donations which are not susceptible to verification by audit practices,”  (Pan Trinbago Convention Reports.) 

Gate receipts and donations are two main sources of Pan Trinbago’s income outside of the subvention from government. Why are these not susceptible to certification? There are multiple computer software and programs with which accounting for tickets sales can be properly accomplished. Every PC should have Microsoft Excel. No software is needed to add up and report donations!

The second statement also begs the question:

“. . . the financial statements present fairly the financial position of Pan Trinbago as at [date of report] and the results of operations for the year ended, to the best of our information and explanations given to us” [Italics the writer’s] (Pan Trinbago Convention Reports.) 

This statement, in my view, absolves the auditors from any “irregularities” that may be present in the financial statements and, in a sense, gives Pan Trinbago officials a carte blanche mechanism for dealing with their improprieties.

These statements are included in the cover letter of each of the auditor's reports I reviewed. Is this a normal auditing practice to qualify an auditor's report as such? I say audit the auditors!

Pan Trinbago: “the whipping horse for all the years of mismanagement, corruption and wastage . . .”

I am in agreement with Mr. Joseph that Pan Trinbago should not be “the whipping horse for all the years of mismanagement, corruption and wastage of our national patrimony.” I read a copy of the most recent report of the Auditor General of Trinidad and Tobago. The Auditor General listed several questionable areas that allude to corruption in various sectors of the nation.

However, Pan Trinbago is definitely responsible for 36 years of “mismanagement, corruption and wastage” of the coffers of the steelband movement. I say 36 years because in 1980 and 1982, Pan Trinbago allocated $50,000 and $100,000 (respectively) from the Pan is Beautiful Festival [in 1982 to purchase materials] for the Headquarters (Pan Trinbago Convention Report, 1984).

What is the status of the Headquarters today? Prime Minister Rowley called the unfinished headquarters an “. . . eyesore which represents the worst of Trinidad and Tobago” (Cardinez 2015). How many millions have been mismanaged, wasted or pilfered to date in the guise of expenditures on the headquarters? Who holds the responsibility for such outright mismanagement and “missallocation” of the finances of the steelband movement? To that should be added the $millions (?) spent over the years in office and meeting space rental, hotel accommodation for guests, and all the other amenities which would be part available at the headquarters complex.

Analysis of the finances of the “steelband headquarters project,” Steelfest (especially Steelfest II), and the panorama aspect of the International Conference and Panorama confirm these as clear examples of “mismanagement, corruption and waste.”  For example, to encourage participation in the International Panorama, Pan Trinbago literally “gave away” close to US$1 million to foreign steelbands in the guise of “Appearance Fees.” From my perspective the only criterion foreign “qualified” steelbands had to meet was their “willingness” to come to Trinidad and participate in the competition. For some bands that “willingness to participate” got them as much as US $60,000! My estimation is that “Appearance Fees” cost Pan Trinbago somewhere between US $900,000 and US $1 million.

The International Panorama

The International Panorama (IP) of the International Conference and Panorama (ICP) is a classic example of extravagance and waste.

In October Pan Trinbago hosted the First International Conference and Panorama to the tune of some TT $37 million. As an academician I’m I understand the importance of conferences and I supported the conference as did most of Trinidad and Tobago. But to me, the Panorama was an exercise in extravaganza at great monetary and opportunity costs to pan players in Trinidad and Tobago in general.

Twelve (12) bands from Trinidad and Tobago competed against twelve (12) foreign bands, three (3) from the US, two (2) from Canada, and one each from England, France, Jamaica, Japan, St. Lucia, St. Martin and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The twelve (12) local steelbands were all in the winners’ row in Trinidad’s 2015 National Panorama, four (4) chosen from each of the three categories of Conventional Steelbands. The criteria for choosing the foreign steelbands were not so clear.

Panorama competitions are held in the US (Brooklyn and Miami), London and Canada. The steelbands which won the 2015 NY and Miami panorama did not participate in the IP. The band from England did not win the 2015 panorama there. The band from NY, was a coalition group of sorts including players from several NY steelbands. The band from Maine was also a “coalition group,” formed for the ICP.

Only one of the bands from Canada met similar criteria as the Trinidad and Tobago steelbands, i.e., being in the top three of a 2015 panorama competition.

Foreign bands were also afforded a “handicap.” They were allowed to include fifteen (15) local players in their complement of sixty (60) players. That was one way in which some local pan players benefited from the International Panorama.

 The prizes for the IP, in US dollars, was 1^st - $250,000, 2nd - $200,000, 3rd - $150,000, 4th - $125,000, 5th - $100,000 and 6th to 10th - $50,000. Bands also received “Appearance Fees” (in US dollars) of $60,000, for the bands from the UK, Europe and Asia,  $50,000 to the bands from the US and Canada, $40,000 to the bands from the Caribbean and $25,000 to the bands from Trinidad and Tobago.

These prizes must be placed in context of prizes in other panorama competitions. For example, the first prize in the 2015 T&T National Panorama was TT $1 million (approx. US $166,667) in Brooklyn US $20,000, in the Canada Pan Alive competition each band receives, in Canadian dollars, (US$1 = C $1.30) a $1,200 appearance fee, $500 for transportation and a further 20% of each Pan Alive ticket they sell to a maximum $2,000 and then 5% for each ticket sold thereafter. A first prize of say, US $175,000 to $180,000 seems more adequate, unless in its budgeting for the ICP Pan Trinbago expected to receive revenues from the conference and panorama exceeding TT$37 million cost of the ICP (the IP expenses plus the other expenses associated with hosting the ICP).

The foreign steelbands were each “hosted” by a band local steelband (i.e., provided rehearsal space and pans in some cases, etc.), for which the host band received TT$25,000. What were the criteria for choosing host steelbands? One criterion seems to have been their relationship with Pan Trinbago or local steelbands.

For example, at the time of the IP, some host bands were managed by a member of the then current administration either at the national or regional level. Steelbands falling into this category include Valley Harps, Southern Marines and Sfzorta.

Cost effectiveness was certainly not a consideration in the location of host bands relative to the competition venue, the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain. For example, Pan Trinbago also paid for the transportation of players and instruments (where necessary, i.e., with the exception of bands located walking distance from the Savannah.) Harmonites was not selected to be a host steelband even though their Pan Theater has adequate facilities and is located closer to the Savannah (about 4 miles) than all but one, maybe two, of the host bands (Pandemonium, which hosted Panorama Steelband from Japan and Starlift which hosted Pan Coalition from Maine).

