For those who are unaware, this proposed local steelpan chroming factory is many years behind the other factories in Japan and the United States which have been manufacturing not only our steel pans, but also providing tuning services, sheet music and other accessories to complement the steel pan. It is with much embarrassment, on our part, that I read a history like this about one of the manufacturers of steel pan in Japan called Steel Pan Lab Curepe, and you can find the rest of the following article on the official website here:
“In 1993, Susumu Muraji came back to Japan from Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. He built a band named "Domestic Steel Pan Combo", played with the Steel pan (Steel drum) in front line, to let them know how nice instrument the pan is. They played many famous cover tunes from any kind of music at mainly in Kobe, Japan. Two album tapes and one sample tape was published in two years. He also played in other style, Duo or Trio in the restaurant, and other places as a professional. He preside steel pan school in Ashiya (next city of Kobe), and in Tennouji (big town in Osaka). ……
In 1997, Muraji went to the Trinidad again, and he played in the carnival "Panorama" as a member of the steel band "Moods" from Curepe, Trinidad. He got plenty pans for his students and for himself, then he went to United States to watch what's going on around the pan in U.S., then back to Japan. After that, he went to U.S. again, and got the technique of tuning of the pans. He opened a shop that customers could 'choose' 'good' pans with 'stabilization of prices', named "Curepe" in Nishinomiya ……..
In1998, 1999 and 2000, he kept going to Trinidad and Tobago to play in Carnival, He got plenty Trinidadian friend again. Steel Pan Shop Curepe sold plenty pans, also to Kyoto College of art. Curepe gets customer's trusts from them good after care. Curepe also advised making mini-pans to Takarazuka, Nishitani-junior school, and Asahi news paper. Curepe started make Middle-sized-pan, Bass pan. Nov.2000, Steel Pan Shop Curepe changed the name to Steel Pan Lab Curepe.”
So, for eight years this Japanese man has been visiting Trinidad, perfecting his skill in all aspects of the steelpan, takes his knowledge back to Japan opening a store that sells steelpans which is ironically called “Curepe!” .And during this time our Government does nothing to rival other countries who are basically slapping us in the face with a much improved version of our own invention. Yet , as is reported in today’s Guardian, we are not even getting a factory that manufacturers the steel pan, but only one that chromes the pans after they are made:
“The Government has outlined a package of products which it believes will create and sustain a viable steelband industry in T&T, says Culture Minister Joan Yuille-Williams.
Speaking during the PCS Nitrogen Starlift’s golden jubilee celebration and awards ceremony at its headquarters on Mucurapo Road, St James, on Friday night, Yuille-Williams told steelbandsmen that educating, training and employing this category of entertainers was high on the government’s list of priorities.
And to start things, Pan Trinbago would get its long-awaited chrome factory. The minister said:
“When steelpan instruments are made and tuned, they have to be chromed. Once again, the Government is prepared to come forward, this time with the establishment of a chrome factory.
“A building to house the factory has already been identified and a budget allocation to get the project off the ground has been approved by Cabinet.”
So while the focus is shifting after all these years to the fact that the steelpan is a viable business that should be supported by our Government, I think they are still lacking the vision of a real factory, much like Panyard Inc, an American company that calls themselves "World Leaders in Pan Innovation and Technology". Reading the history of that company yet again, I feel ashamed that the best the Minister of Culture can throw our pan men is just a Chrome factory.
Someone needs to tell Mrs. Yuille Williams that we are still lagging behind, a chrome factory alone will not cut it. What we need, Mnister of Culture, is a factory to rival those in North America and Japan. Maybe I am the only one who sees something wrong with this news, it appears to me that the powers that be are only trying to appease the pan men over the fact that there will be no Savannah for next year's Panorama. The funny thing is that even in doing so, they are still being short changed; too little, too late.
17 comments:
I think a pan chroming factory subsidized by the government would be helpful to pan makers. But I also think that the crafting of the pans is best left in the hands of private persons.
