7-time pan champs Arima Golden Symphony homeless

Arima Golden Symphony steel orchestra has won the small conventional band category in the national Panorama competition seven times.

Five victories were consecutive, an accomplishment that no other conventional steel orchestra has ever achieved. Despite this historical feat, the band is homeless.

During practice, last Wednesday night, at the panyard of Arima All Stars on Malabar Road, Arima, Golden Symphony's treasurer Carlene Thomas spoke about the band's plight.

Golden Symphony has been searching for a home of its own for the past 36 years.

¨In 1986 we were housed at the Pinto Community Centre. That was our last year there as we were asked to move. Since then, we don't have our own covered space," she said.

The band moved to different locations before spending over a decade at the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) terminal Bethel Avenue, Arima.

"We have been by the PTSC´s octagon, which is an uncovered space, for the last maybe 12 to 15 years. ¨Ninety per cent of the pans are rotten and can't be used. What you see us using here is some that we saved because Arima All Stars gave us some storage space. Otherwise, all the pans would be rotten," Thomas said.

Last year, PTSC gave them notice that they had to leave.

"PTSC sent us a letter with an August 2021 deadline to remove the pans but our (Pan Trinbago) president Ms Beverley Ramsey-Moore asked for a one year extension. Even PTSC workers disrespect the instrument. Sometimes you see them sitting on them, putting garbage in it and even rolling it around,¨ she said. Ramsey-Moore did not return calls from Sunday Newsday.

Thomas said, though rotting, the steel pans could be worth about $400,000.

¨Since co-founder Terrance "BJ" Marcelle, who also batoned all our championships as arranger, started the band to now, we have never gotten any help from anyone, government or private. We have never been given justice or an opportunity for a home.¨

She said past governments made promises to provide a building to house the panside but they got nothing.

"We contacted Penelope Beckles (Arima MP) and she too said she would contact us and she hasn't...We were told to go to the borough (Arima) and choose a piece of state land and on three occasions when we choose the piece they told us that someone has that piece already," she said. Beckles could not be reached for comment.

"We also engaged Ms Lisa Morris-Julian since she was a councillor all the way up to when she became MP (D'Abadie/Omeara). She keeps telling people that we got offered a piece (of land) and tuned it down. That is not true," Thomas said.

Morris-Julian, when contacted, confirmed land had been offered to the band.

¨I made three offers for the land. And none met (their) expectations because it was too far. The first was the old Scout headquarters, another was at Beckles Lane and another location. They turned down all because it was too far. I also explained that the Arima Borough Corporation has a limited land issue and everything about bands you must consider residents. They were then urged to look for potential spaces themselves,¨ said Morris-Julian.

The band still believes better can be done to help it, said Thomas.

"We are calling on the ministers and corporate Trinidad to save the side. We are glad that other bands are getting regular favours but we are champions too. It is a disrespect to our culture and the pan."

While still uncertain if it will ever find a place to call home, Golden Symphony continues to practise in the borrowed space at Arima All Stars, as it plans to take part in the Taste of Carnival pan events.