Pan Trinbago’s preference was to cover transportation cost from Couva, Marabella, San Fernando, Curepe, Arima, Sangre Grande, and Petit Valley rather than from Morvant Junction.

Could it be that Pan Trinbago and its paid advisors were being vindictive against Harmonites or was this an instance of myopic financial planning?

There is one other important observation of the Pan Trinbago Oligarchy that should be mentioned.

Whether by accident or design, each of the three “out-going presidents” of Pan Trinbago in the “Post-Goddard” period moved to an advisory capacity with ability to influence the operation of Pan Trinbago. Two of the three went on to advisory positions on the NCC and one became a paid advisor to Pan Trinbago. Such are the inner-workings of an oligarchy!

Unfortunately, I am not privy to Pan Trinbago’s data, even though I have good relationships (or at least so I thought), with several of the main actors in the steelband movement (managers and other officers of steelbands, arrangers, tuners, people in the media, etc.) Over the years I have tried to maintain a professional relationship with, and offer my services to, Pan Trinbago. I have had dealings with each of the presidents and many of the officers of Pan Trinbago in the “Post-Goddard” period. However, most have been less than receptive maybe because of my grass-root appearance and perspective. Skepticism, lack of support and even disrespect were hallmarks of my attempts to motivate positive change in the steelband movement.

It will be useful to have access to the ICP’s budget. I wonder who does have the financial report from the ICP? As a “public corporation” Pan Trinbago should be required to make the organization’s financial statements available for public scrutiny. If Pan Trinbago’s Constitution remains in effect; however, steelbands may have to wait until the morning of the next Annual General Meeting (at which elections are held) for those figures.

Nevertheless, I stand firm on the notion that IP’s share of the $37 million cost of the ICP was a waste of resources at the expense of the pan players in Trinidad and Tobago.

The financial fiasco of the 36 years (in the making) headquarters should suggest that the pattern of corruption, mismanagement, and waste is not unique to the Diaz Administration.  And many of the charges of corruption and financial mismanagement can be substantiated.

Corruption and the absence of a legal structure for the operation of steelbands

Corruption (or whatever you call it) is part and parcel of the operation of Pan Trinbago and likewise many of the steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago. This is exacerbated by the absence of a legal structure for the operation of steelbands. As a result, the models of ownership of steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago vary from those which are (stated or not) proprietorships and owned by an individual, to those which are clearly corporations.

Several steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago fall into the first category. In some steelbands the owner may be called the “manager” “or “captain,” etc. In many cases the person who controls the money is the “de facto owner” of the steelband.

There are also steelbands, such as Pamberi, which legally are corporations (LLCs) and others (All Stars, for example) which have an associated “charitable organization” status. Many steelbands fall somewhere in-between with management structures similar to social groups or clubs.

This is one area where the Minister of Culture could be useful. There should be laws governing the operation of steelbands. All should agree that a steelband is a business. In fact, the more successful steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago are those which operate as businesses. Such laws should enable steelbands to have, for example, access to credit and money markets. How many steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago can obtain a loan from a bank?

Pan Trinbago should be acknowledged for the global expansion of the steelpan; however, there are hundreds of expatriates and musicians in the Diaspora whose investment in time and money and contributed more significantly to the international, appreciation and expansion of the steelpan and steelband. The challenges faced by steelbands abroad include and transcend many of those faced by steelbands in Trinidad and Tobago.  There is not much Pan Trinbago support of steelbands in the Diaspora.  

As an example, Pan Trinbago’s support for the steelbands in Brooklyn is minimal, if any. Of course representation of Pan Trinbago at the Brooklyn Labor Day Panorama is one of the perks received by officers at the national and regional levels. The situation with steelbands in Brooklyn has been deteriorating over the years: disappearing panyards due to gentrification and increasing real estate costs, militarization of the J’Ouvert, stagnant prize monies, etc. Pan Trinbago’s officers basking in the limelight and having a good time is an annual sight at Labor Day Panorama. I wonder who covers their expenses?

But let’s talk about Pan Trinbago’s real “financial” investments. What is the status of the Nigerian steelpan company, purportedly formed by Diaz? What is the net worth of Panvesco? What about the investment in the Headquarters? Which “stakeholders” are benefitting from these?

Further, my understanding is that the foreign steelbands have been paid for their participation in the ICP Panorama. What about the payments to TT pannists? Even if they have been paid, why is the late payment to pan players systemic, as with the 2016 Panorama?

“capacity building and institutional strengthening”

With respect to “capacity building and institutional strengthening,” Pan Trinbago was incorporated in 1986.  Pan Trinbago officials have had thirty (30) years to build capacity and strengthen the organization. It is not useful to single out any particular administration because each has its merits and demerits. Some of the positive steps made by the organization benefitted the Pan Trinbago officials at the expense of pan players. For example, the executive are now salaried employees. That has added another avenue for financial irregularities. And pan players, the core of the steelband movement, are still at the bottom of the income distribution ladder relative to arrangers, tuners, steelband managers and Pan Trinbago officials.

In 1996, then Prime Minister, Basdeo Panday, advocated self-sufficiency on the part of the carnival arts interest groups. He proposed fading out funding to Pan Trinbago, the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organization (TUCO), and the National Carnival Band Association (NCBA), by decreasing their annual subvention in increasing amounts over a period of four years. Maybe that proposal should be revisited. Most economists would agree that infant industry status is necessary and useful. But after 25-plus years, it’s time for the child to grow up. Thirty (30) years old and still wearing pampers, eh?

Canboulay (Cambule?) versus Mardi Gras

“Today, Carnival has developed into a financially viable industry, heavily influenced by Canboulay groups. Mardi Gras is hell bent on taking back control by any means necessary.”

I am with you here Scobie.  Pannists should be the first to benefit from the development of the steelband industry. Control of the steelband movement should not be in the hands of pan players, not the government or business. However Pan Trinbago must undergo an overall “makeover” for this to occur.

Pan Trinbago has become an oligarchy, i.e., a small group of individuals who together control the organization, often for their own purposes. In the past 35-40 years, there have been four only presidents of Pan Trinbago and, even though the presidency has changed, some members of the Executive Committee have held offices for 30 or more years. The current Secretary (now Acting President) for example, has been with Pan Trinbago for over 40 years, holding several offices including Assistant Secretary and Treasurer.

The oligarchy is reinforced by the regional grouping of steelbands. Bands are grouped into four regions: North, East, South/Central, and Tobago. Regional Officers are generally the leaders or other officers of steelbands and tend to be closely aligned to with National Executive, and some may be past members of the National Executive.

