THE saying “save the best for last” rang true at the National Schools’ Panorama Finals 2026, as students from the Holy Faith Convent, Penal (HFCP) closed the secondary school segment with a champion-winning performance at Skinner Park, San Fernando on the night of January 19.
Performing last at position number ten, the Holy Faith Convent Steel Orchestra impressed with a dynamic arrangement of the 2012 hit Live Yuh Life (Like Yuh Playing Mas) by Kes featuring David Rudder.
The students sealed the title with 274 points, delivering spirited performances before judges and an elated audience.
The winning ensemble was led by captain Amaya Cedeno and vice-captain Kai Cruikshank, with Lydia Seecharan as drill master and Neil Simon serving as music director and arranger.
HFCP’s victory continues the school’s strong competitive run.
In 2024, the students entered the National Junior Panorama for the first time. They stunned judges with Savannah Grass by Kees Dieffenthaller at the finals in the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, earning a maiden title.
Second place in the 2026 secondary school category went to NAPS Combined Steel Orchestra with 270 points for Peace of Mind, a 2021 hit by Aaron “Voice” St Louis.
NAPS Combined previously won the competition in 2019 and 2023.
Third place went to Presentation College, San Fernando, with 257 points, while Pleasantville finished fourth on 252.
Earlier in the day, St Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican Primary School successfully defended its National Schools’ Panorama title in the primary school category, winning with Year for Love, the 2017 hit by Voice.
This year marked a milestone for the competition, as it was the inaugural occasion that both the primary and secondary school finals were held in south Trinidad, in San Fernando.
In his opening address, Education Minister and San Fernando West MP Dr Michael Dowlath described the event as historic, adding that music teaches, heals, and gives people a voice and identity.
The Education Ministry shared the results on social media the night of January 19.
It said St Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School rose to the top in the primary school category with an “outstanding performance that captivated audiences and judges alike.”
It added that HFCP delivered “a powerful and polished presentation.”
“These victories are a testament to the dedication, discipline and musical excellence of the students, arrangers and supporters who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. The future of pan is shining bright through these young musicians,” a Facebook post from the ministry said.
“Let’s cheer on these remarkable students as they continue to represent the spirit, culture and rhythm of our nation.”
ENERGY Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal and his predecessor, Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West MP Stuart Young engaged each other in a spirited debate on energy and one non-energy-related matters – steelband and tassa sponsorship– in the House of Representatives on January 16.
Moonilal told MPs that over the last five years, the National Gas Company (NGC) reported two losses.
“In 2023, the magnitude of the loss was $1.3 billion.”
He said, “This required NGC to examine carefully its non-revenue generating related expenses.”
Over the past five years, Moonilal continued, NGC spent in excess of $10.2 million on steelpan expenditure and $258,397 on tassa expenditure.
He said, “Both were discontinued.”
Moonilal added, “NGC continues to review all sponsorship in the future based upon the current revenue.”
Young observed NGC reported $1.6 billion in profit after tax in the last fiscal year.
Last September, NGC pulled sponsorship from Couva Joylanders, La Brea Nightingales and Steel X Plosion of Tobago. The company also pulled support for Pan Trinbago. It also sponsored Trinidad & Tobago Sweet Tassa Group.
NGC Trinidad and Tobago Sweet Tassa International –
Young asked whether the NGC’s cancellation of sponsorship of three steelbands were part of an alleged wider attack by the government on the steelband movement.
In response, Moonilal suggested Young may not have been aware of recent statements which Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin made about government’s support for steelbands.
Young asked, “Is there a commitment to sponsor steelband movement through the NGC?”
Moonilal repeated his earlier answer about NGC reviewing its sponsorship in the future.
“I don’t intend to spend the entire day saying the same thing.”
In response to a second question from Young, Moonilal said the ministry has received no notification from Woodside Energy about closing its operations in TT.
Last March, Perenco announced the acquisition of Woodside Energy’s Greater Angostura oil and natural gas assets.
The Greater Angostura fields, developed through seven fixed platforms and subsea infrastructure, produce more than 300 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of natural gas and approximately 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The fields supply around 12 per cent of TT’s total gas production.
The acquisition is expected to enhance Perenco’s presence in the Columbus Basin, where it has operated since acquiring the Teak, Samaan, and Poui (TSP) fields in 2016.
Moonilal said this transaction was completed on July 8, 2025. He claimed Young was well aware of this development.
Moonilal said this is reflected in two letters, dated March 24 and April 3, 2025.
The PNM was in government during this period. The UNC won the April 28, 2025 general election.
Moonilal said, “It is gross hypocrisy on this matter.”
Young countered there is a difference between a company divesting its assets and closing its operations.
He claimed Woodside has no office in TT and only one employee in the country who has nothing to do with the divestment to Perenco.
In response to a third question from Young, Moonilal could not say whether was successful against Super Industries Services Ltd (SIS) in the arbitration in relation to the Beetham Wastewater Plant construction.
The plant was built during the tenure of the UNC-led People’s Partnership coalition government, May 24,2010- September 7, 2015.
Moonilal said the rules of the arbitration, prevent the NGC from disclosing anything in relation to the arbitration.
In 2019, then public utilities minister Robert Le Hunte said the plant cost approximately $1 billion but has not produced a single drop of water.
ONE day after National Carnival Commission (NCC) chairman Peter Kanhai was booed at the opening of the John Cupid Carnival Village at the Queen’s Park Savannah on January 11, he came under sharp criticism from Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore the following night at Skinner Park.
Ramsey-Moore delivered a blistering rebuke of the NCC at the start of the National Panorama 2026 Small Conventional Bands finals on January 12, after a series of mishaps delayed the competition.
The incident was triggered when musical instruments and two moko jumbies accompanying Fusion Steel Orchestra fell while the band was leaving the stage. The mishap was attributed to the stage’s infrastructure, including a smooth surface and a steep incline at the entrance and exit.
As a result, Fusion Steel Orchestra – performing Darren Sheppard’s arrangement of Signal for Lara – was unable to exit the stage promptly after its performance. This caused a delay and prevented Tokyo Steel Orchestra, scheduled to perform second, from taking the stage.
With the delay ongoing, Ramsey-Moore, who was seated under a tent with judges and other VIPs, took the microphone and openly criticised the NCC.
“Fusion completed quite a while and they cannot get off the stage as fast as they should, which is going to take us to two, three o’clock – maybe six o’clock in the morning – because of the board, the NCC board,” she said.
The competition, which began at 7 pm on January 10, eventually ended around 2 am on January 11.
Ramsey-Moore accused the NCC leadership of being disconnected from the steelband movement.
“A new board, a new minister, a new CEO who are not listening to the movement, Pan Trinbago. Everything we have required, they have short-changed us,” she said. “It seems the focus is up at Flava (the new Carnival Culinary Experience) or at John Cupid Carnival Village, because they have even scheduled events at the same time we are celebrating our small pan movement.”
Appealing to the small audience for patience, Ramsey-Moore defended Pan Trinbago, insisting the organisation was not at fault.
“It is not the fault of Pan Trinbago. It is not the fault of our workers,” she said, while calling for volunteers to help remove the band from the stage.
“People are falling. Pans are falling. Just go and help,” she pleaded emotionally.
Vowing to protect the steelband movement, Ramsey-Moore added, “Steelband is a movement. I am tired, but we will fight. We will not give up the struggle. Pan is spirit, and pan will live on.”
Attempts to contact Kanhai for comment were unsuccessful. Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin and parliamentary secretary in the ministry, Dr Narindara Roopnarine, were in attendance earlier in the evening but were not present when Ramsey-Moore made her remarks.
In an interview with Newsday, arranger Darren Sheppard shared his experience and concerns regarding the stage.
“I agree that the stage was too small. Whatever was used to cover the stage – that black covering – was too smooth. There were some grips on it, but it did not make much of a difference,” Sheppard said.
“I passed earlier in the day to check the stage because we were band number one. I recognised the sharp slope and that the coating on the stage was far too smooth. Two of our moko jumbies fell and were injured.”
Sheppard said the incline and surface also made it difficult to manoeuvre the floats used on the largest pan racks.
“It was a challenge getting the floats up on stage, not only because of the incline but because it was smooth. The stage was also not the normal height – it should have been higher. If the stage was bigger, you would still have an incline, but you would have a longer run-up.”
He also raised concerns about sound quality for the opening band.
“Always the band that plays first is the guinea pig in terms of the sound system. A couple of audience members told me they were not hearing the basses clearly,” he said.
In his view, Sheppard said, the first band should be allowed a sound check on the stage before competition begins.
PAN TRINBAGO has pushed back against comments by National Gas Company (NGC) chairman Gerald Ramdeen, saying his remarks undervalue the social, cultural and economic contributions of steelbands and mischaracterise corporate sponsorship as being outside the remit of responsible state enterprise operations.
