San City Steel Symphony Sings Sad Song - Wall falling on steelpan instruments latest in tale of woe

San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Usually, San City Steel Symphony housed on Carib Street in the city of San Fernando, south Trinidad is in the business of making sweet music.  And that skill set saw the band coming in second in the country’s 2009 national Panorama competition, small conventional orchestra category. The past couple of days however, theirs has been a song of woe as the well-known steel orchestra finds itself presently not being able to practice in what has been their rehearsal space for more than twenty-five years. The latest obstacle?  A wall falling, during practice, damaging some of their instruments in the process; fortunately none of the players were injured. 

But what brought the band, and several of its young musicians to this point, which also includes practically no toilet facilities, not to mention no power for several weeks?  Arranger and band captain Aquil Arrindell muses that “We never had any ‘legal’ claims to the area. But because of the laws of the country when one occupies land for over a period of time it becomes yours. That area was established as the space for San City to practice by the SFCC (San Fernando City Corporation) predecessors.”  It was ‘demolition work’ on old SFCC buildings surrounding the pan yard—which supported the wall—that resulted in it coming crashing down later in the evening as the players practiced. 

A bit of background: back in 1990, employees of San Fernando City Corporation established the orchestra (soon after San Fernando became a city in November 1989), and its pan yard has been located within the City Corporation’s compound ever since.  However with the last change in mayoral administration in the city in 2013, things gradually became different.  And after this latest turn of events, even more markedly so.

Arrindell says he got word from ‘reliable sources,’ that “The CEO and more so the city engineer would like us to leave.”  He gave further insight into things as they stand.  “[Current] Mayor Kazim Hosein indicated at first he wanted San City to stay at the SFCC compound, saying “The pan must be a part of it.”  But things haven’t quite ‘panned’ out that way. “Over a period of time, apparently after meetings with the CEO and the City Engineer, things changed,” Arrindell went on. Talks shifted instead to ‘relocation’ for San City Steel Symphony. “However we were given the assurance that they will secure our panyard until we come to an agreement....so they can’t just move us. But they trying to make us uncomfortable.”

Life for San City Steel Symphony appeared to show less stress, and more appreciation under the administration of former Mayor Dr. Navi Muradali.  “We (San City) got money twice yearly from Dr. Navi Muradali - one for pan camp, and then for [participation in] Carnival.  And he (the mayor) visited [the pan yard] regularly....We haven’t had any financial support since this [Hosein’s] administration took over three years ago....No money was ever given to us, not even for jerseys over his tenure.”

But given this latest development of the wall coming down, Arrindell says Mayor Kazim Hosein did contact him. “He gave me his assurance our yard would be secured for next practice. He [also] indicated that he is going to fix our wall, our lights and our toilet.”  And work seems to have begun in this regard.

And the takeaway from San City’s latest experiences? Arrindell believes that “What is important is the way we treat with these matters as a community. The steel pan community is now one of the biggest in the world....There is strength in numbers and we must use this strength to ensure no one gets away with disrespecting our members.”

And naturally, the band captain and arranger looks forward to getting steelband practice back on track under an acceptable and safe environment, especially with children on site. This at least, until the proposed “relocation.” And those damaged steelpan instruments belonging to San City Steel Symphony caused by the wall coming down on them? “No one indicated any type of compensation yet,” says Arrindell.

Stay tuned.