President Keith Diaz formerly served as Vice President and External Relations Officer of the Northern Region. Recently resigned Vice President, Bryon Serrette, was a former Northern Region Assistant Secretary.

Additionally, there are many “hangers-on,” some of whom held executive office in the past. They are also recipients of perks and benefits. Sometimes they are rewarded by positions for which they are not qualified, which is not on the best interest of the steelband movement. The head of the Tuner’s Guild, who is not a pan tuner, is one such beneficiary.  And he is not the only non-tuning officer on the Tuner’s Guild. President Diaz surrounds himself with various “advisers,” some from among the “hangers-on” group and one a former Pan Trinbago president.

These arrangements help to keep the control of Pan Trinbago in a few hands.

Changes should be made to Pan Trinbago’s constitution to inhibit the oligarchic control of the steelband movement. Such changes should prevent the hijacking of the organization, as accomplished by Diaz and Serrette. The election debacle allowed them to remain in office (illegally, in my view), for the eight years while annually pan players remain unpaid for months after earning the income. Word has it that in the meantime, the money earmarked for them was placed in a short-term CD to the benefit of who knows?

Also, the priorities of the National Executive must be aligned with those of pan players and steelbands. Bryon Serrette must be a happy man today. His wishes for an international panorama came thru. That has been on his agenda even before he became Vice President of Pan Trinbago.

Pan Trinbago definitely has a role to play as the nation capitalizes on the international spread of the steelpan; however, the current administration needs replacement and, if evidence confirms their financial improprieties, they should be indicted and imprisoned accordingly. The organization itself could then embark on a new era of rational decision-making, transparency and accountability to the pan players in Trinidad and Tobago.

How sad !!!!!!!!! Panorama without Andy Narell's and Ray Holman's input. Very disappointing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear WST Members,

                                   I have the playing positions of the panorama winners from 1963 to 2016, except for 1968, 1969, 1971, 1989 and 1990.

At present, more winners have emerged performing at #8 and #10.

Most in the pan world do not like performing at position #1. However, would you believe that more steel orchestras have won more times playing at position #1 than #2, #3, #4, #5, #11, #12 and #13.

My thanks to all who complimented our Panorama Victory. I am mostly thankful that although I did go to Trinidad to ask for help from 3 Desperadoes panists, it did not come to fruition. No one from Desperadoes performed with LSE at the Florida Panorama on October 8th, 2016. LSE was the laughing stock of the pan world in Florida. Now that they won on their second attempt at Panorama, some are taking cheap shots, such as "we used players from Desperadoes," "we played under tents" and "we knew we won before the results were announced."

Special Kudos to our arranger, Brandon Gonazles a young ex-Desperadoes double second member, who merely began arranging in April of 2016, and Spencer De Verteruil an American born, who also began arranging this year, and led the band Melo Groove that is 9 months old, to 3rd place.

These are the results: (1) Lauderhill Steel Ensemble with 271 points, (2) Pantastiks with 262, Melo Groove with 243, (4) Branches with 235, (5) Tamboo Bamboo with 230, (6) Karibbean Knights with 228, and tying for 7th with 209 were Sticks N Tones & Resurection. Love, Peace and Pan.

I also attended the ‘Excellence in Steel’ NY Panorama at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday, September 3, 2016. I have withheld my comments about the section in the program booklet referenced by Dr. Nyomba (https://whensteeltalks.ning.com/forum/topics/pan-players-dissed-by-excellence-in-steel-committee-chair-in) while observing the posts from the WST community. The responses on WST were wide-ranging. But, along with  consensus on the distraction posed by his struggle with the language ‘mechanics’, there was agreement that much of what Mr. Babb wrote was confusing and logically inconsistent. Any sober pan player could relate to where he was coming from and all should agree that the program booklet was no place for such verbiage.

But when the entire situation is put into proper context, one realizes that the disrespect in the program booklet was just the tip of the iceberg. The management of the steelband industry and the production and distribution of “cultural goods” requires more profound understanding and thorough analysis of these processes for the realization of the economic benefits especially by those involved in their production.

Pan players dissed pan players while Pan Trinbago Officials wined and dined

First about the section in the Panorama program booklet, it is obvious that Randolph Babb, Chair of “Excellence in Steel 2016” Committee, was disrespectful to the same pan players who were performing at the panorama. Panorama adjudication is always contentious. Pan players usually do not agree with the results of Panorama unless their band wins. Ken “Professor” Philmore, for example, still complains about Fonclaire’s ½ point defeat on more than one occasion. The subjective element in the judging, which underlies this contention, will remain until the technology for computerized adjudication is developed. Nothing is wrong with criticizing pan players, especially if the criticism is constructive, but using the official program of the NY Labor Day Panorama as a forum to “pong” pan players amounts to nothing less than total disrespect, not only for pannists in Brooklyn and elsewhere, but also for the mostly Caribbean audience at the Brooklyn Museum grounds on Labor Day Saturday evening.

Ironically, among the guests of honor in the VIP section of the audience were several members of the Executive Committee of Pan Trinbago: President Keith Diaz (he was introduced as being “on his way”), Allan “Pablo” Augustus, Trustee, Michael “Scobie” Joseph, Public Relations Officer, and Gerard Mendez, the Northern Region Chairman. Whether they were in Brooklyn attending to the business of pan, or simply enjoying one of the many perks of being in the leadership of “the World Governing Body for the Steelpan,” is open to question. Apart from the partying, there seems to be some disconnect between the affairs of steelbands in Brooklyn and the Pan Trinbago leadership.

While the steelband executives were basking in the limelight, enjoying the complimentary liquor and food, the leaders of some steelbands competing in the panorama were hoping their band would win so that they would be able to defray some of the expenses associated with outfitting their band for the competition. In Brooklyn there are no “appearance fees” and “assistance to bands” as in the T&T Panorama. Other leaders were concerned with vacating the lot which they rented to practice for the contest. Few steelbands in Brooklyn have a panyard, not to mention one that could accommodate a 75- to 100-member steelband. Real estate in Brooklyn is a scarce resource which is increasing in value and cost.

"Same Ole Khaki Pants"

In actuality, steelbands in T&T and Brooklyn face essentially some of the same issues. Panorama just serves to highlight these concerns and bring them back into the annual conversation. Problems with adjudication (real or perceived) will always be present given the subjectivity which undergirds the judging process. Also, as businesses become more fiscally conservative, sponsorship and other funding for steelbands decreases. Like in T&T, Panorama along with band launchings and other fund raising events is the major, if not only, source of income for steelbands in Brooklyn. Meanwhile prize monies are stagnant and the price of pans and other accessories for steelbands keeps increasing.

