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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.

 

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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. 

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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