Blog 2.0

Explore the heart of the Ocala Steel Orchestra and discover how to find us at the Lillian F. Bryant Community Center. Our easy-to-follow directions video will lead you straight to the rhythm, culture, and vibrant music that await you. Join us on this exciting journey to our musical haven! Click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoSEIhMh-Wo

Good Tuesday morning to All: We should all be familiar with the numerous individuals and groups who entered the arena claiming to want to "do something for pan". (Boogsie) From Arnold to Ramsey-Moore, neither of these current or former presidents of the steelbands' association (Pan Trinbago) have ever come remotely close to the long list of successes of the "Godfather" of the Steelband Movement, George "Sonny" Goddard. As Co-Founder of steelbands' major event, Panorama, Goddard's long list of accomplishments are noted here on When Steel Talks. (See. "Who Am I?") Recently, Diaz was interviewed by one of his former executive members (more on that sinister character later), and the former president boasted of his accomplishments, including the International Conference On Pan (ICP) and its accompanying "international Panorama". I published the entire report of the government-conducted audit related to Diaz and his executive's practices during that time, and the reader can form their own conclusions as to Diaz's successes, not in terms of personal financial gains, but in terms of the subculture's masses of "panmen" and "panwomen".

Then, we witnessed a bunch of alliances being formed; the "Concerned Individuals For Pan" (CIP), the Ramsey-Moore led "New Visionaries" (NV), the "Big 5". We saw the Codrinton Pan Family doing their own thing, and Vanessa Headley making news for her contributions, however, when faced with real life situations like disease, neither were financially-stable enough to handle them without reaching out for help. Tragic. I spoke to Dr. Lance Seunarine who tried to get a pension fund going here on this site, and it saddened me to hear that he now faces his own health challenges.

When I graduated from college in 2008, I wanted to put my education to use in serving my community, that being the steelband community in Trinidad and Tobago. I intended to use my knowledge and training in the field of psychology to help shape how I looked at the numerous issues and challenges facing the steelbands, and in particular, their membership. Due to that social science approach, I understood that i needed data; field research became a required step, if I was to even stand a chance to be successful in my goals. And, I wanted all of us to grow together, and that was the premise behind my suggesting we started a When Steel Talks Book Club. The idea never gained traction.

Goddard was successful because he understood leadership. He also understood what it took, if the goal was "building for eternity", which is what he assumed the entire body he represented wanted. This is why, prior to the association becoming infested with political hacks, steelbands experienced their "golden years"; an era referred to as steelbands' "Coming of Age". Goddard laid out a solid foundation that would have withstood the time test, had it not been for those who began chipping away at the foundation, beginning in 1970, and finalized with the Act 5 of 1986.

Foundation removed and demolished, the association became a decaying carcass, and, naturally, the “culture vultures” showed up like corbeaux at the swollen lifeless body of a stay dog, struck by a passing truck on the Beetham Highway. Then King Corbeaux showed up in his Black regalness [sic], and the real feasting began. No one would (or should) judge the “success” of the body (Pan Trinbago) by the well-fed look of the vultures. You don’t judge the success of body, by how well it fed its leader, but by how well the leader fed the body!

Of course, once on solid ground and on strong foundation, “building for eternity” requires the construction of the first floor: values. And, this is where, again, Goddard succeeded and others failed. In my next blog post, I will peel the proverbial onion and expose the “building blocks” needed for both the foundation and the first floor. Without them, anything you build will not be structurally-sound, and will always remain in a compromised position, waiting to come tumbling down like a deck of cards. Building something that will last is not guess work. It takes skill; skill informed by study and research. Skill independent of bias and; or prejudices, and skill that demands truthful, factual evidence, and not premised on conspiracy theories or mischievous intent. Because the vultures have been lauded and praised for their great job at devouring the carcass, they have become enabled and, as such, will continue on their “eat-ah-food” rampage, until all that remains are the dry, white bones of what once was a steelband body.       

 With Regards,

George D. Goddard.

I am just letting all my east coast friends know that I will be teaching as artist-in-residence at Colby College (Maine) for the Spring semester. I would be pleased to hook up with any steel bands/players in the Maine/New Hampshire/Vermont area while I am there. Also, we are looking for a set of triple guitars and a set of six-bass to use for the steel band survey course I'll be teaching there. If you know of any groups in the area between Portland and Bangor, Maine, by all means, let me know. Thanks.

Check the link for the full version of Afropan's Newsletter and stay in the loop on whats going on in your pan community!

http://www.afropan.blogspot.com

Two Trees Music has just published the "Gary Gibson Fake Book," a collection of 57 songs in about 240 pages, presented in condensed lead sheet format (and, in some cases, instrument-specific parts). Roughly two-thirds of the music is directly transcribed or adapted from the scores from the original recordings. The rest of the music remains either unrecorded or unreleased, and span the quarter century between 1985 and 2010. With content ranging from calypso to post-bop, ska to swing, funk to ballads. Available at http://www.twotreesmusic.com/fake_book.html

PA N  _ _ _

Has come a long way

But do you know::

How we got where we are today ???
++
The Boys 

Didn’t read music
So how did they teach it???

++

Well, listen up -  Listen up
Ah go tell you today

CHORUS
Watch "meh" hand boy
Ah, say watch meh hand!! (ping ping ping pong ) 
Ah doing it slow --- For you to understand Boy
----
Watch meh hand boy!!
Ah, say watch meh hand!! ( pong -pong ping pong)
And you had to catch on fast                                                    (C2) If “yuh” head hard)
To stay in the band Boy!!                                                           (You couldn’t say in the band Boy
----
Watch meh hand boy
Ah say watch meh hand (P  2 3 4)
And the Captain Beating out the Syncopation~~                  (kay tang "kay tang" )
And then we move so~~~                                                         (Sway left +++ Sway to the Right)
To run the solo (P- Pause)
Man to Man ( P)                                                                           (Brother Man)
That is how they used to teach pan.

V2:                                                                                                V3
PAN  _ _ _                                                                                   PAN   _ _ _

Muma used to say                                                                    People used to say
One Day One Day Congo Tae!!!                                             If yuh Boy in pan yard – they have gone astray
If your daughter step in a panyard                                         Police used to chase them (we)
The Family gone mad                                                              Police would even arrest them (we)
Look around Look around                                                       Look around Look around
Who in panyard today -> CHORUS                                         Police in panyard today  CHORUS - To Change Key

What is the situation re The CAZIQ Music  to  which DESPERADOES had aligned themselves ?

Check Out ''Smooth Sailing'' by Rudy Applewhite@ Smooth Sailing

.. I have an interview with Bobby Mohammed  june 2019..-45mins..on his story of Guiness Cavaliers..also mp4 recordings of Melody mas, 67, St Thomas gyal, Mas in Brookyn etc . In an effort to assist his finances at this age of his life i have to put a small price /donation to be sent to hiim..directly or other wise..I have his permission to do so.if you are so benevolently inspired please contact me at valram@hotmail.com.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS.....  URGENTLY TRYING TO LOCATE A COPY OF "CATELLI TRINIDAD ALL STARS" PLAYING RAINORAMA ARRANGED BY RUDY WELLS, FROM THE YEAR 1973.

FOR THOSE IN T & T, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT 620-4957

INTERNATIONALLY, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT PANMAN7@HOTMAIL.COM

ANXIOUSLY ANTICIPATING AN EARLY RESPONSE.

Learn to play Trinidad & Tobago's greatest Calypso standards from the first published Calypso Real Book
Go to the book here: https://a.co/d/i83fiBC