Tuners too are encumbered by the exorbitant cost of chroming pans and the making and blending of pans for steelbands which cannot afford to pay the tuners for the value of their skills and labor. To add insult to injury, some steelband leaders opt to bypass Trini master-tuners to whom they are indebted and instead contract other less experienced tuners to blend or, in some cases repair individual notes on, the pans made by the master tuners, further decreasing their income stream (not to mention the coveted space on the band’s banner!)

Respondents to the piece on WST also expressed concern with the judging criteria for the panorama. Adjudication issues reoccur year after year, Panorama after Panorama. Panorama compels us into a unidimensional mode of thinking about the steelband. The end result is that we tend to address the surface level problems: judging, competitions, prize money, the sound reproduction, etc., as opposed to the building of a solid logical foundation for the industry.

49 years of Carnival: progress, stagnation, or what?

WIADCA should be given the necessary credit for the massive undertaking it has managed with reasonable success for 49 years. I have had the opportunity of participating at the executive level in the production of an expat Caribbean carnival, albeit a smaller festival than the Labor Day Carnival, so I can attest to that level of organizing and coordinating necessary. “It ain’t no joke.”

But WIADCA is also a part of the problem. Over the years, audiences at their revenue-generating events, the BrassFest, the Children’s Carnival, the Dimanche Gras show, the Panorama itself, and at the Labor Day Parade, have grown exponentially. So too have the vendors and vendor fees. And massive NYPD plus other security at the gates has made it more difficult to “storm.” (Unfortunately, instead of demonstrating their support for the steelpan by being paid patrons at panorama, some “supporters” of steelbands still attempt avoid paying the admission fee by sneaking-in with the band or using other dishonest methods. Arbitrage is a common practice at Panorama and other carnival events.)

Yet the panorama prize money has been stagnant for about 15 years.  In fact, the panorama prizes were increased in 2003 only after most of the steelbands boycotted the Brooklyn Panorama opting for the USSA-organized panorama held at Jefferson Field in Flatlands in 2001 and 2002. The top prize in the USSA Panorama was $20,000, doubling the first prize in the Brooklyn panorama. WIADCA was therefore compelled to raise the first prize to $20,000 to attract the bands back to the Brooklyn Museum in 2003. Since then there has been no increases in the panorama prizes.

The prize money was not the only issue that motivated the move to Flatlands. Other matters raised by USSA included the question of respect for pan players and concerns with the adjudication and the sound system for the panorama. These issues remain contentious today as evident by the statement by Mr. Babb in the panorama program booklet and the usual post-panorama wrangling on WST and elsewhere. More fundamentally, there has been little development of the infrastructure for Panorama and the Labor Day weekend events. We cannot, for example, continue to aspire to the dust and pot-o-lets at the back of the Brooklyn Museum.

To my knowledge, beyond the efforts of the Caribbean Culture Center and the work done at Hunter College, it’s not too much of a stretch to assert that there has been little capacity and institution-building undertaken by WIADCA or (except in a few cases) the pan and mas fraternities in Brooklyn. Nor have they been able to use the 49 years of the Labor Day Carnival with 3 million spectators and the estimated over $300 million it generates annually to leverage additional public sector and private sector funding. The National Endowment for the Arts, the Smithsonian Institute, and several other private and public foundations, provide major funding to arts organizations with missions similar to WIADCA. Even at the local level, increased public sector funding could be strategically pursued. We should recall seeing a photo of NY Mayor, Bill de Blasio, and his family “jumping up” in the 2014 Labor Day Parade while he was campaigning for the office. Since then he was not heard from until his aide was killed during the 2015 Labor Day J’ouvert. Surely the Mayor’s office could be targeted to address the saga of the “vanishing” (really "non-existent”) panyards in Brooklyn.

Will the “first generation” pan players in Brooklyn leave a legacy of Panorama, rife with all its problems, for the young pan players to inherit? Leaders of steelbands in T&T and North America  should be able to empathize with the steelbands leaders in Brooklyn and their annual efforts to secure rehearsal space and funding to prepare for Panorama. For many in the pan and mas business, cultural production is indeed “a labor of love” with meagre financial returns.

Research on Caribbean Carnivals

Let’s put carnival in its proper perspective. Research has shown that, in terms of attendance and economic impact, Caribbean carnivals are the largest cultural festivals in Europe (Notting Hill Carnival) and North America (Brooklyn Labor Day and Toronto Caribana). Globally, the cultural sector, estimated at 7 percent of GDP, is one of the one of the most rapidly expanding segments of the world economy. Studies show that the annual attendance at Notting Hill Carnival and Toronto Caribana both approximate 1.2 million spectators, while Labor Day attracts over 3 million. From the data available, the economic impact of Notting Hill Carnival was $122 million (2002), Brooklyn Labor Day generated over $300 million (2012), and Caribana $438 million (2009). (See references below).

Before proceeding, a few words of caution about the data collection and use are in order. Data made available in the public domain may not stand up to rigorous scrutiny by professionals in the field. Researchers are not just concerned with the data presented. The methodology and assumptions underlying the collection, analysis and presentation of the data are just as important as the data. The motivations of those involved in the data gathering and analysis are also of significance. The predictive capacity of data is impacted by all these factors. Nevertheless, these are the data available and they do give some general sense of the economic activity generated by the carnivals, a point of departure toward realizing the benefits of Caribbean cultural resources

It would be useful if Pan Trinbago became serious about gathering data on the steelband industry in T&T and internationally. Thanks to WST there are some data available on pannists and steelbands globally.  Some of the primary data on economic impact of the major carnivals are dated and in cases withheld from public consumption. But the secondary data available show that pan players are at the bottom of the income distribution ladder. For example, I estimate that less than 3% of the total income of Caribana goes to pan players. Another critical observation of carnival is that the economic benefits to those producing the carnivals is smaller when compared to the economic impact on businesses and the tax revenues collected by the host cities.

Caribbean people do not own the airlines, the hotels, the car rental companies, the liquor stores, major restaurants, etc. that benefit most from the spending (of mainly Caribbean people) during the Labor Day and Caribana weekends. Caribbean residents of NY, Toronto and elsewhere where carnival is held are not the only beneficiaries of the tax revenues generated from sales, licenses, insurance, etc. The data doesn’t show the distribution of the jobs created by Caribana among Caribbean versus other Toronto residents. That would have been useful in assessing the extent to which Caribbean expats in Toronto benefit from the economic activity generated by Caribana.

