Government involvement in pan

Posted By: 9890001
Date: Friday, 3 December 2004, at 7:58 p.m.

Most of the negative comments about pan and trinbagonians lack of concern, lack of musical knowledge would come from poachers who do not have the interest of our culture at heart. its business for them,. We have proven to the world that we are a great people by creating pan, now so rudely called the steel drum... As musicians we could be described as SMART, QUICK OF MIND AND BODY. Our culture is strong because we have a music that covers the feelings of the different races that occupy our country. There is no need for us to follow ..we are leaders in what we do best. We play music that is written and we play music that is not written..with sure excellence and marvelment to those who have heard and seen us. What are they asking of us now? That we pass the test is not important as continuing to be creative and innovative. They dont want to play our music ...they want to take our pan...
The world was full of music long before the written word. The government of Trinbago has taken the correct steps to restore our pride in the instrument and what it means to our nation.
To exclude us from their inner circle of musicians would be an insult to other musicians of the world.( african, east indians drummers and music that has been around long before the written word.)
I would ask as a trinbagonian that the tuners have access to quality drums to make quality instruments. Pan has created jobs for thousands of others around the globe, and you would pay more for a pan that is not properly made outside of our country. KEEP UP THE FIGHT PANTRINBAGO. NO ONE WILL IF YOU DONT.