In a statement issued in response to Ramdeen’s comments, the national organisation representing steelbands said it recognises that state enterprises must operate responsibly and in the best interest of the people, but argued that cultural investment is a core element of corporate social responsibility, not an optional gesture.
Pan Trinbago expressed particular concern over NGC’s decision to withdraw sponsorship simultaneously from three steelbands and from the organisation itself, calling the move “a regrettable lack of consideration” for the steelband community and for the steelpan, the national musical instrument of Trinidad and Tobago.
The organisation said the timing of the decision is especially troubling as the steelpan continues to gain unprecedented global visibility and acclaim.
“Withdrawing support without dialogue or negotiation disregards the social and cultural significance of corporate sponsorship and undermines years of progress,” the statement said. “Sponsorship is not a personal favour. It represents corporate social responsibility, social and economic investment in community building, and support for at-risk communities.”
Pan Trinbago said that steelbands function far beyond musical performance, describing panyards as classrooms, safe spaces and extended families that nurture discipline, creativity and resilience among young people.
From Junior Panorama programs to large conventional bands, Pan Trinbago said sponsorship supports a wide cultural ecosystem, benefiting instrument makers, uniform tailors, transport providers, food vendors and local artisans.
According to Pan Trinbago, the loss of a sponsor affects not only musicians but also the broader social fabric, reducing opportunities for youth development, cultural participation and community cohesion, while limiting the continued growth of the steelpan locally and internationally.
The organisation said it remains committed to advocating for steelband members and safeguarding the legacy of steelpan music, while continuing to promote the instrument as a key pillar of cultural tourism and national identity.
Pan Trinbago described the steelpan as a unifying force across cultures, races and social backgrounds, adding that it will continue to champion what it called “one family: the steelpan family.”
NGC chairman Gerald Ramdeen. – File photo by Angelo Marcelle
In response to questions from Newsday, Ramdeen said the company was not a charity.
In an email to Newsday on December 25, Ramdeen said, “We are not here to be a Ministry of Culture or Sport. Despite what many may think, the NGC is not a charity. We are here to run a gas company and earn a reasonable return for the shareholders, the people of this country.
“We recognise our corporate responsibility and will discharge that responsibility in a prudent and frugal manner, having regard always to the best interest of the NGC, our country and our shareholders.”
He said the cuts in expenditure at the NGC were intended to bring order to the chaos and cease the fiscal indiscipline that occurred at the company under the previous administration.
PAN TRINBAGO, the world governing body for the steelpan, has expressed its “deep disappointment” over the government’s decision to extend the use of the former coat of arms until January 2, 2031.
The decision, contained in Legal Notice No. 468, has been condemned by the opposition as secretive, unnecessary, and politically motivated.
In a news release on December 23, Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore said the delay contradicts the spirit of unity shown earlier this year when the House of Representatives moved to replace the three ships.
She said the announcement comes as a surprise.
“We are deeply disappointed. Both the government and opposition stood shoulder to shoulder in full support of the amendment. It was debated, scrutinised, passed, assented to, and proclaimed.”
She said to now defer the implementation to 2031 sends an unfortunate message, not only to the steelpan community, but to every citizen who celebrated this long-awaited moment of national pride.
Ramsey-Moore said the organisation championed the initial move as a vital step in post-colonial transformation, arguing the steelpan represents the “ingenuity of resilience” of the people.
She emphasised Pan Trinbago’s stance is “not adversarial,” but the organisation has a responsibility to protect the legacy of the instrument.
“Despite political differences, to step back now risks undermining the cultural progress we have made and diminishes the significance of the steelpan to our national identity.
The move to include the pan on the coat of arms followed a string of recent milestones, Ramsey-Moore added, stressing the pan is more than just a symbol: it is a global industry and a cultural bridge.
“Delaying implementation to 2031 is not in alignment with the spirit of unity and progress demonstrated when the bill was unanimously passed.”
The extension is authorised under Section 5(2) of the National Emblems of Trinidad and Tobago (Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 2025, which allows the minister to prescribe a later date for continued use of the former emblem.
While the steelpan symbolises national pride, resilience, and cultural identity, the government determined it was “expedient” to delay full implementation of the new coat of arms for an additional five years.
Newsday contacted Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo via WhatsApp to inquire about the potential savings from the deferral and how those funds would be reallocated.
He said “There is no postponement; both coats of arms have been in use since the new coat of arms have been approved. What was done is out a definite deadline by which the transition must be done. This is a simple matter of common sense.”
The minister did not respond when asked for the cost to update the country’s currency to the new design.
In January, during debate in the Lower House, former prime minister Dr Keith Rowley said the cost to change the emblem would be “minimal.”
He argued the transition avoids waste by replacing items only as needed: for example, existing passports will remain in use until renewal. Rowley said, the only significant expense is updating digital templates, which modern technology makes inexpensive.
When the government transitioned the national currency to polymer in 2019, the Central Bank’s 2020 Annual Report noted printing costs surged by 58 per cent during that fiscal year, totalling $78.77 million for the issuance of new notes.
The $100 bill first transitioned from cotton to polymer, followed by the gradual phased transition of the $1, $5, $10, and $20 denominations.
‘Mysterious legal notice’
Opposition Chief Whip Marvin Gonzales, in a Facebook post on December 23, questioned both the timing and rationale behind the extension.
In a strongly worded statement, Gonzales posed a series of pointed questions directed at the government.
“Why has the new coat of arms disturbed the sensitivity of the government?” he asked.
“Why did the national instrument offend this country’s leadership so deeply that, in the midst of Christmas preparations, a mysterious legal notice was quietly published delaying its use?”
Gonzales further questioned when Cabinet approved the decision and why it was not announced through a press release or press conference. “Why does the government believe the people of TT are fools?”
He also linked the decision to wider concerns about state support for culture, questioning whether it was the reason why sponsorship of major steelbands has been denied or suspended.
“This is now the latest blatant attack on a cultural symbol of our national community. This country is being led by extremist hatred and dark revenge. But the longest rope has an end.”
Former prime minister and energy minister Stuart Young also denounced the extension, describing it as yet another blow to the steelpan and national culture.
Young accused the government of acting without transparency, calling it “another strike on the national instrument”, and accused the government of issuing an order in the dark and without any transparency whilst delaying the adoption of the steelpan.
He argued the decision could not be viewed in isolation, pointing to what he described as a pattern of hostility toward pan culture since May 2025.
“The UNC has instructed the cancellation of sponsorship for many steelbands throughout the country. This is a calculated policy being executed against pan and all of its positives.”
He also linked the issue to other recent government actions affecting the cultural sector, including decisions announced via social media regarding Carnival events, venue cancellations without consultation, reduced sponsorship, and increased alcohol prices.
“I condemn these decisions without fear of contradiction. Our sweet pan and our Carnival culture will survive, because they are a movement of the people, for the people,” he concluded.
Concerns over sponsorship intensified in September when steelpan players in the south and central regions were left angered after state-owned National Gas Company (NGC) withdrew sponsorship from three steelbands. NGC also pulled support from Pan Trinbago.
In a termination letter dated September 3 to the Couva Joylanders executive manager, NGC cited Article 7(b) of its January 1, 2023 agreement, which allowed termination “for convenience.”
The letter said while NGC valued the relationship, it was re-evaluating existing contracts and determined continuation was no longer viable. The band was given seven days’ notice, with termination taking effect on September 11.
A similar letter was sent to Pan Trinbago saying under Article 4.3 of the agreement, no further disbursement of funds would occur after September 11, and unused funds were to be returned within 30 days.
Former minister of culture Randall Mitchell also strongly criticised the extension, using social media to express his outrage. In a Facebook post, Mitchell wrote the government “must really hate the steelpan, those who invented it, and its contribution to our national identity.”
Mitchell lamented in January the parliament unanimously voted to remove Christopher Columbus’s ships, a symbol he says represents colonial brutality.
“Now in government, the UNC has issued a legal order allowing the old coat of arms with Columbus’ ships to be used for another five years, until January 2031 – without public consultation or explanation, and quietly during the Christmas season.”
Mitchell described a pattern of decisions he believes demonstrates a disdain for the steelpan movement, including the withdrawal of state sponsorship for steelbands, confusion surrounding Schools Panorama, inadequate Panorama funding, and the absence of funding for World Steelpan Day celebrations.
Taken together, Mitchell said, these actions reinforce public concern that “the steelpan and the steelpan movement are under attack by the Kamla Persad-Bissessar government.”
He also posed unanswered questions to the administration regarding its justification, the financial cost implications, and why it would extend the use of the old emblem at all if they supported the inclusion of the steelpan.
PRESIDENT of Pan Trinbago Beverly Ramsey-Moore has vowed to fight fearlessly to protect the steelpan and the legacy of the nation’s “pancestors,” even as Panorama 2026 confronts one of its most serious financial crises in decades.