Given that these cultural festivals are the largest in Canada and the US, one wonders why they are not able to attract more funding, at least comparable to other cultural festivals which receive government support. Unfortunately, these carnivals have been associated with violence, squabbling among the organizers and financial mismanagement. Maybe there should be some introspection among the producers of carnival arts in Caribbean expat communities and reassessment of the entire process of carnival production.

In the case of Caribana, it has been compared to the Calgary Stampede which has an economic impact of $173 million over 10 days and in 2009 received $10 million in government funding while Caribana received only $484,000. The question was raised as to whether this is due to Caribana being perceived as a “cultural outsider.” In the case of Brooklyn Labor Day, one wonders whether a similar perception is abound. Put the shoe on the other foot, we lifted the phenomenon out of one jurisdiction and tried to plant it into others, with no modification and then we are upset when neighbors in the vicinity of steelbands complain about the bands practicing late into the night. Should we impose ourselves on others who may have no relation to an activity that may be supreme to us, but totally unacceptable to someone else?

Changing the status quo

But all is not lost. The disrespect in the program booklet definitely calls for dialog between WIADCA and leaders of the steelbands in Brooklyn. With the sentiments expressed by (ex-Flying Squad operative) Randy Babb, maybe there is need to revisit the judging criteria, the selection of judges and the adjudication process itself. Also, WIADCA officials and pan players should be educated on the matters of mutual respect and discipline, as these seem to underlie Mr. Babb’s “ranting and raving.” Definitely the prize money should a major issue on the table. The first prize for the Labor Day Panorama champs has been $20,000 for the past 15 years.

Maybe WIADCA should take the lead set by Pan Trinbago at the 2015 ICP and offer $250,000 for the first prize! LOL! The wisdom of that extravagance is still mindboggling to me, especially since the first prize in T&T Panorama (the only real precedent or benchmark) is only $166.667, and foreign bands received as much as $60,000 in “assistance”! But that’s another story.

Several “minor concerns” should also be part of the conversation to make the panorama environment in Brooklyn more steelband-friendly. For instance, pan players should be more intimately involved in the designing and building of the stage and in the audio mixing and reproduction to avoid problems as the nearly 45 degree sloped on- and off- ramps and inconsistencies in the sound of the bands at the Museum. There should also be dialog with the police with respect to NYPD officers being more accommodating when directing steelband traffic to and from the panorama.

It is good to note that the Mayor is on board in terms of his support for the Labor Day activities. In the wake of the two killings in the 2016 pre-J’Ouvert hours, he promised that the J’Ouvert will not be cancelled. (These murders were not connected to the J’Ouvert and it is important that carnival community makes the necessary clarification to offset media reports which suggest otherwise.) But this is an excellent opportunity for the powers that be in the Caribbean community to begin institution-building and strengthening their relationship with their non-Caribbean neighbors, especially the recent ones brought in by gentrification in Brooklyn. Programs should be developed (or where they exist expanded) to deepen the understanding and broaden the appreciation and acceptance of Caribbean culture among these residents.

BTW, NYPD, Parks and Recreation and all the other agencies concerned should be called out for “locking down” the Ronald McNair Park, across from the Brooklyn Museum, during the Labor Day weekend. The park is usually used by young mas players and pan players as they line up to enter the Museum grounds. With the park locked-down, the sidewalk was the only place for the mas players and pan players to sit and relax, in some cases for hours, before their band is allowed into the Museum grounds. The entrance of bands into the Museum grounds for both the Children’s Carnival and the Panorama is usually staggered for security and other reasons. WIADCA should bear some of the responsibility for the park being locked-down.

Broadening the steelband horizon

Steelbands in T&T and NY should transcend the almost exclusive focus on Panorama. That event is one data point, albeit a significant one, but it is not the be-all and end-all of the steelpan industry. There are so many aspects of that sector which need to be developed strategically and coherently. For example, one of the problems underlying the functioning of steelbands in T&T and the US is that most are not constituted as legal entities. This has contributed to alternate models of ownership, leadership and management very often unfavorable to the pan players. In the North America this also limits the ability of bands to attract funding awarded to non-profits and to participate in arts and culture programs funded by government agencies at the county, state and federal levels.

Steelband leaders should give the young pan players a broader playing-field to explore. Things are already in motion in Brooklyn with the likes of Garvin Blake and Iman Pascal, who performed with Othello Molineux (his first ever performance in Brooklyn), to a mediocre audience on Father’s Day 2016. Iman was also featured at the Arrangers Concert in Brooklyn last May.  Both events hint at the direction headed by the young pannists in Brooklyn: beyond the confines of Panorama. Also noteworthy is the progress of young arrangers such as Odie Franklin, Marc Brooks, and Kendall Williams who together arranged for Brooklyn Steel Orchestra in the ICP and for Skiffle in the 2016 Panorama in Trinidad. They should be encouraged to further their musical talents by exploring other genres of music. Some steelbands are obtaining tax-exempt status and pursuing new models of steelband development extending beyond Panorama. This too is an indication of the forward movement of the steelband.

The integration of computer technology, the Internet and the steelpan by Northern Illinois University graduate Mia Gormandy and Pastiche Steel Ensemble in their Virtual Steelband Project demonstrates the promise of the intersection of the vision of young pan players and the application of the modern technology to the steelpan. Further, the use of social media for marketing and networking opens a universe of possibilities for young pan players and steelbands.

In terms of the steelpan in T&T and globally, Pan Trinbago’s leaders, as well-intentioned as they may be, should recognize that the management of a strategically valuable organization requires more than a marginal knowledge of basic business, strategy and other critical prerequisites. This alludes to the requirement that they become more open to ideas and willing to contract professionals to manage the steelband industry in T&T. A myopic vision is counterproductive to the management of strategic cultural resources.

As far as the expat carnivals are concerned, given their economic impact, a major challenge to organizers is how to attract greater capital investment from the public and private sectors. There should also be efforts geared toward increasing the share of the economic benefits of all carnivals which accrue to the organizers and artistes involved in the production of the carnivals. We are the producers, the artistes, and we comprise the majority of the spectators at these festivals, but not the main beneficiaries. Need I say more?

REFERENCES

“The Caribana success story,” TheStar.com, May 3, 2010. (https://www.thestar. com/opinion/editorials/2010/05/03 /the_caribana_success_story.html).

London Development Agency - Research, “The Economic Impact of Notting Hill Carnival,” May 2003.