When the term pan factory is used, I imagine images of a mass produced product on an assembly line like a Honda plant. The pan is created by a craftsman, with many years of experience and each one is uniquely hand made.
They are also usually made to order, according to the players specs. These pan men are independent business people who I don't see being employees of a factory set up by the government.
The way pans are made and marketed in North America isn't really that different than in Trinidad (I never went to Japan, so I'm not too sure about that)
A independent guy buys a steel drum, he hammers it out, tunes it, sends it off to be chromed, tunes it again once it is chromed and then sells it. (usually to someone who has ordered it). They don't really build up large inventories of pans and then go looking for customers. Largely because it is pretty expensive to get them chromed, it takes many hours of labor to make a pan, and a good tuner has a waiting list of customers and there isn't universal standardization .... different styles of pans are preferred by players and they also like the pride factor of having their pans custom designed.
As far as I know, the only way to learn to tune pans is to apprentice with a pan maker. A trade school teaching this skill would also be helpful. And very Profitable for graduates.
The government could lend a hand, but (call me right wing) I think the pan makers can take care of the production and marketing themselves.
The "pan factories" that I have seen marketed online are exactly like you describe and not a mass market production line, like the Honda plant for example. The fact is that you can go online and purchase a pan while in the birthplace of the instrument that facility is not avaialble. In my opinion, why just set up the chroming factory, why not go that one step further and have it be a manufacturing factory (maybe factory isn't the best word, business would be more like it) where all steps of the pan making can be done. And as illustrated I do think the pan makers/pan men need some sort of direction/push/advice/help in going in this direction. If one man from Japan can do it something has to be wrong with our guys and if the Gov't wants to step in and help them the help should be a total package of setting them up with everything needed so they can in turn make a business out of this.
Excellent points anon. But leh we get one thing straight nah, government assistance is not automatically "left wing." We know the right wing does have their snout in the government trough as well, but only for a FEW. Jokes aside, Saucy's "feelings" is about not letting innovation and production slip away from the nation from which the steelpan musical instrument was born. And that's where T&T's government can never be lapsing, if only for the cultural importance alone. It really doesn't have to be any grandiose Honda production line thing. However, your overall points are well taken.
Saucy, I think UWI has done an exhaustive sound anlaysis of the acoustics of the steelpan, and why it is very difficult to duplicate those notes electronically.
Saucy what's up? This is an interesting piece i must say, in that, I was wondering when this pan-chroming initiative would surface. I used to work for a company whose name i would not call and in various meetings, there was mention of the setting up of a pan-chroming factory that would be set up in line with the Government's 'Vision 20/20' Initiative. This is all well and good even as a start to an overall 'plan' for the nationalisation of the steelpan. But the problem is that the bureaucrats in the company in association with a certain high ranking music entrepeneur/pan connoisseur see it more as a cash cow and the setting up of this factory will have more downstream 'products and services' for said company (i wish i could call names to explain it better!!!!!). So trust me when that is set up, there would be more problems in terms of 'money over culture' and who should be included in what for the sake of the art (the eternal arguement). Thanks for letting me share my two cents.
I am a young pannist living abroad and I must say I am appalled at the fact that we cannot support an intrinsic facet of our culture but other countries can. As much as I hate to say this, I must admit that I am so sick and tired of Caribbean leaders going about things half-way. It is the disease of the mindset of talking the talk without walking the walk. And we get vex when other countries don't respect us! Anyway, Saucy, I agree that this is indeed long overdue, and while I am thrilled that other countries are fascinated with our instrument, I think it is ignorant on our part to allow them (and not US) to profit from it.
Goodmorning SAUCY!! I am in the vibe today!! Maybe it now sink in that work is winding down, my christmas vacation soon start and when I come back .. its striaght into carnival!!
I know I off topic girl but the vibe jus hit me again today. Work been holding me out for the past months.. but I on again. And I picking up my boots today!!
WE READY NOW!
