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  Michael C. Smith / BCV September 30, 2018 at 8:07pm

  I AGREE AND BEEN SAYING THIS FOREVER...
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  Andre-Roger Dellevi January 12, 2012 at 4:26pm

  https://whensteeltalks.ning.com/forum/topic/show?id=2534462:Topic:89...
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  Earl Tallman January 12, 2012 at 4:13pm

  I have no problem with Panorama, Robbie!! Would'nt dream of replacing it. I myself played a double-tenor at many a Panorama   -   and thoroughly enjoyed the buzz. I agree with everything you say about Panorama. But speaking for myself (not for Professor)  -   I have a problem with OTHER pan competitions. For example, whilst I welcome the idea of a pan jazz festival  -   why does it have to be a "competition"? We cannot continue to reduce this great culture of ours to nothing but a series of "competitions"  (Panorama excepted). If we could pay $850.00 (and more) as entrance fee to a carnival fete  -  surely we could fork out decent money as entrance fees to, say, a pan jazz festival  -  all proceeds to be divided equally amongst the participating bands. I said in an earlier missive that I do not profess to have all the answers  -  but I must confess to having a  serious problem with the numerous competitions (apart from Panorama of course) 
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  Robert Saldenha January 12, 2012 at 1:49pm

  In 1979 3rd Steel Orchestra decided to forgo Panorama and concentrate on producting records, after being successful with the "Gold" and "Amercian Patrol" record.   Almost all of our supporters deserted us that year.   Some complained that the band was too far away from the supporters (we were using a trailer), and there was not longer that intimacy of them holding on to the rack, connecting with the players.    Even some of the players who voted to abandoned Panaorama, the following year ended up playing in other steelbands which were going competing in Panorama

  Panorama, while it may be killing de Culture is means by which supporters of steelbands identifying with their bands, and steelbands can hardly survive without their supporters.  

  While PanTrinbago has provided some outlets for steelband music during the year, Panorama is the arena where a band can really play for the de people and stand a chance of a huge windfall.

   

  With whhat  are we going to replace Panorama.....COME GOOD!!!

   

   
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  Glenroy R Joseph January 11, 2012 at 4:13pm

  I know one thing. if Professor had said that after a poor performance, Trinis would be saying "He only sayin dat because he cyar win" (or 'dunk" if you prefer)
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  Christopher Alexander Web January 11, 2012 at 2:59pm

  Glenroy,maybe Professor meant the PANORAMA competition,but I commented on what I heard him say "Competition is killing culture in T&T", and he said it twice.Now I agree with you  that Panorama is not the driving force behind the development of this instrument. But that is not what I said,--I said, "There's no doub't that the rapid development of the STEELBAND is due directly to steelband competitions." This will also include the early classical music Festivals as well as other competitions that involved the PAN.
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  Earl Tallman January 11, 2012 at 2:12pm

  I wish to concur with Professor's comments, made some 22 years ago, that pan competitions are "killing our pan culture". The numerous pan competitions serve, in my humble opinion, to keep pan at a sort of amateurish level. Surely we can find a way to channel funds into pan without the need for endless competitions. I do not recall Count Basie, Grover Washington...etc..."vying for honors" against each other. I am fully aware that this view will be seen as controversial and I must confess to not having all the answers -  Tallman
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  Glenroy R Joseph January 11, 2012 at 11:30am

  Taken in context, Christopher I doubt Professor was referring to  the Better Village Completion. He could just as well have said "PANORAMA competition is killing PAN culture  in T&T" (20 years before Gypsy, I might add).

  And I disagree about Panorama being the driving force behind the development of Pan.

  I'm not going to go into pan history with with you, but I can tell you that  the most significant developments in pan took place in the sixties when Panorama was in its infancy and was only one of the things that the steelbands did, not their main pursuit.

  if you want to pick  musical events that impacted the pans, the  early classical music festivals had much more impact on pan than Panorama.

  Fortunately I was around in those days, so no one could feed me any BS.
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  Christopher Alexander Web January 11, 2012 at 9:35am

  There's no proof to the statement that,"Competition is killing culture"For example, The Better Village Competition has given us a better understanding of our History.I don't have to go into details,just think about some of the stories and other aspects of our Culture we have learned because of this competition.There's no doubt that the rapid development of the STEELBAND is due directly to steelband competitions To say otherwise would be distorting the true history of the PAN.