Lennox Farrell, “Caribana, Ownership Versus Control, Part Two,” Share News, November 12, 2014. (http://sharenews.com/caribana-ownership-versus-control-part-two/)

Patricia Meschino, The Business of Brooklyn's West Indian Day Parade, August 31, 2012 (http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/touring/1083948/the-business-of-brooklyns-west-indian-day-parade)

Ajamu Nangwaya, “Caribana, exploitation and disrespect of a cultural resource.” (http://toronto.mediacoop.ca/blog/ajamu-nangwaya/7758).

Keith Nurse, “The Cultural Industries and Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States.” Unpublished paper, Institute of International Relations, UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad.

Keith Nurse, Globalization and Trinidad Carnival: Diaspora, Hybridity and Identity in Global Culture. Cultural Studies 13(4) 1990, 661-690. 

Keith Nurse, “Globalization in Reverse: The Export of Trinidad Carnival,” Unpublished paper, Institute of International Relations, UWI, St. Augustine, Trinidad.

Jo-anne Tull, “Money Matters – Trinidad and Tobago Carnival 2005,” presented at Reflections on Carnival 2005, Carnival Institute of Trinidad and Tobago, April 22, 2005.

Dana Yates, “Analysis shows Caribana's impact on economy and potential for future,” Ryerson University, July 27, 2010. (http://www.ryerson.ca/news/news/ Research_News/20100727_caribana/) 

Today at the Naparima Bowl, San Fernando, there is a reunion of members past and present, of Hatters Steel Orchestra. Sorry I cannot be present. Best wishes to all.

At last!

Congratulations to Pioneer Tuner Anthony Williams who will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters -DLitt) by the UWI at its Graduation Ceremonies in October 2016!

A partial citation is given on the UWI Today page at UWI Today:

Mr Anthony Williams – DLitt

Mr Anthony Williams is, perhaps, the most significant contributor to the development of the technology of the steelpan musical instrument and the associated art in performance, because of his triple role as an inventor, arranger, and steel orchestra captain.

In the 1950s, Mr Williams invented the 4ths-and-5ths note layout pattern, now standard on the tenor steelpan and the basis of the note layouts on three of the four G-pans invented at The UWI in 2007. The pattern was first used on his spiderweb pan, which he tuned so that the anti-clockwise sequence of notes around any given ring, assumes a progression of musical 5ths while the note sequence along a sector defined by two adjacent radii produces a progression of musical octaves.

His inventions were all music-driven and came during his tenure as captain, musical director and tuner of the Pan Am North Stars Steel Orchestra. This steelband was the first to appear on US nationwide television (the Ed Sullivan show in 1964); the first to transpose music for symphonic orchestras into steelband scores (Johann Strauss’s Voices of Spring in the 1962 Trinidad and Tobago Music Festival) which set the template for steelband arrangements for years to come.  

In 1968 Pan Am North Stars joined with Trinidad and Tobago’s internationally celebrated pianist, Winifred Atwell, in a series of performances locally, in the Bahamas and at Madison Square Garden in New York. By placing bass pans on wheels, he made it possible for the road band to remain mobile and perform full orchestral arrangements.

Six decades ago he was emphasizing the importance of music literacy for all pannists and, though self-taught, established classes in his North Stars panyard. In recognition of his experience and competence, Mr Williams was made a member of the first steelpan technology research team at the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute. He has been recognised by the National Institute of Higher Education Research Science and Technology (NIHERST) as a Caribbean Icon and was awarded the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the nation’s highest award in 2008. 

Dr. Anthony Achong Comments on; The ''PanART Hang Documentary: A Propaganda-Filled, Dissemination of Lies'' (Part 1) Posted by Rudy Kendall on July 3, 2016 and Reply posted by Michael Paschko.
 

I initially intended to email this piece only to Felix Rohner who first drew my attention to the WST blog posted by Rudy Kendall but because of its importance, and because my name was mentioned in one of the blogs that followed, in order to put the records straight and inform the readers, I now betray my oath of not using the Social Media. I don’t know Rudy Kendall. I also read the blog reply by Michael Paschko. I know him. These blogs and others posted on the topic, contain a number of errors and lots of nonsense!

When Rudy writes (in his blog) what is right and makes sense he tends to follow it with an equal amount of writings irrelevant to the issue at hand. Some of these irrelevant issues were first introduced by Rohner through his writings outside the blog. I don’t have time for what’s irrelevant even though some of them, from both side of the argument, upset me: like when Rohner writes about my people of Trinidad having “lost their roots.” Or when Rudy in writing about the vision recorded in the Book of Revelations, where St. John describes the hair of Jesus as white as wool and white as snow; Rudy Kendall changes this to “wooly hair,” something altogether different, in order to suit his own interest. Don’t you know you never attempt to alter the Word of God for any reason whatsoever? However, even though his style is clearly different from mine, I commend Rudy for his defense of our people’s culture, our history and our Pan. Likewise, Rohner must be commended for his contribution to the Pan particularly for his introduction of nitrided steel; not a new material but new to Pan.

There is another indirect contributor to the blog, the “narrator,” who, as reported by Rudy, states, ''The central place of the tuner is symbolic, if not divine. It is he who knows how to put the sound back into the drum.”

Achong replies: What meaning can one give to this compounded nonsense? Absolutely none! Maybe the narrator is making reference to the musical drum and the drum tuner. But I state categorically, the Pan (in any form, standard Steelpan or Hang) is not a drum. The phrase “to put the sound back into the drum” has no technical interpretation for there is no sound to “put back” into the drum, so it does appear that the “divine,” who can do the impossible, is being implicated here. Pan Tuners (including myself, and certainly the hundreds that I know or have met and spoken to) are neither “symbolic” nor “divine.” Whether or not the “narrator” singled someone out for divinity or has the power so to do, on this matter of divinity I leave this “narrator” in the hands of God! While the “narrator” remains there, one can only hope that God has mercy on him for his utterance “The world of music welcomes an entirely new musical instrument,” seeing that he cannot tell the difference between a drum and a Pan, not even the difference between what is new and what is not, and most importantly, the true identity of The Divine!

Michael Paschko makes an almost equal number of errors but some of them are quotations so it is not always entirely his fault. I only have time for one or two. Okay, three!

Paschko says (1): "The pan generated a completely different principle from that of the oil drums. What the real meaning of this sentence is, we will see below.”

Achong replies: Whatever meaning is given to this nonsensical statement, that meaning cannot be correct. There are real musical instruments called “Pan” but there is no musical instrument called the “oil drum.” “Different principles” therefore cannot arise. You cannot compare the two! Only in America (so I thought, until reading Paschko) do you hear Steelpans being referred to as “steel drums” or “oil drums”; these are “hangover” expressions from the visiting American Tourists to Trinidad in the 1950s and 1960s, drunken by excessive “rum and coca-cola.” But the more sober, native Trinidadians, who are better educated on Pan, don’t use those expressions.