Her declaration came on November 29 at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, just before the start of the single pan finals—the first national Panorama final of the 2026 season—held despite significant economic setbacks, including the withdrawal of government support for Pan Trinbago and the sudden loss of sponsorship for five steelbands in three months.
Only days earlier, state-owned Heritage Petroleum pulled its sponsorship from Skiffle and Siparia Deltones, following NGC’s withdrawal a few months prior. The move has left several bands scrambling to prepare for the small, medium, and large band Panorama categories.
Participating in Panorama has always been demanding financially, a burden intensified this year as cultural allocations shrink. For many community-based bands, sponsorship is not a bonus but a necessity—a loss that threatens not just their ability to compete, but in some cases, their very survival.
Yet, as Ramsey-Moore emphasised, these same bands serve a vital social purpose as young people now make up the majority of players, finding in pan a source of discipline, unity, and direction.
“Pan keeps our youths in line and out of trouble. When you invest in pan, you invest in our future,” she said.
Before the small but loyal audience gathered at the Grand Stand, she delivered a message of defiance and resilience.
“Pan is spirit and pan will never die,” she said. “We are an organisation of resistance. Nothing would shake us. Despite the challenges our bands are facing… We shall overcome.”
The single pan finals pushed ahead, rolling into the early hours of November 30. Of the 48 bands that auditioned – the highest number in recent years – 25 secured places in the finals. Defending champions San Juan East Side Symphony again proved unbeatable, capturing their ninth Single Pan title and the unchanged first prize of $275,000.
“This is a celebration of who we are,” Ramsey-Moore reminded the audience. “A legacy built with fire, forged with courage, and sustained through generations.”
She invoked the steelpan’s humble beginnings, crafted from discarded oil drums by resourceful pioneers who created the world’s only musical instrument invented in the 20th century.
“We will not let that vision die,” she declared. “The steelpan is a living monument of resilience, creativity, and community. It is ours to protect and pass forward.”
“We honour the visionaries, rebels, craftsmen, and dreamers who carved a national instrument out of discarded oil drums. We celebrate the arrangers, tuners, drillmasters, captains, and players who carry this artform into the future… It is the instrument of our unity, our culture, and our national pride.”
With financial pressure mounting, although prize money remains untouched for the single pan finals, she appealed directly to the corporate sector to sustain the artform as panorama preparations continue.
“Pan is community. Pan is spirit. I ask all corporate TT to get involved. Support a steelband in your community. Invest in our heritage.”
She noted that Panorama began in 1963 and, 63 years later, “still beats at the heart of who we are. It connects every region, every generation, and every Trinbagonian.
“One love. One country. One rhythm. One steelpan. So let the music begin. The legacy is ours to love—and ours to cherish.”
NCC chairman Peter Kanhai speaks at the 2026 Panorama Single Pan finals held at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on November 29. – Photo by Lincoln Holder
In his address, chairman of the National Carnival Commission (NCC) Peter Kanhai, reaffirmed NCC’s commitment to safeguarding the steelpan as a core pillar of carnival.
“Legacy is not merely memory. It is our responsibility, one we must wholeheartedly embrace as we raise the steelpan, the pan-man and the pan-woman to a higher place.”
He praised Pan Trinbago and the finalists for keeping the single pan category—small in size but “big in talent and heart”—vibrant within the carnival calendar.
Linking his remarks to next year’s Carnival theme, Yuh Go Love Dis, he said the steelpan remains one of the strongest reasons TT’s festival captivates the world.
“There are many elements that make our carnival so loved, but with neither exception nor doubt, our steelpan is one of the most powerful. When we say, ‘Yuh Go Love Dis,’ we are telling the world we have the best of the best.”
JUBILATION reigned as San Juan East Side Symphony clinched its ninth title as Single Pan Panorama champion early on the morning of November 30 at the Queen’s Park Savannah also securing the first Carnival 2026 title.
Performing in position number 21, the defending champions outperformed its 24 other competitors with an impressive Duvone Stewart arrangement of Machel Montano’s Jumbie to reclaim its title.
Coming a close second, only three points behind was La Creole Pan Groove whose performance of a Dejean Cain arrangement of the 1990 composition by the late Ken “Professor” Philmore, Pan By Storm, vocalised by Keith “Designer” Prescott preceded East Side in position 20.
The positions were reversed when after six hours of non-stop pan, the scores were announced by host Jemma Jordan, with the Barataria band, East Side, leading with 285 points ahead of La Creole which hails from La Puerta Avenue, Diego Martin, and which amassed 282 points.
The Laventille Road, Febeau Village, San Juan Chord Masters Steel Orchestra, scored 280 points to earn third place with an Andre White arrangement of another Machel Montano and Xtatic and Burning Flames selection, Showdown (Band meet Band). For its efforts, the band, playing in position number 12, secured 280 points.
One of the two Tobago bands in the first panorama finals for the season, Metro Stars Steel Orchestra brought out the big guns Akhenaton “Yung Bredda” Lewis on the Savannah stage, as the band played his 2024 hit Kettle Pot arranged by Kersh Ramsey but had to settle for fourth spot with 277 points.
There was a tie for fifth place between New Age Trendsetters with earned 274 points for its performance of Mystery Band alongside Hope Pan Groovers which played another Double M hit, Like a Boss.
The protective services also secured spaces in the top ten with Trinidad and Tobago Prisons Service Steel Orchestra earning 273 points to secure seventh place with an Amrit Samaroo arrangement of Nigel Lewis Moving to the Left.
The TT Police Steel Orchestra, also playing Montano’s Toro Toro fell three points behind its brothers and sisters in national service, with 270 points to secure eight place.
There was tie for ninth place between Epic Koskeros Steel Orchestra which played Toco Band and D’Original Woodbrook Modernaires Steel Orchestra which performed Ah Cyah Wait. These bands were awarded 269 points each.
The competition started shortly after 6 pm on November 29 with Pan Jammers Steel Orchestra leading the charge among the 25 competing bands with Mighty Gabby’s Government Boots, ending just after midnight with the TT Police Steel Orchestra.
THIRTY-SEVEN years ago, on November 18, 1988, it was City Day. Over time, the celebration expanded into city week and now – its spirit too vibrant to be contained – San Fernando has been enjoying a full month of activities since the beginning of November.
Over three decades after the former borough was granted city status under the late mayor Dr Romesh Mootoo, the spirit of renewal still stirs in its streets. On November 22, those streets will come alive for the second J’Ouvert celebration of 2025.
Later in the evening, the national instrument will take centre stage.
Revellers have secured their costumes, eight mas bands have registered and music trucks are ready, all in anticipation of an early morning street party that San Fernandians proudly claim is yet to be rivalled by any other city, town or community in Trinidad and Tobago.
The J’Ouvert parade kicks off at 2 am, leaving from the OWTU building on Circular Road, proceeding onto Royal Road, then Coffee Street, before ending on Cipero Street.
In the past few weeks, government announced significant decisions regarding noise levels and banned fetes from sporting venues such as the Brian Lara Stadium, Jean Pierre Complex and the National Stadium.
San Fernando mayor Robert Parris said he has not received any warning from police or other authorities regarding the noise level of the trucks accompanying masqueraders and steelbands – or the decibel level of the steelpan itself.
“We will do everything in our power to provide entertainment responsibly and with sound that is acceptable for all to enjoy themselves. We always plan these events in conjunction with all stakeholders responsible for administering a safe and enjoyable parade experience for patrons”
He pointed to the recently successful carnival in October, in Tobago. “They just enjoyed their carnival and exactly what happened there – where the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) provided an atmosphere of enjoyment and revelry – we aim to provide as well in San Fernando. This as we continue to work on developing our tourism sector and diversifying our economy through the orange economy,” the mayor said.
Adding to the anticipated revelry, Pan and Powder returns for the second time in as many years.
This second edition is hosted by Pan Trinbago in collaboration with the San Fernando City Corporation, as part of the month-long anniversary celebrations.
“We must always find a space for our national instrument, and I consider it a privilege to work with Pan Trinbago to cater to steelband lovers,” Parris said.
President of Pan Trinbago, Beverly Ramsey-Moore, said this exciting cultural showcase – led by its South/Central Region – builds on the tremendous success of the first edition, merging the infectious rhythms of steelpan with the vibrant tradition of powder festivities.
Energetic NGC Couva Joylanders during their performance at the Pan Trinbago Steelpan and Powder, Skinner Park, San Fernando on November 16, 2024. – File photo
Promising an evening of colour, rhythm and unity, Ramsey-Moore said the action begins at 6 pm at the corner of Coffee and Cipero Streets. After a brief formal opening, bands will move down Coffee Street to Cipero Street, culminating at Skinner Park.
Participating steelbands include top San Fernando sides Heritage Petroleum Skiffle, NLCB Fonclaire and San City Steel Symphony. They will be joined by visitors, Trinidad Valley Harps, Massy Trinidad All Stars, T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps, Heritage Petroleum Siparia Deltones and Couva Joylanders Steel Orchestra.
