Pan Trinbago Celebrates Pan Month in August
Pan Trinbago Inc. T.C. will be celebrating the 27th Anniversary of the Declaration of the Steelpan as the National Instrument of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago with a series of activities marking this auspicious occasion during Pan Month, August. (See attached calendar of events).
On the calendar are a wide variety of scheduled events including a Church Service (August 18) at the Holy Trinity Cathedral during which there will be the blessing of the steelpan, members and the bands’ flags. Trinity All Generation Steel (TAGS) and Daniel Gulston will perform during the service which starts at 8:00 am. This will be followed by a parade from the Church to Pan Trinbago’s Head Office, Duke & Melbourne Streets, Port of Spain, where the festivities will continue.
The signal event, “Pan Sweet Pan… The Solidarity Concert” featuring twelve (12) of the popular Single Pan Bands and Conventional Steel Orchestras in Trinidad & Tobago takes place on Saturday August 24, at Starlift House of Music, Christopher Samuel Drive, Mucurapo. Admission is $100.
Then there is the historical component, “Conversations with The Pioneers” on August 29 at the All Stars Pan Theatre, Duke Street, Port of Spain, from 6:00 pm. Attendees will be treated to performances by a Tambo Bamboo Band and drumming as well oral contributions by several pan elders and an Exhibition mounted by the Success Laventille Networking Committee (SLNC).
As the month continues, supporting events such as Laventille Steelband Festival (August 17) Carifesta XIV’s “Pan and Powder Festival” (August 21), Pan Pinnacle (August 22), and Pan on D’Avenue Steel & Brass (August 31) staged by the Woodbrook/St James Community Association will take centre stage.
The rest of the month will see a boat ride, “So Long We Ain’t Cruise” (August 10) aboard The Top Cat, staged by the Northern Region and “Pan for the People” (August 25) an Eastern Region initiative at Carl’s Big Yard, Coal Mine Village.
Independence brunches and “after parade jams” at various panyards bring down the curtain. Some of these include Newtown Playboys’ Annual Independence Brunch & Street Festival, Tragerate Road & Woodford Street, Newtown, from 12 noon, Starlift’s Independence Day Brunch, Christopher Samuel Drive, Mucurapo, from 10:00 am and Shell Invaders Independence Brunch at the panyard, Tragerate Road, from 7:00 am.
President Beverley Ramsey-Moore launched pan month two (2) Fridays ago at the Dr. Clifford Alexis Memorial Tribute, Theatre 1, UTT NAPA Campus.
The steelpan was declared the national instrument of Trinidad & Tobago on August 30, 1992.
PAN MONTH 2019 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS