Where is the National Steel Orchestra?

THE EDITOR: A couple weeks ago I asked what has happened to the National Steel Orchestra. There was a deafening silence from official circles. Neither the State nor Pan Trinbago, the body which seeks the interest of local pan players and bands, made a response. Recently though, a pan player belonging to a band in the EW corridor informed me that the National Steel Orchestra has been disbanded and the players sent off on various pan teaching stints under the community development programme. If this is true, then it gives great shame to us the ones who invented the instrument.  Sweden and other newcomers have national steelbands and here in the land its birth the National Orchestra has been treated worse than a bastard child. What could be at work here is the same long standing petty mindedness of our politicians.

Once the party in power is not responsible for something of significance, it is shut down forever or until they can put their own spin on it. We can all remember the plight of the National Library which was started under the 1991 to 1995 PNM. Then came the ill fated 17-17-2 National Election which saw the rise of Panday to the office of Prime Minister. The library project was shelved for more than two years leaving the biggest mosquito breeding pond in the heart of the city. It is time to end this kind of foolishness. Pan Trinbago and all pan loving Trinbagonians must demand information on the fate of the National Steel Orchestra and its members. Those in authority must provide us with answers.

MC DONALD JAMES
Couva