Pan is our first national

THE EDITOR: I am bewildered by the fact that pan has not been officially proclaimed via parliamentary procedure as being TT’s national musical instrument, thereby elevating its national and international status to that of all our national symbols and emblems, eg the flag, the coat of arms, the flower, the birds, etc.

My concern relates to the criteria used to describe pan as being our national instrument. A declaration to this effect by late prime minister Patrick Manning in his 1992 Independence Day address to the nation has been left in abeyance by successive governments.

The word “national” fosters an historical sense of belonging, pride, patriotism, community, respect, love and identity, as has been demonstrated by all pannists in this and previous years' Panorama offerings. We are all particularly proud of the musicianship of the junior Panorama pannists in 2023. Pan is in good hands.

However, it is not sufficient that tacit knowledge be the conferrer of national status on pan, the instrument.

Pan is our first national. Its birth in what is now our twin-island state preceded our attainment of both independent and republican status. Once the descriptive word national is used to describe pan, it automatically becomes imperative that its place of origin must be officially recognised via parliamentary proclamation sooner rather than later.

There is hope. A recent daily newspaper had as a headline “Government looking at proclaiming steelpan a national instrument.”

Pan is our gift to the world of music, but most importantly it is the Almighty’s gift to us. It is much more. In the words of Mark Loquan of NGC, “Pan in itself as an instrument is bigger than the instrument.”

HENRY HARPER

Petit Valley