In 2024, All Stars drew one of the largest followings down Cipero Street thanks to its enduring legacy and immense cultural contribution. As the oldest steelband – now celebrating 90 years of musical excellence – it is expected to surpass last year’s numbers.
In a release, Pan Trinbago described the Steelpan and Powder Parade as a landmark cultural event promoting artistic expression, community engagement and national unity.
“It highlights Pan Trinbago’s ongoing commitment to preserving TT’s rich musical traditions while strengthening public appreciation for the organisation’s contributions to cultural development. This celebration brings together steelpan players, residents and visitors in a joyous, family-friendly atmosphere that honours both heritage and innovation within the steelpan movement.
“We invite the public to join us for this vibrant and historic cultural experience that showcases the best of who we are as a people.”
Parris described the first edition of Pan and Powder in 2024 as “perhaps the biggest in the country,” and welcomed them for a second time. He urged all steelpan enthusiasts to come out and enjoy the experience.
“For those tourists who come to San Fernando, enjoy our southern blend of steelbands. “Come and enjoy southern love,” he said.
THE Steelpan and Power Parade (Eastern Region) took place on November 15, starting at El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna and ending at Republic Bank Exodus panyard.
Bands performing included Tunapuna Tipica Steel Orchestra, Simple Song Steel Orchestra, Bp Renegades Steel Orchestra, Massy Trinidad All Stars, Curepe Scherzando Steelband, Pamberi Steel Orchestra and First Citizens Supernovas among others.
Newsday photographer Faith Ayoung captured these images from the event.
Young pan enthusiasts enjoy the music at the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) on El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna on November 15. – Photo by Faith AyoungThis player from Tunapuna Tipica Steel Orchestra was all smiles during the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) on El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna on November 15. – Photo by Faith AyoungSimple Song Steel Orchestra performs at the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) on El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna on November 15. – Photo by Faith AyoungA moko jumbie throws powder in the air at the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) on El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna on November 15. – Photo by Faith AyoungA man enjoys the music of Simple Song Steel Orchestra up close and personal at the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) on El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna on November 15. – Photo by Faith AyoungA young pannist from Simple Song Steel Orchestra at the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) on El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna on November 15. – Photo by Faith AyoungThese attendees have a time at the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) as they listened to the Tunapuna Tipica Steel Orchestra on El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna on November 15. – Photo by Faith AyoungMembers of Tunapuna Tipica Steel Orchestra enjoy themselves while covered in powder at the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) on November 15. – Photo by Faith AyoungJosiah Austin, chairman of the Tunapuna/Piarco Regional Corporation, speaks at the Steelpan and Powder Parade (Eastern Region) on El Dorado Road, Eastern Main Road, Tunapuna on November 15. – Photo by Faith Ayoung
PAN TRINBAGO president Beverly Ramsey-Moore says the organisation is in its strongest financial position in years, with a $6 million surplus and a fully repaid loan, and she does not expect any cuts in prizes, assistance to bands, or players’ remittances, as the steelpan fraternity awaits the national budget.
Speaking after the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the VIP Lounge, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on October 5, Ramsey-Moore said Pan Trinbago continues to demonstrate strong financial accountability and national relevance.
“I know it’s a new government and they have to make their assessments, but I look forward to positive allocations in the budget that will go towards the steelpan community.”
Calling the AGM “extremely successful”, Ramsey-Moore said over 119 bands were represented by two delegates each. Ramsey-Moore said she was proud that for the fifth consecutive year, Pan Trinbago received unqualified (clean) audited financial statements.
“When we came in in 2018, we inherited a demand loan that the last executive had taken from First Citizens Bank. Every year, we continued to pay on it. After successful negotiations with the bank, we were able to complete the payment in December.”
She underscored Pan Trinbago’s broader role in national development, beyond the annual Panorama competition.
“We are not just a Panorama organisation. We have declared in our mantra there is no season for pan: there is the panyard model.”
She pointed to President Christine Kangaloo, who she said has recognised this. The President, in July at her Pan Camp 2025, encouraged citizens to embrace transformation using the steelpan as a symbol of unity, creativity and discipline.
Ramsey-Moore said, “We have many young men in at-risk areas, and our delegates and members play a role in keeping our country safe. That should be taken into consideration when it comes to funding the organisation.”
Relationship with minister ‘developing’
On her working relationship with new Culture and Community Development Minister Michelle Benjamin, Ramsey-Moore said it is “developing”.
“It is our responsibility as Pan Trinbago to work with the government, because we are about the business of developing Trinidad and Tobago”.
She added Pan Trinbago must collaborate not only with the Minister of Culture but also with ministers of Youth Development, Trade, Tourism, and other sectors that impact people.
During the open-floor session at the AGM, a members questioned whether the current administration supports Pan Trinbago and raised concerns about potential implications for future funding.
Ramsey-Moore responded, “Members are extremely concerned. The first signal sent to the organisation was a letter stating, ‘We don’t need your president,’ and asking us to name someone else. The members saw that as an insult and a disrespect.”
She said those issues have since been resolved.
“The line minister has pledged and committed to working with the organisation. You don’t treat us lightly. We are the world governing body of the steelpan. I must say that we are developing a good relationship. I expect better, and I expect the best.”
On the support of her membership, Ramsey-Moore said, “They trust their leaders, the central executive, and the regional bodies. You saw what happened here today — this was a beautiful meeting. The members love their president.”
‘First Citizens $5m loan repaid’
Reflecting on her leadership since 2018, she said the organisation has turned a corner.
“We were definitely in a state. We have cleaned up the brand, and now we are in a safe space. We are in a better position financially, and we stand on the hallmark of accountability and transparency, good governance across the board.”
Pan Trinbago treasurer Lauren Pierre confirmed the $5 million First Citizens loan had been fully paid off, and the organisation recorded a $6 million surplus for the year.
“We also transferred $1 million into savings,” she said.
Pierre said Pan Trinbago is doing “very well,” and echoed Ramsey-Moore’s pride in receiving a fifth consecutive clean audit opinion.
Asked to explain what that meant, she said, “A clean audit means the financial statements are free from any material misstatements. The auditors came into Pan Trinbago, reviewed all the documentation, and were fully satisfied. They didn’t find anything alarming. It shows we are accounting properly for the funds we receive.”
She said the organisation’s marketing team secured over $5 million in sponsorships, and the organisation’s equity now stands at $7 million.
“That reflects our ability to comfortably meet all liabilities. We’re in a very steady financial position, and we’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Asked if there are contingency plans in case of budget cuts, Pierre said, “We are led by president Beverly Ramsey-Moore, and as a central executive team, we will have those discussions when the time comes.”
Her message to members and potential partners: “Pan Trinbago is in a good space. We are financially accountable, and we are ready. Panorama is coming. So invest, we know how to manage your money, and we are very happy to have you on board.”
THE streets of Tokyo, Japan were, once again, trekked by hordes of West Indians visiting for the annual lineup of Soca In Japan (SIJ) festivities from September 19-23.
Some newcomers and a few faithful returnees were all eager to immerse themselves in Eastern culture, which included tours of historic sites such as Asakusa Senso-ji Buddhist Temple and cultural events like Sumo wrestling, the national sport of Japan.
All of this, while still managing to get their annual carnival fix through fetes, boat rides and anime-themed soca events in and around the capital, culminating in the third annual Japan Caribbean Carnival (JCC) – an authentic, Caribbean-styled street parade – in Saitama Prefecture, all part of the Japan Soca Weekend (JSW) concierge experience.
This year, SIJ returnees included two-time guest artistes, TT producer and musician Keshav Chandradath Singh, TT-born, New York-based Jelani “DJ Jel” Roberts and three-time returnee Boris “DJ Mad Russian” Shapiro. Newcomers, soca artistes Akeem “Preedy” Chance and Andre “Viking Ding Dong” Houlder, were this year’s talent, following the likes of Nailah Blackman and Mical Teja in 2023 and Vincentian soca star Johnny “Problem Child” Fontainne in 2024.
The JCC parade, held at a secluded race track in the Saitama countryside, attracted quite a few local spectators, who watched in awe, some with children in tow, as masqueraders danced behind the music truck, making laps around the track.
Spectators were particularly impressed by both the traditional Japanese and Trinidadian rhythm sections that performed on the sidelines, with the Japanese drummers eventually making their way to the track to add to the already lively parade.
Another show stopping performance, by Japanese steel band Panorise, effortlessly serenaded the joyful crowd with soca classics like Bunji Garlin and Machel Montano’s Famalay.
Surreal experience for newcomers
Self-proclaimed cultural ambassador Preedy described his first trip to Japan as nothing short of amazing. Speaking to Newsday at JCC on Sept 23, Chance said, “The experience has been surreal. Every morning I wake up and I am so happy to know that the class clown, the guy that they were not expecting to become anything, is here in Japan representing the red, white and black and being paid for a talent that was once deemed a nuisance.”