Paschko, in writing of nitrided steel, goes on to further quote: “This was a completely different principle than using a steel drum as raw form. This lead us to initial acoustical examinations: How can this raw form be tuned? How does it sound? “

Achong replies: As I said before, there is no different or completely different principle! This rawform (nitrided steel) as all others that have been tried, aluminum, brass, stainless steel etc, is tuned in the same way as one tunes the Pans made from the traditional low-carbon steel drum rawform. They ALL operate under the same set of principles. No “new” geometry is required either. Not all metals are equally good however. The sound is NOT in the metal (a common mistake) but in the Dynamics. This common mistake of “sound in the metal” is often made by listeners who, on hearing the sounds of a properly prepared Pan, are so mystified that they attribute the beautiful tones to the metal. I have seen this mistake even among Pan Researchers. The Dynamics is the first secret I have revealed to you.

Paschko refers to my book “Secrets of the Steelpan” (indirectly through a review by Rohner) so he and readers of this blog should read this 1200-page book to find all the facts, all the secrets and the correct answers.

Paschko says (2): “The second was the idea of the hands on the sheet metal. Trinidad doesn't play the Pan with the hands. In the whole world people are seldom playing with the hands on iron or steel.”

Achong replies: This statement is factually and historically incorrect. Pan players in Trinidad, in the early days, first played Pans with their bare hands or wrapped their hands with cloth. I have seen it in the early days, as a boy, so I bare record! I can vividly call to mind an event of some 65 years ago, of a man carrying what today could be classified as a “Bass Pan” but in those days were called “Doo Doops” (for its sound), while “beating” the instrument with his left hand which was wrapped in white cloth. My memory on this is so clear that if that player were alive today, I would recognize him for he stared directly at me! I thank him for that experience which has helped to shape my fondness for the Pan! In Pan Practice, covering the hand with cloth is regarded as “bare hand.” In connection with these “early days” Rudy Kendall is right when he speaks about the early Pans being convex (upward) like the Hang. While all early Pans were not played with the bare hand, it is neither convenient nor expedient to play the concave (downward) Pan, as found today, with the bare hands. Bare hand playing restricts the musical range of the instrument to the lower registers. Read the Chapter on Stick-Note Impact in my Book to find out why! This is why the hand-playing Hang cannot go much higher than 9 notes. The restriction on musical range is not on how many notes you can physically place on the Pan surface but how many can actually be played and be heard either by playing by hand or with a stick. This is fundamental to all Pans whether you call them Pang, Ping, Hang, Handpan, Tenor, Cello, Double Seconds, Quadraphonic etc. (Please Read my Book.) As the early Trinidad Pan Makers extended the musical range of their Pans upward, they also introduced, because of the fundamental reason just given, cloth bound then rubber bound sticks of various sizes. In cultural shows in Trinidad, performers would often “bring back” the early Pans played with bare hands. Paschko has probably never played the notes (all on the lower registers) of a Pan Cello or Double Guitar with his thumbs! In Trinidad, Steelpan Tuners like me, do! We may not do this in concert but when tuning and while up close to the notes, quite often, since we know what to listen for, it gives us a better understanding of the tone and the behavior of the note surface.

The real problem here is that aural music and its appreciation are very subjective. If one wants to say that a modified timber creates a new instrument I would argue that it merely creates a different sound. When a trumpeter places a mute at the horn end of his trumpet, does that create a new instrument or just a different sound? The same holds with the violin when, with your fingers, you pluck rather than bow the strings. Plucking is like using the hand (thumb) on the Pan, while bowing is like using the stick on the Pan. Now you can blow a conch shell as a musical instrument. But when you stand on the seashore with the conch shell to your ear, does the rustling wind and the crashing waves combine with the shell to create a new instrument? It is subjective isn’t it!

Paschko says (3): “The third was the integration of the air resonance into the Hang sound. The Hang is a vessel. Understanding the interplay between the modes in the sheet metal and the Helmholtz resonance was one important aspect that drove…………Gubal, Hang Gudu and Hang Urgu.”

Achong replies: I don’t want to get mired in scientific or technical details here so I shall try to be short and simple on this one as well. “Modes in the sheet metal” is not a good technical term, but I shall allow it to pass (only in the blog). The use of acoustical (air) resonators on Pans, or its operation as a semi-enclosed vessel, is not new. They have been tried and discontinued on Pans in Trinidad many years ago and suggested for the ill-fated G–Pan more recently. The natural resonances of a given Helmholtz resonator in any shape or size cannot be made to agree with a contiguous list of notes on the musical scale not even with all the musically tuned modes found on the Hang. When the Hang is played, you may not always be listening to resonances between the notes and the Helmholtz (Hang) cavity! But if, on the Hang, you depend on Helmholtz resonances, assuming you tune to a key-note (which you must), then you lose the higher partials on that note (unless you are slack in your definition of partials). But then also, the other key-notes are in trouble because the cavity resonances do not all correspond to the musical scale not even over a small range! The key-note on the physical note itself to which the cavity is tuned, also suffers by its interaction with the Helmholtz resonance and by the loss of its higher partials. You end up with a compromise (not good in music). The Pans fabricated by Rohner are tuned with weak higher partials from the octave upward anyway (when compared to standard Trinidad made Pans) so this loss may not be seen as detrimental (this is the compromise) although, at the same time, you must further limit the musical range on the individual Gubal, Hang Gudu and Hang Urgu. Making modified Hangs with single notes will not solve the resonance problem; the compromise remains.

