Spirit of the jamette

EXODUS' arranger Pelham Goddard, it seems, had the key to success. In capturing the bacchanalian spirit of De Fosto's jamette, Pandora, the St Augustine steelband, he felt sure, would have it made. How right he was! On the Big Yard on Saturday night, Exodus' Pandora delivered such a display of melodic sensuality that it seduced the pants off the judges and the huge Panorama finals night crowd. Our congratulations to Exodus - what a strange name for a winning steelband - for emerging the champion outfit in the Land of Pan for the third time. To carry the Panorama title at the same time as being the World Steelband Music Festival Champions will certainly niche for them a special place in steelband history.

Manager Ainsworth Mohammed, tells the story: "The hard work that the players put into it paid off with great results. The execution of the music was great; we had a great arrangement from Pelham Goddard, great drilling from Pat Bishop and with the commitment and hard work from the players, it was only a matter of proper execution on the night, and that was done." Exodus earned their victory but the Panorama finals were also a triumph for Pan. The quality of music produced by a legion of young, enthusiastic, yet musically illiterate pannists must represent something of a phenomenon. It is the amazing result of two months of hard, dedicated work in the panyards, a tribute both to the natural skill of the players and the musical genius of the arrangers and their assistants.

Steeped once again in the brilliant glow of Panorama we cannot help but bemoan once again the poor appreciation given to our native invention, the steelband, and its devotees whose potential still remains largely untapped. What, for example, have become of the great plans we had for the National Steel Orchestra? Do we still have one? Is it doing anything, going anywhere?

Also, it seems to us that prizes awarded to Panorama winners are paltry when compared to those won by individual  performers in our celebration of Carnival. What really is $200,000 to be shared among 100 players who have toiled day and night for no less than two months in the Exodus panyard? Two thousand dollars each for their magnificent effort? And what about $150,000 for second placed Neal and Massy All Stars and $100,000 for third pIaced Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove? Is this how we encourage our young talented people? Is this how we promote the centre-piece of our culture?

It is our view that the Panorama first prize should be nothing less than $1,000,000. And the second and third $750,000 and $500,000 respectively. If the Government can dish out $44 million to supporters and fly-by-night companies in the make-work CEPEP, then two and a quarter million should be nothing to give in rewarding the country's young people who, instead of turning to drugs, crime or indulging in anti-social behaviour, give so much of their time and their talent to our own musical instrument, to produce such great music and entertainment for our people and, simply, to make us proud. We must send them the right message by making such an effort tangibly worthwhile. So another Panorama is over, but what is there now for Pan? Will we send Exodus on a world tour? How many musical scholarships will we give to the outstanding young pannists in this competition? It seems that we will not fully appreciate what we have created in the steelband until the Japanese or some people in the US or elsewhere begin to push pan as if it were their own.