He said he had been contacted some years ago about participating in SIJ, but had turned it down. “I think I was just young and didn’t really understand what was happening here, so when they called me again, I dived at it. To be able to get on a plane to do what you love to do, especially in remote regions, is amazing.”
Chance said he wasted no time in getting to know more about the place he was visiting, joking that he learned a phrase or two to get him through the trip. “ I can say, ‘Konnichiwa’ (Hello) and, ‘O genki dese ka?’ (Are you OK?),” he joked, adding, the culinary experience was also unique.
“The food is very clean,” he said. “They love to taste the freshness of the meat. It was a bit much to get accustomed to. I found a TGIF restaurant today, so I was happy,” he said with a laugh.
Throughout his trip, Chance had been posting on his social media about his experience, asking his fans to offer suggestions about what foods to try and posting videos of him taking their suggestions. Through his social media, he tried culinary classics like sushi, ramen and tonkatsu (deep-fried, breaded pork cutlets). “I wish I was staying a bit longer to explore some more.”
As for the SIJ experience, Chance said he was in awe of the work being done to promote Caribbean culture and soca music in this part of the world. “I can see (the Japanese people) genuinely want to show the culture respect. We need to take more pride in our culture that we throw to the side and only do once a year. We do not see our culture for the goldmine that it is.
“It is very heart warming to see how much love the culture is getting here. I performed music that I don’t even perform in TT and they were singing to the top of their lungs bouncing their little tiny Japanese bam bam up and down,” Chance said with a laugh.
Soca artiste Akeem “Preedy” Chance at Asakusa Senso-ji Buddhist Temple in Tokyo Prefecture, Japan during the annual Soca In Japan festivities in September. – Photo courtesy RealShot MASATO
Chance emphasised the need for local governments, particularly in TT, to invest more into the export and tourism capabilities of soca music and Carnival.
“I would love to see the tourism ministry take example from cultural ambassadors such as myself who don’t get paid to be cultural ambassadors. Use us to market the culture because we are already doing it…I fly the (TT) flag with pride and this gives the younger ones the encouragement to (travel) and see the world.”
He also highlighted the need to export other aspects of the culture, and not just the parts that are appealing to foreign audiences.
“Because there is no regulation on the export of carnival, most of the time it is the surface level part of it (that gets attention). The costumes, the music, but not all the music. Calypso is not exported as much. The traditional characters, as well. I was privileged to play in a Japanese rhythm section. That was extremely fun.”
He said, even though Japanese culture is reserved, some of TTs risque costumes may not resonate with the people, but other things can.
“I’m sure the sound of a steelpan, the sight of a moko jumbie, or the king and queen of Dimanche Gras will surely entice them.”
He also encouraged TT’s leaders to bring more cultural elements back to the schools to encourage up-and-coming talent that TT culture is a worthy investment of their time.
“You see a young man such as myself, this pays my bills. I does pay my taxes,” he said loudly, laughing.
“The government needs to invest more to exposing the world into how amazing Trinidad is.”
Ding Dong also had kind words for the people of Japan.
“This was my first time (here) and, I must say, it was an extraordinary experience. The sites, the views, the food, it was all something out of this world.”
He highlighted his visit to Asakusa Temple and the Samurai Ninja Museum, where he was able to learn more about the history and culture of the country. He said the teamLab: Borderless attraction, an immersive digital art museum, was also a memorable experience as it highlighted the wonder of the country’s signature technological advancements.
Patrons, dressed in kimonos, take a selfie at Asakusa Senso-ji Buddhist Temple in Tokyo Prefecture, Japan, during the annual Soca In Japan festivities in September. – Photo courtesy RealShot MASATO
Houlder described his SIJ experience as a good representation of Caribbean culture.
“Caribbean people love congregating in the name of fun, love and revelry. I observed this during my experience here and believe it will continue to grow as others see the welcoming spirit of Japan.”
He urged the TT government and other Caribbean leaders to exercise a more intentional use of available technology as a tool to achieve the continued efforts to export Caribbean culture in non-Caribbean spaces.
“Use modern day resources, inclusive of social media, to highlight and generate awareness of cultural events and align those efforts with festivals like this.”
Houlder said, carnival as a travel destination experience is a worthy investment for patrons.
“There is nothing like it! So much to see, do, taste, touch and experience. Not only speaking from a cultural point of view, but it is also a great opportunity for networking or simply meeting new people from all over the world in one happy place.
“My hope is that the good music and good vibes emanating out of the Caribbean continues to touch the hearts of many worldwide. I also want our younger generation to preserve and cherish our rich and vibrant culture for many years to come, something I see Japan holds true with their own.”
SIJ seeing “tremendous” growth
“Have you ever watched something get better and better and grow?” DJ Mad Russian asked. “That’s exactly what it is. The first year was good, the second year was better and this is the best so far.” He praised the team for doing a great job in promoting the event, citing many of the kinks from the previous two installments had been worked out.
He said the event’s major setback is the cost to get to the country.
“Flights are very expensive. I know there are some people here in Europe. It might be cheaper for them. For the rest of us living in North America, South America, it’s expensive. Flights can be about 1500-2000 just to get here. It’s excessive.”
Shapiro joked that there really isn’t much that you can say to convince anyone to dish out that kind of money for a trip. “You just have to want to come out here and see what’s happening for themselves.”
He described the weekend as a beautiful blend of the imported Caribbean culture and the local Japanese culture which is what makes the experience so unique and worthwhile. “Those that are interested will come. Those that don’t know about it will find out about it and they’ll come. Those that can’t, will miss out. Who vex, loss.”
Shapiro dazzled the crowd with his 2025 Vincy Mas release, Horn is Horn.
He said the song did well at Vincy Mas earlier this year and is excited to see what next year will bring.
Keshav Singh, said he was also impressed by how much the festival has grown since his visit in 2024.
“It has grown exponentially. I was looking at the tour buses. It was like three last year and eight this year. All of the events were (sold out). I am very proud of that. I have been working in this territory for four years now and we’ve been slowly but surely installing soca into the consciousness of Japan and SIJ helps with that.”
Trini SIJ costume designer Apphia Pereira told Newsday that the only setback to promoting the event further is visibility. She said, in comparison to cultures as ancient as Japan, Trinidad is still a new country.
“We have a strong, rich culture. I am not denying that, but Japan is so old and there is so much to see and do.”
She said so many people back home have a vested interest in Japanese culture, but other than English teaching programmes, there aren’t many other avenues to come to the country.
“We need to create more opportunities for our people to come and experience the culture and mix into the culture.”
Pereira’s design, Rinka Foxfire, stayed true to this year’s theme, Spirit of Kitsune, by focusing on the orbs of light that traditionally surround the mythical fox which reflects the power it gets from the moon. Pereira incorporated elements of bioluminescent fungi present in decaying wood on the forest floors of Japan where the myth is said to have originated. Kitsune is better known as the nine-tailed fox in Japanese folklore.
Event organiser Kegon Toussaint, in an interview with Newsday a few days after the event, wanting to ensure patrons had returned home safely, said while he could not disclose the exact number of clients they hosted this year, he was able to confirm tremendous growth across all events. “In some cases, events doubled and even tripled in size compared to last year. It’s really a testament to our mission of continuing to expand.”
Toussaint, who started the company in 2017, had said in a 2022 interview with Newsday that he saw the potential for soca tourism in Japan, not only among the Caribbean expat community, but also among Japanese residents who had travelled to the Caribbean and were familiar with the culture.
Despite seeing a higher traffic of patrons this year, getting the event off the ground was not without its challenges.
“Soca culture isn’t the culture of Japan, and for many people, it’s their first time traveling here. That means not everyone is comfortable navigating on their own. We had to figure out how to move and process very large groups – something that’s unusual since most tours in Japan are kept small.”
THE EDITOR: It is no secret that many people were upset when, in July 2024, the steelpan was legally proclaimed the national instrument of TT.
This is now reflected in the National Gas Company (NGC) which has stopped all sponsorship of anything to do with the steelpan.
Is this a form of discrimination in plain sight?
NGC’s board of directors must tell the country whether they were given an instruction by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her government to stop all funding for the steelpan.
Alternatively, they must explain why they took such a drastic decision. It must be noted that funding for no other NGC corporate social responsibility activities were cut or at least was put into the public domain.
The NGC is not a pauper crying in the rain.
A review of its audited, consolidated financial statements for the period 2010-2024 shows that it made a total of approximately $29.763 billion in profits after tax, including a profit of $1.642 billion for the 2024 financial year.
Why was the steelpan alone targeted for defunding by NGC? The public deserves answers.
THE EDITOR: The previous government, Pan Trinbago and other stakeholders can be commended for placing a representation of our steelpan on our coat of arms.
