Tobago panmen must band together

THE EDITOR: Please permit me space in your widely read newspaper to congratulate the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) for the keen interest shown over the years in our culture and more recently the sponsorship of two of our country’s leading steelbands NLCB Fonclaire and now NLCB Buccooneers of Tobago. I do hope like Fonclaire, Buccooneers will lift their head sup high and make themselves a shining example for others to follow. Buccooneers, we all know like most other steelbands, have had their internal problems but were able to overcome them with flying colours. Having succeeded other previous village bands like Pretenders, and Sundowners, Buccooneers has now proven without a doubt to be the best of the three with successes at Panorama competitions in Tobago and also at National Music Festival level.

I now wish to offer kind words of advice to the leadership of NLCB Buccooneers. By now most of you should realise that steelband business is big business and not restricted to the backyards any more like in the past when band members had to depend on moving around during the night in Tobago and permanently borrowing oil drums from the Malaria Division and other private places for making steelpans. It is now expensive and competitive business with expensive instruments requiring dedication, hard work and sacrifice. Therefore, in order for any steelband to maintain success at national level members should be mindful and guided by words borrowed from our National Watch Words — Discipline, Production and Tolerance and with the help and kind assistance of your sponsor NLCB, your band will be on its way to greatness.

Finally, I now wish to call on you the leaders and members of NLCB Buccooneers, please rise up from your slumber, living a life of illusion will not and cannot help at this stage, try to be positive and keep the community flag flying high. This is just a wake up call from an ex-panman whom most of you may recognise. Never descend to just a village pan side like in the past, your band should now be seen as the flagship of your community, ably supported and assisted by your kind sponsor NLCB. Any rift and/or differences experienced in the past between your band (Buccooneers) and another band in your village should be immediately diffused and the business of rebuilding should be pursued for the community sake. There is absolutely no room in your community for division between pan players. Please go about the business of mending in a very positive way. Mr Johnson, Solomon, York Snr, York Jnr and other community leaders, please take note.

E DAVID
Marabella