Where is the National Steel Orchestra?
THE EDITOR: During his first stint as Prime Minister, Patrick Mannning declared the steelpan as the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago; to the chagrin of the Maha Sabha and some Indian fundamentalists who also wanted the sitar, dolak and majeera to be equated similar status. They obviously missed the point that unlike these Asian instruments we Trinbagonians had invented the pan and among the worlds greatest players and arrangers are local Indians. If Basdeo Panday did one good thing during his ill-fated term was the creation of the National Steel Orchestra.
Whatever his motive, this somehow seemed to be a necessary follow up to Manning’s officially claiming the steelband for our land. The burning question which must be asked is what has become of the National Steel Orchestra? Have they been disbanded? A couple dozen young people were selected for this orchestra to be employed permanently and year round as national musicians. The public caught brief glimpses of them at functions and with the fall of the UNC they seem to have disappeared. Political parties in our patch have the bad habit of killing programmes and initiatives of rival parties once they gain office. If the disappearance of this worthy orchestra is due to this folly then the road to 2020 would be a long and winding one indeed.
Most metropolitan cities of the developed world to which we aspire, have orchestras sponsored by the cities’ burgesses or the state. If we created a national steel orchestra and killed it off or have it languishing in the shadows due to petty politics then we are lost indeed. Mr Manning please clear the air on the status of the band created to represent us with the national instrument which you declared for Trinidad and Tobago some short years ago.
MC DONALD JAMES
Couva
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"Where is the National Steel Orchestra?"