CARIBBEAN TODAY GORDON WILLIAMS It still puzzles many listen- ers outside the Caribbean how music so sweet could possibly escape from beating cut off, dented tops of oil drums. It's one of those "how do they do that?" mysteries to those uned- ucated about the instru- ment that originated in Trinidad over seven decades ago. Yet, if the promot- ers of pan those pas- sionate Caribbean islanders get their way, listeners especially those in the United States will be getting far more chances to sat- isfy their tastes and curiosities. "Pan is now in every corner of the globe," boasts Trinidadian-born Dr. Pan m Ajamu Nyomba, a lec- turer at Clark Atlanta University and a founding member of the "Pan People" steel band, convener of the recent symposium "Pan in the 21st Century: The Scholarship and Music of Steel Drums" last month in that Georgia city. "It's growing in leaps and bounds," Nyomba would tell Caribbean Today later. "...It's growing all over the world." According to Nyomba's calculations, pan music is a "multi-billion dollar business." And the instrument is being played not just in balmy climes of tropical regions such as the Caribbean, but in places where fur coats would be the clothing of choice dur- ing early year carnival time in the region instead of skimpy costumes that show curves and paint almost everywhere. LEARNING PAN There are about 250 steel bands in Switzerland, for example. And in the U.S. the instrument is starting to take hold in school curriculums, in states like Illinois, Florida, West Virginia and Georgia. A company in Ohio reportedly sells pan instruments for thou- can make the returns coming out of pan beneficial to the youth and people of Trinidad and Tobago." T&T, after all, is the home of pan, the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century. But just as how music has spread from the Caribbean to Europe and North America. sands of dollars a pop. The recent symposium, Nyomba explained, was designed to heighten the awareness of the potential the business of pan can generate. "We want to start an intel- lectual movement for pan," he said. "We don't have a forum to discuss pan on that level." So representatives from various fields gathered at Clark Atlanta University for a couple days to examine the business of pan, how it can be properly marketed and pro- moted, and how to get the younger generation involved. They came mainly from North America and Europe. "What came out is like we are well on our way to having that forum," Nyomba contin- ued, "to share with the inter- national community the different aspects of pan... The underlying aim is see what we can see, how we Nyomba described the origi- nation of the instrument from African goat skin drums which came with slaves, to the tam- boo bamboo which then led to the idea for the modern day pan instrument, he is also anx- ious to see the transformation of pan music from a local Caribbean corner to become embraced worldwide like its regional counterpart reggae. However, he is careful not to match the two. "To me, it's not an appro- priate comparison," Nyomba said. "Pan is a musical instru- ment. Reggae is a form of music. It's like comparing apples and oranges. It's not a fair comparison." Yet he readily accepts reggae's popularity worldwide, spurred on by the work of icons such as Bob Marley. It is what he would eventually like pan to match. "That's the level I want MIAMI MIRAMAR-UROWARD Wachovia Financial Center Huntington Square 200 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 2680 3350 S.W. 148th Avenue, Suite 110 Miami, Florida 33131 Miramar, FL 3 027 Tel: 786-777-0184 Fax: 786-777-0174 Tel: 954*874* 1736 Fax: 954*430*9342 info@delancyhill.com www.delancyhill.com The hirin of a lawy is n inrqtal decision h thai should nr be based solely upon ad lismcnts. Before you decde, pkase ask us to sl you lte wntten iformaion abo our qualificalirs and experiece. pan to reach," said Nyomba, who formed Pan People some 30 years ago. The band was recognized by Georgia legisla- tors last month with a "Pan People Steelband Day". But Nyomba's wishes would mean getting more young people involved. He and band members have taught pan to students in the U.S. for years. But often, he explained, many young Americans will eventually embrace their own culture and music as they grow older. Still, he claims that three steel bands have been started among predominantly white schools in Georgia in the past four years and he is particular- ly happy that the Trinidad and Tobago government recently earmarked some TT$40 mil- lion in its budget for pan instruction in school. He thinks that will have an impact as more students will be exposed to the pan. "Pan is the easiest instru- ment to learn to play music on," Nyomba said. "Pan has this natural feel." LACKING UNDERSTANDING Yet he was not pleased that the T&T government did not send a representative to the symposium, despite, he said, not only being invited, but also offered assistance to make the trip. He said the government "has a little way to go to understand and dppr kI.uL where pan is going internationally. Nyomba would also like to see the pan movement in his homeland expand beyond the infrequent competitions. One of reggae's advantages, he explained, is that musicians can easily get their instru- ments from one country to the next. For pan, the task is more difficult. So tough, in fact, that his own band is considering sending a member in advance of the main party for an upcoming overseas gig to get the instruments ready by time the rest arrive. "A reggae band can leave Jamaica without instruments and come to the U.S. and per- form," Nyomba explained. "Now you have to transport pan instruments to the U.S." However, for those wait- ing to catch pan in music's mainstream, the wait might not that long. After all, the instrument has that unique sound, that sweet sound you just cannot keep locked in a pan. Gordon Williams is Caribbean Today's managing editor. 0 Pan music ready to ring out in the U.S., world No 'Caribana', but Toronto gets new fest TORONTO, CMC Toronto will not be having its popular Caribana festival this year, but the city will be home to a new summer festival of calypso, steel band and mas to be organized by a new manage- ment committee. After months of wrangling between Caribana organizers and the Toronto City Council, it has been revealed that a new festival, to be called the Toronto Caribbean Committee, will be staged instead of Caribana, which has been a feature of Canada's cultural landscape since 1967. This year's Caribana had been slated to run from July 15 to Aug. 7. The 2006 Toronto Caribbean Carnival will run from July 19 to Aug. 7. The newly appointed Festival Management Committee, which is charged with organizing the new festival, is being headed by Jamaican- born Joe Halstead, a former economic development, cultural and tourism commissioner for the City of Toronto. May is 'Haitian Heritage Month' May is being celebrated as "Haitian Heritage Month" and the City of Miami has planned several activities in recognition of the event. City Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones of District 5, joined Miami-Dade Commissioner Audrey Edmonson of District 3 and the 2006 Haitian Heritage commit- tee members to officially kick- off the month of events at a recent press conference at the Freedom Garden on North Miami Avenue. This year's theme is "Celebrating the Past, Building the Future". During the press conference participants announced the activi- ties surrounding the .LIbraih in Those will include Haitian art exhibits, street festivals, book signing, a youth march with the Mayor's Youth Council /Miami- Dade County Public Schools and the first Toussaint L'Ouverture Parade and Birthday CLkbraih in All Haitian Heritage Month events are free and open to the public. Participating organizations include the City of Miami Film, Arts, Culture and Entertainment, Miami Parks and Recreation, NET offices, Miami-Dade County and Miami-Dade County Public schools. 0 May 2006