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Pit
Zünd -
President and co-founder of PANCH
(Swiss Steelband Association)
Switzerland -
When Steel Talks
caught up with
Pit Zünd, the current
president and founder of the Swiss Steelband Association - PANCH for an
exclusive interview. The fifty-seven year old chemist has
been playing pan for over fifteen years. PANCH represents
thirty-five steelbands and over five hundred players in Switzerland.
The main object of
the organization according to Zünd, is 'to care for the steelband
culture.' In addition to bringing people together PANCH must also
serve as a moderator between the organizations to insure peace and
harmony. PANCH is also committed to raising the standard of
musicianship among the steelband players. The organization
sponsors courses for teaching "sticking (performance), off beat (timing)
and improvising." Their big band projects include drawing between
thirty and forty players together from all over Switzerland for about
three or four months for various performances. In 2000 when PANCH
sent a performing contingent to Trinidad to participate in the World
Steelband Music Festival, they numbered about fifty.
Zünd lamented that
PANCH has not yet been able to secure government financial support.
All financing so far has been through private sponsors.
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PANCH
President Pit
Zünd |
One of the main
attractions to the steelband instrument in Switzerland is the social
aspect of it. Currently the Swiss pan scene is not predominately
made of youth as in other countries. As a result there are not as
many competitions and opportunities as in other countries; instead the
Swiss steelband movement attracts more mature people to their fold.
Pan is more of a social coming together. One of the main interests
of PANCH is to attract youth to the instrument. In this arena Zünd
feel PANCH has been less than successful.
Currently
Switzerland has about four tuners who tune and manufacture instruments.
These tuners are Swiss who live in Switzerland. They are
manufacturing very good instruments, while additionally pans continue to
be acquired from London or even Trinidad.
Performances
opportunities are more abundant in the summer because of the weather
conditions. Gigs range from birthdays and marriages to official
gatherings.
Eighty percent of
the pannists in Switzerland are women, and from Zünd's perspective, the
quality of performance is exactly the same between men and women.
Pit Zünd suggest that the larger number of women participating may be
due to the fact they women tend to be at an age where they are looking
for a new experiences, where as the men are more content to rest after
coming from work and watch TV.
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