The Prime Minister and the Professor
"The chap doesn’t have a
clue''
It is an open secret in Pan circles that Tony
Williams and Bertie Marshall received the
highest national award to ward off widespread
resentment that the Prime Minister was
determined to give it to Professor Copeland,
come drought or flood. After all since last
year, Manning announced that Copeland would
receive the award which had not yet been named.
So much for national awards! Manning’s Medals,
maybe! Tony Williams and Bertie Marshall were
just camouflage.
Patrick Manning determines what is good for the
Steelband movement and in what direction it
should go. He has become the Commander in Chief
of Pan Tuners. The G Pan, he says, will require
fewer players as if that is a good thing for the
steelbands and for the country.. The chap
doesn’t have a clue. He does not understand that
Pan is, at once, an instrument and a movement.
The minute you succeed in de-coupling the two,
Pan, as we know it, expires. Some people want
Pan to become “just another instrument” instead
of being the tremendous social force it is,
critical to shaping what kind of future T&T may
have, particularly as it relates to the
direction the youth and the working class take.
The Prime Minister decrees what kind of
“culture” the people may practice. He begins to
believe that being a minority-supported head of
government magically confers upon him great
wisdom when it comes to disciplines and fields
of practice about which he does not have a
clue…to repeat a phrase.
But, say what, the G Pan is part of Vision 2020.
If the boss says it is the greatest innovation
since tamboo bamboo who are we to argue? It
should be called the C pan though, in honour of
the Professor; after all, he and Manning are
Cocoyea boys, aren’t they?
Gerry Kangalee
Contact:
kangaz@tstt.net.tt
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