Pannists to vote on pan song switch

Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore says the issue of steelbands changing their tunes of choice ahead of Panorama will be put to vote by its membership.

"Going forward to Carnival 2020, because of the seriousness of the issue, members will be allowed to vote on the matter," she told Sunday Newsday.

"If a band is allowed to play more than one tune for Panorama, even after they have selected their first song, because of the controversy, then we will take it to the membership."

The issue was a contentious one for the five-month old Ramsey-Moore executive, which was forced to abide by a High Court ruling, last month,to allow Republic Bank Exodus Steel Orchestra to do away with its initial tune of choice Superblue's (Austin Lyons') Rag Storm in favour of Kes Dieffenthaller's Savannah Grass, ahead of the Panorama final at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on March 2. The band had filed an injunction against Pan Trinbago.

Ramsey-Moore said the issue will be discussed at the organisation's next membership meeting.

However, she maintained the organisation's constitution gives the executive the right to make a decisions outside of the membership.

"Based on the judge's decision that we should have caucused our members (on the issue of steelbands changing songs), there was no way that we could have done that and as such that is why the constitution gives the executive the right to make decisions on behalf of their members."