Truth, I-Blog

It was at the start of the seventh year of famine that Duvone Stewart and the Renegades crossed the bridge. When Joseph interpreted Pharoah’s dream (Genesis 41:30)  he saw that seven years of abundance would have been reversed with seven years of famine. Then would seven years of famine be followed by seven years of plenty? Indeed, it was in 2018, the seventh year since Duvone Stewart accepted the responsibility as an arranger for the Renegades Steel Orchestra, that he won a Panorama Championship. If he nipped an extra year of drought, it did not make a difference because of the debilitating politics of  Pan Trinbago and the National Carnival Commission  (NCC) which deprived the legendary steelband, one of the oldest in the country, of its million dollars prize money until the end of the year. And the  honour  reserved for champions. The victory did not turn into a national celebration either. Not even for the social work that kept a lid on turf wars...

It was my first ever night time assignment.  And my first foray into steelband journalism, if we can call it that. Being the kind of boss that he was, the late Editor/Publisher Patrick Chookolingo called me into his office and asked whether I could make it while assuring me that he had assigned a photographer who would ensure that I got home safely. The assignment: to interview all the conductors of the bands participating in the 1982 Steelband Music Festival-Pan is Beautiful Two- that was being staged at the Jean Pierre  Sporting Complex  (JPSC) in Port of Spain. So said so done. It was just a few months into the life of the T&T Mirror newspaper of which I was a founding member and Choko (as he was fondly called) was all about getting the news that needed coverage.  He was more than motivated by the fact that the mainstream media ignored almost all things related to steelband where he saw excellence. Enthusiastically, I went on the assignment and came back w...

The politician that she is, Beverley Ramsey Moore is making the job as President of Pan Trinbago seem far more important than it really is. Still riding the wave of being the first woman to be president of the ”World Governing Body of steelpan, the Katzenjammers frontliner is falling into the mould set by her predecessors bringing nothing new to the table at the same time pulling in “her people” closer to fortify her position. That's even though she reported to an Extra Ordinary General Meeting   on December 5th that “Pan Trinbago is insolvent, way over debt.” That was backed up by her Treasurer Gerald Mendez: “We have inherited hell,” Mendez   stated just over a month after he seemed   to be the happiest man alive, pacing the floor when his slate won the elections held on October 28th at the Mucurapo East Secondary School.   And just about ten weeks away from the grandest international steel band festival, it is a clear case of culture shock for t...

Election charade, Panorama Bankrupt. Keith Diaz, having busted through almost every loophole in the Pan Trinbago constitution as he powered his way like a raging bull, is now the biggest shadow over the hastily convened 2018 elections for a new executive of the “world governing steel pan body”. Under the glare of the spotlight of the international steel pan diaspora, the incumbents and the aspirants have represented themselves as nothing short of an embarrassment. And while they campaigned far and wide they have only opened up the gap between the so-called administrators of pan and the growing movement of players who will be the ones to determine whether Panorama 2019 comes off as planned. As it stands, some bands may not be able to make it to competition.  Players who are owed money may just take a back seat if they are not paid.  If money from the National Carnival Commission’s (NCC) 2019  allocation is used to pay prize money and players remittance for 2018, th...

   All that remains is just a name. And a dirty one, at that. For   President Keith Diaz has delivered Pan Trinbago, by the balls, to the government of Trinidad and Tobago.   Pan Trinbago President Keith Diaz And the National Carnival Commission (NCC) is the vice grip that will hold the steel band body   by the testicles   according to the draconian terms of a Memorandum of Agreement   (MOA) which was signed and sealed- but never delivered to the membership- never mind that substantive issues are yet to be determined by the Court of Appeal.    Not only has the President weaseled his way out of a deep hole   into which he sunk with the weight of allegations of financial impropriety, but   the MOA   which will be in effect   until 2021 binds   the incoming President- and executive of Pan Trinbago making them redundant for   the remaining term of this   government It’s the boldest play, yet,...