By A. A. Hotep
December 23, 2006

Why try to deny the legitimacy of the Steelpan being our national instrument?

The Steelpan is globally recognized as the only acoustical instrument developed in the 20th century. The fact that this instrument was created and developed in Trinidad and Tobago out of the experiences of Africans seems to be troubling to a few Indians in Trinidad and Tobago.
Continue reading Cheap Politics and Racism Cannot Beat the Steelpan →

By Stephen Kangal
December 23, 2006

Simultaneous with my recent objections to the notes of the tenor pan being elevated by the National Symbols and Observances Committee (NSOC) to the status of an exclusive cultural symbol to represent the distinctive Indian cultural presence in T&T in the medallion of the OTR and being snowed in by an avalanche of criticisms reinforcing and re-asserting pan as the national instrument, I must now call into question, in this context, Pan Trinbago’s “black mail” mantra and/or ultimatum of:
Continue reading Exploding the Pan National Instrument Myth →