Good morning Ms. Spice!
dougla_1 you got the jist of what I was trying to say though anon 8:31 has a very good point as well.
anon 9:17, isn't it always money over culture these days?
anon 10:06am hence the reason mas bands are looking to China, India and Brazil for cheaper, costumes....you would think a Costume Factory should be in he works as wel eh? It's like no one sees the future and look at what other countries are doing with "we ting". So long after Susumu Muraji came to Trinidad we only now starting up a chrome factory.
It just surprises me the number of things we know we should do, the things we can afford to do, the things we know how to do and yet we just don't to.
Saucy,
Maybe it's time for our private sector to step up and do things for the country. Everyone knows that our government is a waste of time (I am still bitter about the lack of a savannah stage next yr). It might be better for the private sector to do stuff and keep the money in Trinidad that for us to wait on the government to actually get around to it (which will probably take atleast 5 years). As I read more and more about the governments action when dealing with issues in Trinidad I can only feel DISGUST for our government. When I first came to america to go to school I knew that I had to return to Trinidad to live; now I don't even know if I want to return to Trinidad to live. With all of our natural resources, our strong culture as well as our beautiful beaches (in Tobago), our species diversity, etc. Trinidad has the ability to be an AMAZING country, but thanks to the idiots who have been running our country it's simply a corrupt nation where the gov't drags it feet on everything unless they personally profit from it (yes I want to put the truth out there!). Something needs to be done!
It's hard keeping up with the "anonymous" posts. When submitting a comment, choose "Other" instead of "Anonymous" for an identity AND type in a "Username" (use something sweet, that you wouldn't mind using everytime you just have to say something, so we and especially Saucydiva could "know" you). Note: you DO NOT have to type in a "Your web page." Lehwe go down d road!!!
Saucy, forgive me. I just HAD to say that right now (besides I learned it by accident myself : ) )
dougla_1 like you showing off now ..LOL.
Thanks for the tips.
Yeah Saucy, I know... ah have to watch meh contents. LOL
With all the great "anonymous" posts, I was wondering where they could have made other comments.
Lol Dougla_1. What's funny was that I was just thinking about signing up as a blogger since I left comments here before, and then I log on and see your comment. Lol.
Anywhoo, Saucy, I left the 10:06 comment. And yes, we might as well, yes! Not to go off on a tangent here, but in a CSA (Caribbean Student Association) on my college campus, I was on the exec board committee, and it was de SAME DAMN MINDSET!!! And all the other student organizations laugh at us, we KNOW they laugh at us, and we go about things the same way!!! Any wonder this habit translates to practically every aspect of Caribbean life! Sigh... Just wanted to get that off my chest! Maybe I should get an MBA in Business Management to open a private pan manufacturing business (I currently hold a B.A in Accounting). Wha yuh tink? lol.
Saucy,
I'm anon 11:46. I have commented many times on your page so I guess I might as well identify myself...From now on I will be Ms. Sacred sand :).
Anyway, have you heard what they are going to do about the whole savannah stage thingy (I know you mentioned that they were supposed to make the announcement today.
Mani said...
It just surprises me the number of things we know we should do, the things we can afford to do, the things we know how to do and yet we just don't to.
Truer words have never been spoken
Trinigee said...
I agree with anon 11.56 - de gov't is a waste of time, de private sector should take it upon themselves to preserve our culture 'cos it's for everyone's benefit. I was just saying this to myself. If I was rich I'd do something like this because this gov't is a waste of time.
Allyuh really think the private sector would do anything?..please...unless there is a huge profit involved in it for them. They don't know nothing about giving back to society.
As for the government taking long on construction projects..like allyuh is not true Trini a wah??!!!...allyuh never realise that when Government constructing it takes about 5 times as long as the private sector.
Watch how fast that BHP building went up. ANd look how the Customs building in town still building!!!
(I not condining anything eh!!!)
ms. sacred sand no word yet; I tried calling the Director of Culture, but he is on vacation!Spoke to someone at the NCC and they said we STILL have to wait for more information later down in the week and they are in the process of preparing to take down the Grand stand soon.
Post a Comment