‘We have been faithful’

The procession of the flags added some drama during the service.
The procession of the flags added some drama during the service.

PAN TRINBAGO president Beverly Ramsey-Moore has hit the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts for leaving the national instrument out of the Caribbean Festival of Arts (Carifesta) which this country is currently hosting.

Speaking yesterday at an interfaith service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port of Spain, Ramsey-Moore said the pan fraternity felt insulted after being snubbed for Carifesta celebrations which began last Thursday and continues daily until August 25. She said that Pan Trinbago has remained faithful to the cause of promoting pan and culture and was hurt at not being included in the Carifesta celebrations.

Following the service, Ramsey-Moore told Newsday she felt the culture ministry could have done more to ensure that pan was represented at the super concert held at Carifesta.

PRAYERS FOR PAN: Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore, centre, listens as rector and dean of the Anlican Church, The Very Reverend Shelly-Ann Tenia leads the interfaith service yesterday at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Port of Spain. PHOTOS BY SUREASH CHOLAI

“Our business is to promote pan and the culture of TT,” Ramsey-Moore said. “God gave us the only instrument made in the 20th century. If the ministry did not know how to incorporate pan in their concert they could have asked the Tobago House of Assembly, who has done it with big names like Toni Braxton during major events.”

Vice President Anton Harewood called the snub a “total disrespect” and said TT pan is supposed to be played on the biggest stages. “We are fed up of playing at cocktail events and finishing up when people are now coming in,” said Harewood. “Pan is our national instrument. We are supposed to highlight it on our biggest stages”

Ramsey-Moore made the statement in response to a question by The Very Reverend Shelly-Ann Tenia, rector and dean of the Anglican Church, who asked whether or not Pan Trinbago had been faithful to their cause, as she (Tenia) officiated during the interfaith service.

YOUNG AND
TALENTED:
Daniel Gulston plays on the tenor pan during the inter-faith service.

Tenia read from the book of Matthew, chapter 12, verses 49-56, where she said God challenged His people to ask themselves whether or not they were faithful to Him. She said in the Bible, God’s people chose Him in spite of everything else but in modern times there are several influences such as modern philosophy which could divert some people from their faith. Last week, other Pan Trinbago officials expressed their disgust at the manner in which pan was represented, saying despite the fact that several local and international performing stars like Jamaica’s reggae icon Shaggy, Kassav, TT’s own Calypso Rose, soca star Machel Montano and others would perform at Carifesta, pan would not be represented, except for playing of the national anthem.

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"‘We have been faithful’"

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