Trinidad - Some people make it a hobby to be critical of any and everything regardless of the information. But the truth is, only members of Pan Trinbago who attend meetings, and have a sense of the history of the Steel band movement, and the many years of struggles with the powers that be, and the many internal battles waged by little men with highly inflated egos, can justifiably stand up and criticize this organization and, they know the forum through which this is done. They never run to the press trying to pull down and so damage the image of the organization. They attend meetings, seek information, make suggestions, and are critical when and where it is necessary.

We are aware that many of our new members seem to be very impatient with the rate of progress, and would like to see more rapid growth and development taking place within the movement. This is understandable, given the times we are in, with so much money in the national economy and the steel pan being the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago.

The older members who have been in the movement much longer can better appreciate the gains and accomplishments acquired over the years, and are less inclined to criticize.

I saw tears in the eyes of old men - men who had risked their lives and sacrificed for the survival and preservation of this instrument, and never thought they would live to see the day that recognition and honor would be bestowed on them for their sterling contribution to this nation.

Pan Trinbago has come of age where, they, together with the Ministry of Culture brought these Pan Guards back to Trinidad from different parts of the world where they now reside, to say thank you - and to some of them it was unbelievable, but they enjoyed the moment to its fullest. Today, the National Panorama prize money has reached one million dollars and each Pannist is being paid an extra four hundred dollars performance fee through Pan Trinbago. If someone had told Fisheye, Zigilee or Spree in those days that, this would come to be, that person might not have lived to see the light of another day. He or she would have been beaten to death with the said instrument.

If today, the steel band movement does not have its own home, or the Pan in Schools program is not fully implemented, or the steel pan industry is still floundering, or the tuners still risk their lives working with discarded chemically hazardous steel drums, or prize monies are not paid in a timely manner, or the instrument is still not standardized, or Pan yards still not properly regularized and developed, or the National Steel Orchestra is struggling with thirty pannists while in St. Thomas, their National Steel Orchestra has one hundred and fifty pannists, or the fact that no money is readily available for research and development, should Pan Trinbago be blamed?  All the benefits the pannists enjoy today, small as they may seem to some, were gained through hard negotiations by Pan Trinbago over the years. Few if any, gave anything for the love of the steelpan or the pannist. Even some big state-owned corporations are not sponsoring T-Shirts for Panorama until your band advances to the semi-final stage of the competition. (Every one wants their pound of flesh from nearest the heart).

Presently, the organization is setting up structures and creating opportunities, seeking strategic alliances, for sustainable growth and development that would take the movement to new levels to the benefit of pannist and country, yet some high-profile and influential members are hell bent on being obstructionists, only because they are not at the helm. This major hurdle is impeding the rate of progress. Pan Trinbago is dependant on the government and corporate Trinidad and Tobago for funding of all its major projects. Such is the nature of the organization presently, and the more some parts work against the whole, the longer it takes to realize its fullest potential.

May I remind our critics that there is no perfect government or organization in any part of the world, but the strength of an organization is all its members. Attend meetings, both regional and national and share your thoughts and ideas. This may have a more positive effect on the way we operate.

Michael Leroi Joseph

P R O

PAN TRINBAGO.