Parang for Easter

Other events for the year include workshops in sound and sound system during the month of May. The various parang groups will then come together for meetings with officials of the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) in June.

NPATT will host another big parang event, “Parang by the Dial” on August 6 and their annual family day is carded for August 9 at the De freitas Ranch in Valencia.

The official date for the launch of the 2009/2010 parang season has been set for September 12 for the north bands and September 19 for the south bands.

These activities are being organised by the newly elected executive of NPATT. Neal Marcano has retained the position of president, while Kelvin Wharwood is now the vice-president.

Other members of the executive committee include Nicole Cezair (secretary), Jane Meyers (assistant secretary), Philip Carmona (treasurer), and James Purcell (PRO). Trustees are Derrick Edwards and Jean-Claude Meyers. Committee members are Roxanne Marcano, Michael Lezama, Curtis McDonald, and Roland. The youth officer is Jason Ganpat.

According to the Purcell, NPATT has taken the necessary steps to inform the Ministry of Culture of the dates for this year’s launch.

“We have had a lot of problems in the past concerning the launch of the festival and we are now putting everything in place for a early start this year,” he said.

Purcell reiterates that although parang music has long been associated with Christmas, the various parang groups are now performing throughout the year. Following a short parang season in 2008, many of the group are now seeking sponsorship for a better season ahead.

Purcell noted that there are two theories about the origins of this genre of music in TT. The first theory is that Spanish monks, who were here to indoctrinate people into Catholicism, first introduced the music now popularly known as “parang”. The second theory is that Venezuelans who migrated to Trinidad fleeing persecution during the Bolivarian Revolution brought the first elements of parang to Trinidad.

Purcell explained that because of the uptempo beat of parang it is unlikely that the Spanish monks brought parang to Trinidad, but it is likely that they influenced the artform, especially in terms of enunciation and the message of parang, which was to teach Biblical scriptures in song.

NPATT has been in existence since 1971. Their mandate is to ensure the longevity of parang in its purest form. The main activities is the annual parang festival which include scores of parangs singers and musicians. The festival creates national awareness of parang music in the national community and the Caribbean.

Additionally, NPATT has been having a Schools Parang Competition since 1992. The association will be working towards encouraging radio stations to play parang music all year round.