Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz is angry with the organisers of the Tobago Jazz Experience "for not making the national instrument a premier item on its programme" for the 2016 event.
"This the third consecutive year the organisers have excluded pan from its billing," said Diaz. "The heart of the steelband movement has been pierced by the disrespect shown to the national instrument of T&T.
"We have no problem with a promoter staging an event to attract visitors to Tobago, especially in the light of the current economic state of our country. Tobago is a great destination to generate much needed revenue for the state. The event would attract many visitors as well to stimulate the domestic tourism of our twin isles, as well as from the Caribbean and further afield internationally. I have no problem with that.
"We at Pan Trinbago happily welcome the foreign visitors that come to our twin island state but disdain the disrespect shown to local artistes, local music and the national musical instrument."
Diaz said that, like pan, jazz has faced "tremendous challenges," adding that one must always applaud anyone who promotes these music genres.
"Our country must raise its head to the music of T&T," said Diaz, "especially our national instrument. We must always be focussed on signalling what is indigenous to us from a national perspective
"We have outstanding pan musicians in the jazz realm; stalwarts like Robert Greenidge, Len 'Boogsie' Sharpe, Ray Holman, Rudy 'Two Leff' Smith, Ken 'Professor' Philmore, Orthello Molineaux, Chantal Esdelle and Tobago's Ashton Jack and Roger Sardinha. Each of these artistes is internationally recognised and invited by other countries to perform in their premier jazz festivals. So, why not one of them could have star billing at the Tobago jazz festival?"
Diaz continued: "The great Hugh Masekela has collaborated with Diparia Deltones to produce an amazing jazz CD. Desperadoes and Carlton Zanda Alexander have played with Masekela at the San Fernando Jazz festival. The Codrington Pan Family, featuring Keisha Codrington, is one of the best pan jazz aggregations in land, and yet still none of them seem good enough to perform at jazz in Tobago.
"Pan Trinbago is consistently approached for T&T pan musicians and steelbands to visit their shores to perform. We have correspondence from countries like the US, London, Canada, France and Japan making requests."
The Pan Trinbago president said: "If we are serious in boosting the country's economy by elevating the music and artistes the organiser of the Tobago jazz event needs to think more progressively towards our own people. I urge to not push them in the background. This kind of thing will never happen in Jamaica."