While the corporate sector has been giving financial and other support to the steelband movement more could be done in this direction. Keith Diaz, president of the national steelband umbrella organisation, Pan Trinbago, in making this case, reveals that for the first time a T&T Steel Festival will be held this year and participants are expected from four other countries, including India. On the recent incident at the 2012 Panorama competition, Diaz is not saying much on that but argues his organisation could not be held responsible for what transpired.
Q: Mr Diaz, don't find I am being too farse, but there is a scar to the front of your head, was that perhaps a result of a steelband incident years ago?
A: (Touching the area with his right hand and laughing aloud) You doing an interview, oh God, all that is communicating, you just go ahead. Yes, that came from rivalry when I was a very young man, and when you came from a pan environment there used to be minor riots.
Would you consider that your baptism of fire in the steelband fraternity?
(Chuckling) Well, yes. We used to live in Petit Bourg and we had little differences with the guys from Champs Fleurs and Tunapuna, and in those days when you came from certain areas you had to run plenty. When those guys ambushed you and you couldn't run you get licks like peas. So you had to learn to run because if you have 15 people running you down, you go stop and take all dat licks? (Laughs while smoothing over the same spot with his left hand). But those were the days...a part of life.
Having come through the ranks of the movement to head Pan Trinbago, do you believe that panmen today are more respected than they were in your youthful days?
Well, more or less we are more respected today. I remember when I first went into a panyard as a teenager at Bush Street, a woman named Doris complained to my grandmother, telling her: "Look he beating pan with dem bad boys in San Juan." And that was bad news for my great aunt, my grandmother and other relatives who started to cry, it was a big thing. After all, my grandmother used to play the organ in the church and my grandfather used to open the Catholic church in town. But I was determined, I did not care whether they liked it or not. But today we have come a long way from then to now.
The movement has come a long way, but isn't there still the perception that pan music is not being appreciated to the extent it ought to be in the land of its birth? Steelbands still begging for sponsorship and the like?
That is a different thing...I know you bringing me out, but I have to be very careful how I respond to questions in terms of sponsorship, because if you answer in the negative they put you down and give no financial or other assistance. But by and large, companies have been doing their part to assist the movement, and only last week state-owned Petrotrin and KC Confectionery donated money to steel orchestras.
Doesn't that indicate a quantum turnaround in the attitude of companies towards sponsoring steel orchestras?
Not yet, but I hope this will generate in the minds of the corporate sector the need to show more love and compassion for our indigenous art form.
Moving on. With respect to the incident at last Sunday's semi-final of the 2012 panorama competition, Pan Trinbago has been staging this competition for a very long time. Why can't you get it right by this time?
(Protesting with outstretched hands and with a half smile) Oh God, don't put it so nah? I like your question because I know you want to know what I have to say. (Diaz gave a lengthy explanation on the advent of the "Greens" leading up to last week's chaotic situation in which some accuse the police of using excessive force. Diaz drew a pencilled sketch of the "Greens" in relation to the North Stand).
Very well. Mr Diaz, were the police aware of all the physical arrangements for the staging of the competition?
All stakeholders in the relevant Government sector such as the police and fire have to be aware of what we are doing.
Were the police acting irresponsibly in taking the kind of action they did?
You want to carry me down a road and I don't want to go down that road. All my answer to that is the police have a sacred duty to deal with law and order. That is my answer to that.
You are aware, Mr Diaz, that Pan Trinbago is being blamed in some quarters for last week's fiasco?
Yes. And that is because they do not possess all the facts and that is why I am speaking to you. People only saying Pan Trinbago, Pan Trinbago, Pan Trinbago! Pan Trinbago is not a mad organisation! We had a system where we put hand band on you because the fire department said they were not allowing anybody to open up the barrier as one section could hold 18,000, and the North Stand 9,000 patrons. And if you allowed any more to enter the North Stand it would be broken down! That is what I am trying to get you to understand! (Pounding his desk). You could have allowed people from the North Stand to go to other areas which were never filled to capacity. We gave the people the authority to go to the "Greens" but some fire official said he was locking the gate, preventing them going over from the North Stand. That is when the bacchanal started. The fire and the police came and locked the gate. That is when the bacchanal started.
Earlier, you spoke about efforts to make your organisation self-sufficient. what is exactly being done in this regard?
Extending the "Greens" for the semi-finals was one of our ideas for fund-raising, and outside of Panorama we have other projects such as the Panazz in Tobago. After that, we are staging the Trinidad and Tobago Steel Festival to be held for the first time this year. We are inviting four countries-India, China, Brazil and Cuba-to come to this country.
Steel orchestras from these countries?
No. They are bringing their national instruments and will be playing along with our steelbands. This is a totally new concept and it is the branding of Trinidad and Tobago.
By the way, what has become of Panvesco?
Oh, that is going very well with the former CEO of the Unit Trust Corporation, Clarry Benn, at the helm. Panvesco is where panmen can borrow funds to undertake certain projects.
Successive governments have spoken about the need for the three carnival stakeholders-Mas, pan and calypso-becoming self-sustaining. In the case of the steelband, how soon do you think you will achieve that status?
Remember everything we do we are not getting the kind of financial support from the corporate sector. Now mind you, I am not entirely knocking that sector because several companies have been playing their part in supporting the movement over the years, but we think that more can be done in this direction. We have a pan factory, Panvesco and...
What about that eyesore on the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway which is supposed to be the construction site of Pan Trinbago's headquarters?
We have some challenges with that eyesore as you have described it. There are some discrepancies with the construction itself, which we are working on right now.
When do you expect it would be completed?
Well, (playing with his chin for a brief moment) by mid-year we should have something on that because right now I have some experts working on that. But I don't want to speak about that particular issue at this time.
I don't see why you cannot elaborate on that project, in that Pan Trinbago is not in a competitive environment where trade secrets like in a commercial enterprise are expected?
(A sudden mood change and raising his voice) Yes! But why you want to know that so fast? I don't want to let out my schedule. When Dr Sabga and Ansa McAl planning their business you think they let you know? Do you go and interview them? You cannot do that! And you could print that! (Pushing back on his leather swivel chair and calming down) Anyway, we have other plans we are working on right now and I will let the public know as soon as we get through. And, as I said, you will not ask Ansa McAl what they planning; all those people who are building supermarkets all over the place, nobody don't ask them. So why I must come up and reveal my plans just so?
Mr Diaz, you don't think being a public organisation in charge of propagating and pushing our national instrument you have a duty to...
(Animatedly with hands thrown in the air) Why? Next thing you will hear, "He did promise so and so and he did not do it." And they will block me here and block me so. But we are doing business. What, however, I would like to say is that we taking serious those in the corporate sector who are helping us and I would sincerely like to thank all of them who invested and are investing in the steelband movement. I am also calling on panmen and panwomen to reciprocate that generosity and support those companies which give us their financial and other forms of assistance. In hard times they came out and supported us.
I want you to print that, too. You want to know about our development plans? Okay, let me give you another project on the drawing board. I have sourced in the United States, three machines at a cost of US$67,800 each to make steeldrums and we have to get the place to put it as we don't want to rent and later have to move out. So you see, I want to talk business this year? (laughs)
Finally, Mr Diaz, what kind of future are you projecting for the steelband movement?
I see a very bright future. We are thankful for the assistance that people and organisations including corporate entities, supporters, the young pannists who are daily coming out to keep the movement alive. And we also hope that the Government listen to the projects we have and that they will offer their assistance as they have been doing in the past.