Mortal blow to pan body

The steelband body over the years has moved from being the “national” association of TT steelbandsmen to Pan Trinbago, the “world” governing body for pan.

How could an organisation which relies mainly on Government subventions and which has no money and does not seem to be able to raise any money be the world governing body for anything? Can someone tell me where in the world are the governing body for piano, for guitar, saxophone and trumpet? Notwithstanding there are more of those instruments throughout the world than there are steel pans.

This Pan Trinbago overreach merely serves to inflate the ego of some people. The steel pan was spread mainly by touring steel orchestras and nationals who settled one way or another in foreign lands. For many years steel orchestras were the ones travelling abroad, now it’s the officials who travel more than the bands.

The relationship between the Government and organisations such as Pan Trinbago is like that of parents whose financial support of their children did not encourage them to leave their parents’ home so now the parents are condemned to support those children for life, even in spite of alleged misbehaviour.

It should be viewed as shameful that the collection of the gate receipts for the biggest paying event in the home of the steelband has been removed from this world governing body.

David Maunday Belmont, PoS