Arlette Wiggins loves steelpan so much, people say she eats, sleeps, and breathes it! Her motto?
“Pan is Spirit — It Never Dies!”
She’s a proud Trini who now lives in South Florida, and she’s known all over the world for her writing about pan. Her poetry book, Conversations in Pan, celebrates the steelpan in all its glory.
Arlette is always excited when August comes around — it’s Steelpan Month, first declared back in 1992. She was even happier when, in 2023, the United Nations made August 11 officially World Steelpan Day. And just last year, T&T’s government made it official: pan is our national instrument, protected by a geographical indication.
But that’s not all. For the unofficial World Steelpan Day in 2020, Arlette wrote the very first — and still only — pan anthem, Sticks Up. She’s also an administrator on PanMax Global, a social media group with over 14,000 members, and she’s worked with South Florida’s Melo Groove Steel Orchestra to grow their brand online. She even co-hosted a “Pan, Poetry, and Art” competition and has judged steelpan contests in Broward County.
How poetry saved her
Arlette grew up in T&T, the “mecca of pan.” She’s a mother, a grandmother, and works as a business development executive. But her deep dive into pan poetry began after losing a job she loved.
“Writing about the instrument I love gave me purpose and discipline,” she says. “It took me out of a dark place and helped me trust God again.”
One of the most popular poems in Conversations in Pan is Panyard Conversations — and in it, the steelpans talk to each other!
Picture this: It’s Friday night. The band is practicing for the Panorama finals. But instead of playing, the pans start arguing!
High Tenor shouts: “I’m the boss of the band!”
Cello disagrees: “Nah, I’m the whole band!”
Bass laughs: “All yuh jokers. I’m in charge here.”
Guitar Pan jumps in: “You can’t win Panorama without me!”
Double Tenor reminds everyone: “Not too high, not too low — and there’s two of me!”
Double Seconds tries to calm things down: “Come on, we’re all one family!”
Quadraphonic teases Double Tenor: “I’ve got four pans — I’m the baddest on the East-West Corridor!”
All this time, the Ironman is waiting. Finally, he bangs out a rhythm and says: “All yuh hush! Is me that makes people dance. Let’s practice the tune — we have work to do!”
In the end, the poem’s “voice of reason” says it doesn’t matter which pan you play — every note counts when you play together.
Arlette says she writes to inspire and get people thinking deeply. She also loves photography, which she says helps her notice the small details in life — perfect for both poems and pictures.
When she’s not writing or taking photos, she’s with her family, on road trips, or listening to music.
Her book Conversations in Pan was published in 2019, and she proudly dedicates Panyard Conversations to pan lovers everywhere.
