Pan Trinbago, pan lovers celebrate World Steelpan Day

A major announcement about pan can be expected at the end of August, Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore hinted at July 11’s World Steelpan Day celebrations at Woodford Square, Port of Spain. However, she could not say more about it at the time.

The pan fraternity has seen major developments in the last year, starting with the declaration of the day, pan being officially named as Trinidad and Tobago's national instrument and, last week, pan receiving Geographical Indication (GI) rights.

Ramsey-Moore, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell and Port of Spain mayor Chinua Alleyne, along with other dignitaries, joined thousands of people as they celebrated the UN-declared day.

As she stood in the VIP section of the square – arranged with several stages for the playing bands – Ramsey-Moore described the day’s activities as awesome and said she was grateful to those who turned out for the "ancestral walk."

Eight bands played at August 11’s Woodford Square celebrations, including Desperadoes, Panosonic Connection and the National Steel Orchestra.

The live performances were interspersed with greetings from around the world on large screens erected in the space, from countries such as Japan, Canada and South Africa.

The event started earlier than 6 pm, with the formal proceedings taking place immediately after the ancestral walk from the corner of Duke and Nelson Streets to Woodford Square.

At exactly 6 pm, south band Panosonic Connection opened the proceedings, playing songs that included the late Black Stalin’s Black Man Feeling to Party.

Many people had already gathered at the square, placing their chairs on soggy grass to enjoy the evening’s celebration. Wet grass and mud were no deterrent for a growing audience eager for pan. The audience moved to the stage where a given band was playing at any moment.

The National Steel Symphony Orchestra’s set had the audience moving and singing. It shifted between genres, playing songs like Brother Marvin’s Jahaji Bhai and Beres Hammond’s I feel Good.

But it was its arrangement of the Ultimate Rejects' Full Extreme that had many of the audience dancing and heartily singing along.

Even though the rain came at 8.13, it failed to put a damper on the celebrations. People sat, some sought shelter, but they did not leave. The event ended at 12.28 am.

Ramsey-Moore: Pan tide turned

The formal celebrations, which began at 6 pm, saw an intergenerational mix of people. Over the years it had been observed that pan drew a largely older audience. However, August 11’s event saw young, old and middle-aged people all gathering to listen to the bands.

It also brought families together as much younger people were seen accompanied by their adult guardians, some sitting on chairs. Many people walked with their coolers with their favourite drinks and made a lime of the occasion.

For Ramsey-Moore, this showed the organisation has turned the age tide. She said one of the reasons for that was her injection of young people into the organisation.

“The entire event’s committee is made of youth, the staff at Pan Trinbago (are) mainly young people,” she said.

Ramsey-Moore told Newsday there was now a new language in pan – one of prosperity.

“Whilst we know that the history is important, the struggle is important, the resilience of our people is important, where pan came from, from roots to recognition – we have to now start to talk a different kind of language.

“So prosperity in pan is one of the conversions we have been having.

"Also pan is spirit, pan is community soul. We also talk about pan and human capital development and pan and the greatness in your hand palm.

“These are the things we want to talk now, because we believe if we change our conversation to prosperity, then much more is going to happen and we have witnessed what has happened within the last three years.”

Ramsey-Moore believes she has done a fantastic job at the helm of the pan organisation over the last few years. She said when she took over, Pan Trinbago was penniless, but that did not deter her as the bands were there.

“As long as you have the foundation, which is your steelbands, then you can rebuild. We are rebuilding nicely, and before the end of this month another major announcement will be made,” she added.

Ramsey-Moore said she was a youth mentor and worked well with younger people around her.

“If we really want to impact on our young people to become change agents for the negatives that is happening in our country, they must become the change agents, peer counsellors. There is a lot that we can do and I have always been saying the Ministry of Culture is not the main stakeholder.”

She added that the organisation has been calling for a formal relationship with other ministries, and these potential partnerships could open up doors to make a change in many communities across the country.

Minister proud of pan

Mitchell said he was proud of the day’s events and all of the recent developments in pan were at least two-three years in the making.

Recent developments also indicated the Government was getting good returns on its investment in pan, he said.

“I think it has. It isn’t a large amount of money going into these things we have achieved, you know. What went into everything we have achieved –whether it be the UN declaration, the passage of the National Musical Instruments Bill or even this – it is really determined, hard work from all the actors and players behind the scene.

“It is money well spent. Thankfully, with Beverley Ramsey-Moore and this Pan Trinbago executive, they are truly accountable and they are accounting for all of the monies that are being given to them through the NCC (National Carnival Commission) and other sponsors. Through their audit reports, they are properly accounting for the money.”

He added that the money was going back into the pan fraternity.

Mitchell said he was proud to celebrate with the people. Looking out at those gathered in the square as he was interviewed by Newsday, he said, “Not everybody could play the steelpan, but everyone here are lovers of steelpan and Trinidad and Tobago.

“I am really happy. We (the country) have had a lot of bad news lately, we have had some grim times. But this (pointing to the audience gathered for the celebrations) has really lifted the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

“What we have been able to accomplish has really added to our collective national pride.”