But who really looks at our coat of arms as one might look at our national flag, which proudly flies 24/7 locally and at international and sporting events around the world? Just imagine what a real silver or chrome image of our beloved national instrument (has it been patented as solely ours?) strategically placed on our flag will do for our instrument and our country.
Why on the coat of arms and not on our flag as well? Who really focuses on the coat of arms compared to the national flag?
Look what a maple leaf and a fern leaf do on the flags of Canada and New Zealand, proudly emblazoned on anything and everything to do with those two major countries. Might I add that every national representative’s wear in any sphere of activity of TT should be similarly emblazoned?
There are many other national flags that have red, white and black or some combination thereof. Imagine the international reach and local pride that having the steelpan on our national flag will engender.
Recently in Dubai at an international event, finding the TT flag among the many fluttering flags took some doing as it was essentially lost among the other colourful flags. Canada’s maple leaf and New Zealand’s fern leaf, however, stood out distinctly.
So I humbly suggest to our new government that our national flag be amended by adding the steelpan. Maybe a Republic Day announcement?
I also humbly suggest that the national anthem be played on our national instrument (recorded if not live) on all occasions, especially at the opening of events.
Let us proudly claim and display it on our national flag.
THE EDITOR: The steelpan is the very heartbeat of TT. It is not merely an artform, it is our national instrument, our most profound cultural export and a source of pride that connects us to the world. To weaken or undermine the fraternity that sustains this legacy is to attack the very soul of our culture.
Yet we are witnessing, with growing alarm, a deliberate and undisguised attempt by elements within government to withhold critical financial support from PanTrinbago and the steelpan movement at large. These efforts cannot be seen as anything but punitive and quite possibly classist, if not racist.
Consider the magnitude of Panorama: four categories, dozens of steelbands and thousands of pannists young and old working tirelessly from panyards across the nation. This is the largest cultural event outside of the parade of the bands, and it sustains entire communities.
Funding provided does not vanish into thin air – it supports transportation, security, prize monies, remittances to players and the staging of events that draw local and international audiences. To starve this process of resources is to strangle the very ecosystem that keeps pan alive.
Now reports that the National Gas Company has terminated sponsorship agreements with three steelbands deepen the sense of betrayal. Corporate TT has long played a vital role in sustaining our cultural life, and for a state enterprise to step back at this juncture only compounds the assault on the pan movement.
This is not about indulgence. This is about respect for a national instrument, respect for the countless young people who find purpose and discipline in panyards and respect for a cultural treasure that belongs to every citizen of this nation.
To deny pan its rightful support is to deny TT a future grounded in pride, unity and heritage.
We must not allow political spite or shortsightedness to erode what generations have built. The steelpan is too important, too central to our identity, to be sacrificed at the altar of expediency.
STEELPAN players in the south/central region of Pan Trinbago have been left fuming after state company National Gas Company (NGC) on September 11 withdrew its sponsorship from three steelbands – Couva Joylanders, La Brea Nightingale and Steel X Plosion of Tobago – and pulled support for Pan Trinbago.
In the termination letter to Couva Joylanders executive manager Richard Gill, dated September 3, NGC noted Article 7(b) of their January 1, 2023, agreement, which said: “The sponsor shall have the right to terminate this agreement for convenience.” That letter said while the company valued the business relationship between NGC and Joylanders, it was currently re-evaluating existing contracts and determined that this was no longer viable for the company to continue under the present agreement.
It gave the band seven days notice of its intent to terminate the existing agreement with the termination taking effect from September 11.
A similar letter was sent to Pan Trinbago with the exception being that it stated in accordance with article 4.3 of the initial agreement there was to be no further disbursement of funds by the company after the September 11 termination date and Pan Trinbago should within 30 days return unused funds to NGC.
Speaking with Newsday on condition of anonymity, players said they were left extremely emotional after hearing the news.
“Don’t touch we pan. Don’t touch we culture,” one player said.
Players said the panyard has become a haven for young people and an alternative to crime, especially in depressed communities like La Brea and Couva, and to take away sponsorship has the effect of “destroying that safe space.”
Commenting on the withdrawal of the state-owned company’s sponsorships, effective September 11, Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore said this was a devastating blow to the fraternity.
“Government must say whether it wants nothing to do with pan.”
Ramsey-Moore questioned the message being sent to pan players by these withdrawals, and whether a precedent is being set for other state enterprises to pull their support. The National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) has been sponsoring Fonclaire and Buccaneers Steel Orchestras for years, while Heritage is the official sponsor of Skiffle and Siparia Deltones, which is in the Prime Minister’s Siparia constituency.
“Would NLCB and Heritage follow suit and what about other corporate bodies, would they do the same?”
“I don’t think this was well thought out. It is insensitive and a wicked act, coming days after pan month when the national instrument was celebrated and Joshua Regrello was certified as earning the Guiness Book of World Record for the longest pan-playing session.”
She said she contacted Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin who promised to have a conversation with the chair of the National Carnival Commission (NCC) Peter Kanhai, with a view to resolving the issue. Ramsey-Moore who also sits on the NCC board, said she is still awaiting a response.
Energy companies have had a history of support for local steelbands including bpTT, Shell, Heritage and Proman for a number of years. In 2024, bpTT was the title sponsor for Panorama competition and also sponsors steelbands.
Last month, NGC reported $1.6 billion in profits in its financial year ending December 31, 2024. Attorney Gerald Ramdeen is NGC’s chairman.
Former NGC president and musician Mark Loquan, who died on April 6, was a committed supporter of the steelband movement. He not only played with Silver Stars but also became a renowned composer.
Joylanders’ expansion plans shattered
Pan executives from both Steel X Plosion and Nightingale declined comment on September 11, but the manager of Joylanders, Gill, said this was a shocker. He said it has left their entrance into Panorama 2026 in jeopardy.
Gill said the band enjoyed an amazing 13-year partnership with NGC and was expecting a renewal of their contract on December 2025. The contracts of the other two bands were also set to end in December 2025.
“We embarked on this partnership 13 years ago, under the first incarnation of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar during the People’s Partnership administration.”
Over those 13 years, he said, “NGC was doing a wonderful job with us, doing a lot of youth education and music programmes, capacity building.
“I was thinking national pride, national instrument, national company, it would have been renewed, but for this to happen now and with no reason, it is quite a shocker.
“There was no consultation, no conversation, no warning whatsoever that this was going to happen. We got one phone call and then an e-mail on the same day. We tried to have a conversation with the company, but that was not forthcoming.”
Having its main source of funding pulled could not have come at a more inappropriate time as the medium-sized band was in the process of transitioning to the large-band category and establishing its junior band.
“This must stop because we do not know where the funding would be coming from to finance these projects.”
He said if they had any notion the partnership would have ended so abruptly, they would have planned different and reached out to potential sponsors.
Months before Christmas and when corporate bodies would have already planned their expenditure for the next year, he said they do not have much elbow room to negotiate new arrangements. “Our members are broken-hearted because they have been performing above and beyond, meeting all the requirements and expectations, but we would not give up. We are still hopeful for a breakthrough.”
Steelbands depend on corporate support
Ramsey-Moore said steelbands, over the years, depended on corporate support to achieve its community- and youth-development goals.
She said when the call was made in the early 1950s to have corporate TT come on board to support a movement that was built out of struggle, resilience, the response was great.
She said international and state companies have made a significant contribution to steelpan’s development and global appeal.
Ramsey-Moore said NGC’s letters to the steelbands failed to reflect the relationships forged over the eyars.
“I am worried because this could have been approached differently. I am worried because there is no reason why there should be a letter that was insensitive.”
Ramsey-Moore was concerned about how this might harm the gains made by the organisation.
A media release from Pan Trinbago called on companies to come forward and sponsor a band.
It said, “While we value and appreciate NGC’s longstanding support over the years, we are deeply concerned by both the decision and the manner in which it was implemented.”
In that release Ramsey-Moore described the company’s decision as insensitive and one which demonstrated a lack of respect for the steelband community and for pan as the country’s national instrument, especially at a point where the instrument was on global ascent.
“Withdrawing support without dialogue or negotiation disregards the social and cultural significance of corporate sponsorship and undermines the progress that has been gained over the years,” it said.
It said, however, that the organisation remained steadfast in advocating for all steelband members and ensuring that pan’s rich legacy thrived.
It listed ways companies, organisations or people could come contact them if interested in sponsoring a band.
Newsday tried contacting NGC’s corporate communications manager but, up to publication, did not receive a response.
Pan shines as a beacon in Trinidad and Tobago’s forex search. The Musical Instruments of Trinidad and Tobago Company Ltd (MITTCO) director of sales and business development Akua Leith thinks pan could bring a constant flow of forex to this country’s shores.
There was a visual example when Newsday covered the third MITTCO Open Day on August 29 at Diamond Vale Business Park, Diego Martin.
