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Pan Fraternity Get Early Bonus Start for August Pan Month

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. – On August 30th 1991, Steelband was officially declared the National Instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, and rightly so I may say. Any other Instrument indigenous to TnT and wish to lay claim, must be able to stand up on its own and play our National Anthem. Nuff said.

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The Steelband fraternity has always celebrated August as Steelband month in Trinidad and Tobago. But, this year’s celebrations started with a bonus in the middle of July, when on the evening of Thursday, July 16th, 2009, the President of our Republic His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards and Her Excellency Mrs. Jean Ramjohn-Richards, hosted the Executive of Pan Trinbago, and members of the Silver Stars Steelband, the Sforzata Steelband, the Arima Golden Symphony Steelband, the LH Pan Groove Steelband, all winners of the Large, Medium, Small and Traditional Categories for Panorama 2009, together with two representative of the finalist bands coming out of Panorama 2009, to a cocktail reception at the official residence. It was such a lovely way to spend an evening with Pan Men and Pan Women all dressed to impress.

This is the third consecutive year, and the Steelband fraternity is very appreciative, for we see this as His Excellency’s contribution towards raising the bar, giving the pannist a greater sense of value and pride in themselves and the National Instrument.

On Friday, 17th July, 2009, at Preysal High School in Central Trinidad, the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Development Division, Pan in the Classroom Project Unit, held the Closing Ceremony of a National Teachers Training Workshop for the Incorporation of the Steelpan into the Primary School Music Curriculum. This is a project in collaboration with Pan Trinbago, and the Public Relations Officer of the organization represented the President in bringing greetings to the participants.

Saturday, 18th July, 2009, the first line leadership of Pan Trinbago, (Central and Regional Executive Officers), was invited to participate in a three-day workshop on Leadership in Voluntary Organizations, at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business - The University of the West Indies.

This is in keeping with promises made by the Honorable Marlene McDonald, Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs at our monthly meetings. The expected outcome is the strengthening of the Leadership to better understand its role in meeting the challenges of the future as they take Pan Trinbago toward 2020 and beyond.

The action involving Pan Lovers started during the night of Saturday, 18th July, when the Pan in the Community Project organized by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs, in collaboration with Pan Trinbago, was officially launched by the Honorable Minister at the TCL Group Skiffle Bunch Pan Theatre on Coffee Street in San Fernando, South Trinidad.

The first in a projected number of free Steelband Concerts to be held across Trinidad and Tobago brought Pan Lovers from as far as La Horquetta in the East to enjoy the music of TCL Skiffle Bunch who lit the fire from the first note, followed by Caribbean Airlines Invaders who took it to a blaze, only to have WITCO Desperados together with the massive audience dance in the fire as if they were walking in the rain and not wanting to shelter. By the time NLCB Fonclaire took to the stage, the audience was wet with perspiration and only shouting “More, Fonclaire, more!”  And the band never for a moment disappointed. “Is ah long time I ent see people fete like that in ah Pan Shindig”.

The Honorable Minister and her entourage reluctantly left at about 11:50 p.m., and I know that it was only because of the distance they had to travel that forced them to leave.

Caribbean Airlines Invaders took to the stage for their second round at about 12:15 a.m., and there was still no water to out the fire. TCL Group Skiffle Bunch ended the show with only steam rising out of their Pan Theatre on Sunday morning. The fire was only quenched by the perspiration of Pan Lovers who came out in their numbers and enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

The program continues every Sunday in a different community across Trinidad and Tobago until the end of August. Pan Lovers and interested persons are asked to look in the Press, visit Pan Trinbago’s website and listen to their favorite Steelband program on Radio for information about where the next Pan in the Community Program will be held.

We aim to bring back LOVE in the Hearts of our people and Communities through Steelband MUSIC.


Michael L. Joseph
Public Relations Officer
Pan Trinbago
World Governing Body For Steelpan

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