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Still No $$$ for Trinidad and Tobago Steelpan Panorama Performing Musicians - Gangster Style or Gross Negligence?

Pan Trinbago say it’s not their fault... NCC mum on the issue...

A When Steel Talks Exclusive

 
No money for pan
 No money for Trinidad and Tobago steelpan musicians

Trinidad and Tobago - Recently the hottest topic on the When Steel Talks (WST) forum has centered around the lack of payment of the promised stipends to performing steelpan musicians of Trinidad & Tobago months after the official conclusion of the 2013 annual National Panorama and the Trinidad and Tobago carnival season.

The spotlight was beamed upon this unfortunate issue when the young members (kids) of Flamingoes Steel Orchestra from east Trinidad, inquired as to when they would be receiving their stipends after weeks of nightly practice with the orchestra and at least one public performance.  Unable to give a forthright answer to his young players, Salah Wilson, the manager of Flamingoes raised the question publically in his post "Do Something for the ordinary Panman and Pan woman" on the WST forum. Additionally thousands of other steelpan musicians throughout Trinidad and Tobago find themselves in a similar situation - the majority of whom are teenagers.

The global steelpan community chimed in, in total dismay over the delayed payments. There was no shortage of view points relating to reasons for this tardiness. Everything from ‘gangsters in our midst’ to ‘epic incompetence’ was offered up by those in the know for this situation.

One Pan Trinbago (the Trinidad and Tobago organization responsible for directly paying the musicians) official, Mr. Anthony McQuilkin, expressed his disappointment in the NCC (National Carnival Commission) not having made the funds available. When Steel Talks is still waiting to hear back from NCC officials as to their take on the delay.

In any regard - after 50 years of Panorama and in particular, in Trinidad and Tobago - this is a disappointing and peculiar situation which speaks volumes to the ongoing schism in the land of the Steelpan’s birth, surrounding the instrument which is so embraced and celebrated elsewhere throughout the world.

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