The company was preparing an order for Grenada when it gave the first of four tours to Newsday and five other people including two young pannists.
The tour took participants through the different stages of pan construction as well as some of the innovations used including the grooving plank. South tuner Oliver Hospedales invented the instrument.
The tour showed new colours and styles of pans including a gold 24-carat tenor.
From the raw material, to the depths required to craft the different kinds of pans, to the grooving process, tuning, heating and engraving, participants were shown – step-by-step – what it takes to form the national instrument.
Some of the different styles and colours of pans being produced by MITTCO. – Melissa Doughty
Leith and his team believes this is just a sliver of what is possible with pan manufacturing.
He said MITTCO was launched on August 11, 2022 and World Steelpan Day has become a huge event on the local and global calendar.
He said Desiree Mayers came to him and suggested that they create a MITTCO Day to sustain the momentum created by World Steelpan Day.
So August 29 is the day designated for the celebration of MITTCO’s birth on August 11.
Leith said MITTCO has been in operation for three years and had built significant infrastructure to support the growth of the pan manufacturing industry.
“Come speak with us, we are open for those conversations. I think we are ripe to do what they want to do. Rather than reinventing the wheel.
“We are ready to take on orders, to take on countries in delivering a product and collaborating is key…,” he said in relation to the government’s plans to expand the pan manufacturing industry.
MITTCO’s gold pan displayed during its Open Day on August 29. – Melissa Doughty
Leith said the Grenadian government had ordered seven ensembles to start building pans in schools and communities.
“You see our neighbouring islands taking the instrument very seriously. We, with the same craftsmen and women that we have, are able to do these types of things,” Leith said.
He said MITTCO was fortunate to have people who have been in the industry for more than 25 years.
Leith said although the raw materials are imported for Japan, it was just that, the raw material.
No where in TT sold oil drums, he said.
“Of course, everyone has the desire for everything to be totally local but you have to take the totally-local industry seriously,” he said.
Infrastructure should be placed around chroming, drums and transport.
“We as an industry do not have that support. In that sense, we have to find alternatives. We can get quality products from Japan, we can quality products from Mexico, States, wherever we get quality product that is where we will go.
“But the energy of the pan starts when the craftspeople touch that drum. Raw material is just raw material. The craftspeople are what is indigenous to us and that is what we are proud of.”
MITTCO says training programmes at the MIC Institute of Technology and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) train new craftspeople to ensure the skills continuity.
Young pannist Rafael Seepersad of Maraval enjoys MITTCO’s Open Day with his parents. – Melissa Doughty
“When the UTT’s and the UWI’s (University of the West Indies) and the MIC’s finish with their cohort they then send them to MITTCO to have internships, on-the-job training alongside the professionals.
“That apprentice type of unfolding means more and more artisans would be coming into the industry. That should be ongoing until. There is no timeline, that is an ongoing process from now until forever.”
Asked about ensuring that the innovations in pan manufacturing are properly trademarked and patented as inventions of this country, Leith said most of the people who came up with the inventions have their trademarks and necessary legal requirements in place.
However, there was something more powerful than a patent which was the Geographical Indication for TT’s pans, Leith said.
On August 9 last year the GI for pan was officially registered.
“This simply means that an authentic steelpan could only come from TT. A patent lasts for 25 years, a GI lasts forever,” he said.
Leith added if TT started to focus on the pan manufacturing sector a little more and give it the resources, TT could become a massive forex earner.
He said 80 per cent of MITTCO’s products were exported.
“The potential of that is rising and rising. We just came back from Barbados, Canada. We went to Belize this year, UK.
“There is a lot of that. We went to Japan for a trade show. Forex is definitely possible.”
Guests were treated to a performance by star pannist Johann Chuckaree.
AS part of Steelpan Month celebrations, Pan Trinbago hosted its annual Pan and Powder parade on August 20.
Bands from across the nation filled the streets of Port of Spain with the vibrant sounds of the national instrument, starting at City Hall and ending at the Queen’s Park Savannah.
Newsday photographer Faith Ayoung captured these images of the festivities.
NLCB Fonclaire Steel Orchestra at the Pan and Powder parade in front of City Hall on Knox Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungAn NLCB Fonclaire Steel Orchestra supporter waves the national flag at the Pan and Powder parade in front of City Hall on Knox Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungA young panman plays the six bass with NLCB Fonclaire Steel Orchestra at the Pan and Powder parade in front of City Hall on Knox Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungA moko jumbie towers over the crowd at the Pan and Powder parade in front of City Hall on Knox Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungThis player from Heritage Petroleum Skiffle Steel Orchestra was all smiles during the 2025 Pan and Powder parade along Pembroke Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungThese moko jumbies cut a striking figure against the night sky at the 2025 Pan and Powder parade along Pembroke Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungCourts Sound Specialists of Laventille play a medley of songs during the 2025 Pan and Powder parade along Pembroke Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungA pannist from Heritage Petroleum Skiffle Steel Orchestra during the 2025 Pan and Powder parade along Pembroke Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungA moko jumbie sways to the beat of the steelpan during the 2025 Pan and Powder parade along Pembroke Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungCourts Sound Specialists of Laventille bring the energy during the 2025 Pan and Powder parade along Pembroke Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungA player from Heritage Petroleum Skiffle Steel Orchestra during the 2025 Pan and Powder parade along Pembroke Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith AyoungA group of colourful moko jumbies at the 2025 Pan and Powder parade along Pembroke Street, Port of Spain on August 20. – Photo by Faith Ayoung
TRINIDAD and Tobago has given the world soca, calypso, steelpan and a Carnival unlike any other.
Our creative talent is recognised globally, and for more than two decades, successive governments have named the creative industries as a potential driver of diversification.
This vision, however, has been devoid of the type of sustained policy attention, investment and structural support required to turn this vision into reality.
The conversation itself seems to be fading. A decade ago, the creative industries frequently appeared in budget speeches and diversification strategies.
Today, they are mentioned less often and still without the concrete, well-resourced action plans needed to unlock their full economic potential.
The importance of the creative industries
Globally, creative industries are among the fastest-growing sectors, contributing over three per cent of world GDP according to UNCTAD and employing millions.
They span a wide range of activities including music, performing arts, film, fashion, craft, design, gaming, animation, advertising and cultural tourism.
These sectors not only generate jobs and foreign exchange, but they also strengthen national identity and global influence.
Countries that have taken the creative economy seriously have reaped tangible benefits.
The UK’s creative industries contribute over £100 billion annually to its economy.
Jamaica earns significant export revenues from its music and cultural tourism.
South Korea’s investment in K-pop, film and gaming has transformed its global image and driven billions in exports.
For TT, the creative industries could play a similar role; our Carnival, music, literature and fashion already have a global audience.
The challenge is converting this cultural capital into sustainable economic returns.
The current state in TT
Despite our distinctive cultural heritage and a vibrant diaspora eager to consume and promote our culture abroad, there are persistent structural weaknesses.
Governance for the sector has been channelled through CreativeTT, which until recently oversaw MusicTT, FilmTT and FashionTT.
These have now been merged into Global TT to align creative, tourism and investment efforts.
While the consolidation may improve co-ordination, these entities have long operated with limited resources, making it difficult to fully support industry growth.
This is compounded by restricted financing options for creative micro, small and medium enterprises.
Many talented creative entrepreneurs are still contending with the business impacts of the covid19 pandemic and are unable to access the capital they need to scale their operations.
Skills gaps remain in intellectual property management, digital marketing and export readiness.
Too often, policy initiatives are launched without consistent follow-through, which results in promising projects that fail to deliver lasting impact.
Five actions to make the sector a true driver of diversification
1. Establish robust policy and governance structures
The inclusion of CreativeTT into Global TT offers a unique opportunity to align creative, tourism and investment portfolios under a unified vision.
If supported with adequate resources and a strong mandate, this structure could streamline decision-making, strengthen partnerships and deliver more co-ordinated programmes.
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By setting measurable targets, fostering collaboration across ministries and maintaining stability across political cycles, Global TT can become the driving force that turns long-recognised creative potential into sustained economic results.
2. Revamp education and skills development
Some local universities now offer arts training with elements of entrepreneurship, digital skills and intellectual property management.
Training, however, must go beyond generic arts management to address the business realities of specific creative sectors.
In music, that means understanding publishing, licensing, copyright law, digital distribution and emerging revenue streams.
In film, it could involve production financing, distribution rights and festival strategies.
In fashion, it might be supply chain management, brand licensing and export logistics.
This specialist approach will help creative professionals produce world-class work and monetise, scale and protect it.
3. Invest in infrastructure and market access
Physical spaces such as recording studios, co-working hubs, rehearsal spaces and performance venues are essential.
It is also important that we create indigenous digital platforms for distribution and promotion of our creative outputs.
To complement these, export facilitation programmes covering logistics, market intelligence and international showcasing should be standard.