Treating the Hang-Helmholtz problem in the simple manner as above, is not fair to the Pan Makers/Tuners, so I need to be a little more technical (but I shall limit the level of technicality in this blog). The compromise I wrote about above is deeper than what it first appears to be! Once you allow the notes of a Pan (Hang, Tenor or whichever Pan) to interact too strongly with the resonant states of some other mechanical or acoustical resonator, the vibrational properties (frequencies and tonal structure for example) of the Pan notes are changed. Since the resonant frequencies of the two systems in question (Hang notes and Helmholtz cavity) are generally different and the intended mutual interaction is purely acoustical (through the air), and therefore weak and linear, there can be no interaction at all! In this case the “interplay” sought by Paschko, does not exist! What happens then, on hand or stick impact, is that the two systems are independently excited. You, at your ear and brain, are then simply combining and listening to, two simultaneous but independent sounds. If you proceed to match two of the frequencies, one on each system, so that the systems interact (“interplay"), then the simple explanation above suffices to explain the effect (for now). If, you now proceed to couple these two resonances too strongly, then the corresponding keynote and its associated upper partials on the excited note (only that note) are seriously affected even to the point of becoming untunable or of short truncated duration or both (this is a non-linear problem the details of which, are outside the scope of this blog but you can find it all in my papers of the 1990s onward and fully, in my book). Pan Tuners encountered this problem long ago but did not understand the problem. Their only recourse, the proper one, was to avoid those acoustical and mechanical resonators. Sadly, some more recent researchers are still unaware of this (maybe in my opinion, they are either stubborn or pretend to be, after being told) and try to include these resonances in their “inventions!” The result, “inventions” that do not and cannot work as proclaimed. Sometimes, only close examination can reveal the truth!” I am not asking anyone to close down their program; I am only giving advice against something that can prove to be costly and lacks room for further improvement (to the full satisfaction of musicians) or are unworkable in the long run. The ill-fated G-Pan mentioned earlier is a strong case in point. In addition to the resonance problem, there is more that has gone wrong with the G-Pan designs (read my book)!

With the Pan, what we call progress should not be the substitution of one compromise (or nuisance) for another compromise (or nuisance). Company policy should not be “who cares if it works or not so long as most people think it does!” As a Pan Scientist and advisor to The Steelpan Tuners Guild of Trinidad and Tobago, I cannot live with or tolerate such standards!

In order to be helpful to everyone concerned with this issue, I should make clear that the extent of the Helmholtz resonance problem is not too obvious on the present Hang precisely because of the hand-playing action which limits its musical range. If the range is extended upward and the Hang then played with proper sticks (hands would not do), the full problem would be revealed to the player and listener. The present Hang must be played directly with the hand or a matching soft, lossy, stick! There is another problem on the hand-playing Hang, that of Contact Noise, which only grows worse as you extend the musical range upward and play with the bare or covered hand. I shall not go into the details of this other problem here (by now readers should know where they can find the information).

If readers are waiting for me to say whether or not the Hang is just another Pan, well you can find it in my replies above if you haven’t already done so. But since it was Felix Rohner of PanART, who first drew me into this online discussion and asked for my opinion, being true to my profession, I categorically state the following: The Hang is a Steelpan (Pan) having limited musical range (low registers only) because of the chosen method of direct Hand Playing. Helmholtz cavity resonances are only partially employed but when fully employed, further restrict the musical range, even to the extreme limit of a single note. Resonances between the Pan notes and the Cavity will in all cases alter the tonality of all partials, even making the notes (as sets of musically related partials) untunable when the resonant interaction is made sufficiently strong. The strength of the coupling between note and cavity resonator, increases as the separation between the resonant frequencies of note and cavity is reduced i.e. as true resonance is more fully employed. For the sake of musical acceptance, compromises must therefore be made, precisely because of the use of the hand and the use of an attached resonator. Generally, because of the intrinsically non-linear mode of operation of the Pan (which I first proved some 30 years ago), resonant attachments will always adversely affect tonality. The case of the “loose chime” is well known to all Pan Makers! While it may appear attractive, to some, to incorporate resonators on the Pan, performance of truly pristine Pan Operation is always degraded. The physical properties of the hand (fingers and thumb) gives the Hang note impacts similar characteristics to that obtained when playing the Pan Cello with soft standard size sticks. The hand is a natural, personal item; therefore the tonal character of the Hang is player dependent.

OSA Pan Alive July 29 2016 Results

1. Pan Fantasy                          258

2. Afropan                                 248

3. Salah's Steelpan Academy     244

4. Silhouettes                            243

5. Golden Harps Int'l                  238

5. JK Pan Vibrations                  238

7. Panatics Steelband Network   232

8. New Dimension                      226

9. Pan Masters                          225

St. Jamestown Youth Centre       192

The Merry Tones Learn To Play Pan Vacation Camp began on Monday 11th July, at our Pan Complex, 1 Bagatelle Road, Diego Martin. An introduction to the Steelpan artform, the Camp caters to ages nine to seventeen years and features Pan Playing techniques, Steelband history and Music Literacy. The Camp ends on Thursday July 28.

The Merry Tones Learn To Play Pan Vacation Camp began on Monday 11th July at the Merry Tones Pan Complex, 1 Bagatelle Road, Diego Martin. An introduction to the Steelpan artform, the Camp caters to ages nine to seventeen years and features Pan Playing techniques, Steelband history and Music Literacy. The Camp ends on Thursday July 28.

Hey guys! Some of you may have been wondering about the project that we started earlier this year - "Play One For Asami". We encountered some obstacles that delayed the process.

We're happy to inform you that we will be in the studio today recording some songs including the songs that we are doing in remembrance of Asami.

Thank you for all those who were able to attend the memorial service as footage from the memorial will be used in the video. Despite the challenges, we hope to deliver great work that Asami would have been proud of and work that would bring some comfort to her family in Japan whom we do not know.

Future updates to follow!

Best to all,

Khari Codrington (son)

To My Steelband Family:

Since 1960 this man has been tuning pans for the City Symphony Orchestra on St. Paul’s Street (behind the bridge) in Port of Spain. When Carnival finished that year, we were each paid $300TT for an entire season of tuning. During the work session, he liked the sound of my work and invited me to his home in Diego Martin to conduct experiments in tuning.

Afterwards we went our separate ways but kept in touch. He went on tuning for Desparadoes, Tokyo, Flamingoes and many other bands.

He fell ill and sought medical attention in the States. I joined up with him in New York City and helped him tune up a band.

This man is a tradition bearer. He is one of the founders and builders of the steel orchestra movement here in Trinidad and Tobago. He has helped ion bringing the steel pan movement to the stage where it is today. He has brought it to the world where he is well- known as he has spent his life tuning pans in a number of places, the last being the Exodus band.

He is best remembered for his “Wally-tone” on the double tenor pan.

He has dedicated his life to this invention and has done his part to make steel pan a particular industry in this country. We should be proud of his accomplishments as they are ours as well.

We, the steel orchestra family, are slowly losing him. He is now bedridden. He is in need of home care.  Please band together to petition the Ministry of Culture, Pan Trinbago, and the Health and Social Security Divisions of the Government to provide such funds for home care for this icon.

He is presently living in his family home on Poui Street in Movant.

He is none other than WALLACE ”Madman” AUSTIN

 868-460-8475

Please open your hearts for this steel orchestra icon. HE NEEDS OUR HELP!

Thank you,

Hillary “Baga” Rezende

Sour Sop Pan Lab, Inc.