How we can reward our pan players

THE EDITOR: TT, take a big bow! We have experienced steelband and calypso music in its grandeur this Carnival. The scintillating performances provided by our artists and musicians – brilliant, perfect, unique interpretations of calypsoes through steelbands – showcased the national instrument in its finest – par excellence.

Calypsoes were tenored into classical gems and jewels creating a lifetime of music to be enjoyed forever and from which to learn. There were no Panorama losers The top and best 100-plus steel orchestras in the world were showcased. What a jubilation!

How can we reward our numerous steelpan musicians across all categories – small, medium, large conventional?

1. Through Pan Trinbago, let’s annually fund a "TTILLS" (TT I Love Love Steelband) account. Annually, citizens and nationals at home and abroad can contribute to a lucrative multi-million-dollar gift to be dispersed to our magical musicians.

2. Our steelpan industry must be groomed into the billion/zillion-dollar industry that it is. A gift from Heaven, let’s swiftly move to protect this intellectual property.

3. The National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee, established in 2019, documents and celebrates their numerous musical genres and rich heritage. We must create likewise.

4. Let’s create an interactive museum with content available, accessible universally, at a cost, in all languages, signs and communications.

5. Authentic steelpans must be produced here, be advertised, pushed and stamped with a presidential or unique Pan Trinbago seal, marketing its authenticity to the world – Made in TT.

Let’s thank all those who gave us this gem. Kudos to all and sundry, present, past and future. Thanks to the heavens above for this cultural blessing. Let’s feed TTILLS to fortify and to universally embolden our steelpan industry and its musicians. Feeding our culture can change this land, our world, stop wars and eliminate genocides from taking place.

TT, a heritage bequeath awaits.

JENNIFER DALE REECE

via e-mail