4. Redesign finance and incentive mechanisms
Apart from limited film incentives, most existing tax breaks depend on large businesses investing in creative firms.
This places incentives at the wrong point in the value chain and assumes that established companies are the best vehicles for investment.
Instead, creative firms should be empowered directly through targeted tax breaks, creative venture funds and low-interest loans so they can take and manage risks, innovate and expand without relying on corporate sponsorship. These incentives should be easy to access, based on merit and track record and offered to legally registered and tax-compliant firms.
5. Implement an internationalisation strategy
The diaspora is a ready-made export market.
Partnerships within Caricom and with countries in Africa and the Pacific can open new channels for cultural exchange and trade.
A co-ordinated export promotion strategy should position our creative products such as music, film, fashion and craft, alongside other high-value exports like premium rums, fine cocoa and chocolate, luxury leather goods and Carnival tourism packages.
Presenting these sectors together under a strong national brand can strengthen market visibility, attract investment and reinforce TT’s reputation for quality, creativity and cultural distinctiveness.
Moving forward
If we get this right, the creative industries could become a reliable non-energy growth engine generating diversified foreign exchange earnings from music, film, fashion, design and other exports.
This growth would create more high-value jobs, particularly for our rising creative class of young people.
It would also strengthen TT’s global brand in ways that attract tourism, investment and cultural exchange.
The time for token mentions in speeches has passed.
If we are serious about diversification, then the creative industries deserve the same strategic, structural and financial attention given to other priority sectors.
Our culture has always been world-class. The question is whether we will continue to treat it as a seasonal spectacle or finally build it into a permanent pillar of our economy.
Our membership in the TTCSI is a step in the right direction as we seek to create a successful pathway for growth and sustainability.
YOU CAN hear the rawness of the pan in the 1940 recording of Lion Oh by calypsonian Roaring Lion with the Hell Yard Steelband. A note on the video says that two biscuit tins were included, as well as a bottle and spoon. Recorded by Decca Records, this is said to be the earliest known recording of the steelpan. Eighty-five years later, the recording of pan is now a sophisticated and meticulous art form.
As we envisage more visibility and recognition for our national instrument, how important is it to continue refining the techniques for recording our pan? And, as technology allows such recordings to be more impactful, who will benefit from the proceeds of these works?
In the 1990s, Katsunari Imai (Kats), researcher and record producer, was living in the US. Through his connections in the music industry, he regularly interacted with Clive Bradley. Not surprisingly, Kats was soon captivated by pan. He purchased a VHS of pan music but was very disappointed as the quality on the tape was nothing like the live music he had heard. Today, Kats is recognised locally not only as a dedicated fan of pan music, but as a respectful researcher and recorder of the instrument.
For Kats, ensuring excellent sound quality is not just about the listening pleasure of audiences. There are the very real considerations of intellectual property rights and remuneration for everyone involved. This includes the executive producers of the event, the performers and the record label which would manage distribution of the music and collection of royalties.
But as he explains, earning revenue from streaming and other online sources is complicated. The income for each song or piece of music is usually very small, so artists need to generate literally millions of views or downloads before any significant sums are earned. Additionally, there are restrictions on artists from TT being able to monetise their creative output on international platforms.
Kats is currently in discussions with industry stakeholders to implement a programme that will explore solutions that are fair, transparent and ultimately profitable for all parties.
Notably, sound quality was important even in the early days of the pan. Errol Hill quotes famed tuner Anthony Williams talking about the need to standardise tuning methods. “I noticed that some notes have a better sound than others. I realised that a balance formation is necessary in order to get one clear note throughout. Every pan tuner knows that it is very difficult to tune a pan in ‘piano formation,’ that is running B next to C and C next to C sharp, etc.”
Williams was talking about another critical aspect of developing the right sound, that is, creating a sound based on our own standards and not criteria grounded in European or Western theories of music.
It is also essential to address the rather illogical system of accreditation that currently exists. The issues that I have raised concerning theatrical performances in a public space are also relevant to pan.
If a media house says that they are recording for news or archival purposes, how is this monitored? And with commercial entities, how are the rights of the artists protected? Will the fee that is negotiated cover professional recordings that can then be sold anywhere in the world? Are there limits placed on merchandising and other downstream forms of commercialisation?
These and other questions are still unanswered, even internationally. It is therefore essential that artists come together and demand answers. In 1939, Roaring Lion was a founding member of the Trinidad Calypso and Musicians Advertising Association, which also managed one of the main tents at the time. As international focus on our calypso and pan grew, artists recognised they needed to work together to protect their interests.
2025 is a much more complicated time, with universities and pan associations across the world studying, teaching and tweaking the pan. So, as we get stronger, our vulnerability intensifies. We need to safeguard the sweet sound of our pan to honour the sacrifices of the elders and for the generations of young people now rightfully claiming this instrument as their own.
Dara E Healy is a performing artist and founder of the Idakeda Group, a cultural organisation dedicated to empowering communities through the arts
IN 2023, the UN officially declared August 11 as World Steelpan Day.
It acknowledged that the steelpan promotes inclusive societies, sustainable communities and the creative economy and can have a positive impact on mental health and well-being, gender equality and youth empowerment.
WMN pays tribute to the women pioneers of steelpan as Trinidad and Tobago mark the third World Steelpan Day.
In the early days of the steelpan, between the 1940s and the 1960s, the steelpan culture was dominated by men, particularly young black men at the bottom of TT’s social ladder. As a result, respectable families did not allow their daughters near a panyard, let alone to play pan.
Still, women found ways to represent. Though not visible as performers, they were the lifeblood of steelband culture as flag-wavers, supporters, pushers, cooks at panyards and sometimes peacemakers.
The steelpan’s early days were marked by courageous women who chose to belong in the musical realm controlled by men people at the time would call rogues.
But most notable were women like Daisy James-McClean who was one of the earliest known female pannists. She started playing on her brother’s three-note ping pong pan in 1944, at age six.
She played with the Casablanca band, unbeknownst to her mother, then City Syncopators and the Starlighters steelband. At a time when the mere presence a woman was scandalous in a panyard, James-McClean performed publicly and even played alongside calypsonian Brother Mudada during his Dimanche Gras appearance in 1976, the first woman to ever do so.
In 1999 she founded the Harlem Syncopators to nurture young players and was honoured with the Public Service Medal of Merit (Silver) in 2005.
Daisy James-McClean who was one of the earliest known female pannists. – Photo courtesy When Steel Talks
In 1967, Pat Bishop became the first woman to sing publicly with a steelband, Esso Tripoli Steel Orchestra, as part of a bet that the orchestra could play softly enough to accompany an unamplified female voice. She went on to become one of the first women to arrange steelband music and was awarded the Trinity Cross (now The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago).
In 1972, Merle Albino-de Coteau made history by being the first woman to arrange a steelband for Panorama, arranging Mas in May by The Mighty Sparrow for Chase Manhattan Savoy.
She also founded Music Makers, a music school in Laventille, judged competitions across the Caribbean and North America and earned prestigious accolades, including an honorary doctorate from UTT and the Hummingbird Medal in 1993.
Merle Albino-de Coteau, first woman to arrange for Panorama. –
In 2011 Michelle Huggins-Watt became the first female arranger to win a National Panorama competition, winning the Medium Band title with Valley Harps and Do Something For Pan composed by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and Gregory Valentine. And in 2018, Vanessa Headley became the first female arranger to win in the Small Conventional category with her original composition, Trouble Sans Humanite, played by Golden Hands.
As the steelpan movement matured, so did female representation and institutional support.
In the early 50s, music teacher Hazel Henley founded Girl Pat Steel Orchestra, the first all-female steel orchestra, at her home in Newtown.
With the support of her parents, she gathered schoolgirls to challenge society’s scorn of the steelpan. They had to learn how to play clandestinely because, if found out, they could have been expelled from their schools.
Ellie Mannette, captain and tuner of Invaders Steelband assisted and with the musical assistance of Jocelyn Pierre, the group performed at charity shows, dances, on radio and at bingoes. And when it became more established, the band toured Guyana and Jamaica with the Little Carib Theatre, breaking both class and gender barriers by their presence and formal training.
Women also pioneered steelpan in education. Dr Dawn Batson, initiated the Pan in the Classroom program, helped launch formal associate degree music performance (with steelpan) at Costaatt, and chaired TT’s National Steel Orchestra board.
Later on, organisations like Pan Trinbago introduced school and youth festivals, widening the pipeline for girls to engage with the steelpan.
In Tobago, history was made again when Beverley Ramsey-Moore, manager of the Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra, became the first female president of Pan Trinbago in 2018. She not only lead but raised accountability, streamlined finances, secured sponsors and earned the Gold Tobago Medal of Honour in 2023.
Today, women stand with men in bands across the country as musicians, arrangers and leaders, thanks to these early female trailblazers.
Information from When Steel Talks, Pan Trinbago and the National Archives of TT.
