Pan TnT * Pan Global * Message Board * Pan News * Pan Radio * Pan New York * Pan Briefs * About
The Marang Community
Junior Secondary School Steelpan Ensemble (Botswana, Africa)
Web Posted - Sun Jun 27,
2004
By Hollis Clifton for
When Steel Talks
The Prime Minister of Barbados, The Right Hon Owen Arthur was pleasantly
surprised when he got a steelpan and mokojumbies welcome on arrival at the
Gaborone Sun Hotel last Monday.
Mr. Arthur was on a six day State Visit to the landlocked Botswana ahead of
the ACP Conference carded for Maputo, Mozambique this week.
The official reception was attended by Botswana's Head of State, President
Festus Mogae together with the Barbadian PM and was intended to meet
nationals resident in Botswana.
Mr. Arthur found it interesting that the pan which was founded in the
African Diaspora (Trinidad) had made its journey back to the motherland. He
was even taken aback to learn that all the panists were born and bred
Batswana and were tutored by Trinidadian Hollis Clifton.
The Marang Community Junior Secondary School Steelpan Ensemble is the only
state school with a panside. There are three English Medium Schools
(private) with Steelbands. The Botswana Defense Force also has a steelband.
Both Heads of State left Botswana on Tuesday for Mozambique.
Hollis Clifton
Africa Correspondent
Share your opinions on the
above!
Email:
opinions@panonthenet.com
Submissions
may be edited.
Let us hear your views
Pan TnT * Pan Global * Message Board * Pan News * Pan Radio * Pan New York * Pan Briefs * About
| Search for Anything Steelpan Music Related |