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Producer Terry Joseph
thanks the massive audience at Neal & Massy Trinidad
All Stars' panyard at the end of the March 18 Panyard
Sensations concert. PHOTO COURTESY: TrinbagoPan.com |
WST:
As producer of the recently-concluded series of
Panyard Sensations steelband concerts what,
ultimately, is your vision and expectations for
these concerts?
Terry Joseph:
I am guided here largely by overwhelming positive sentiments
expressed by patrons attending the three concerts, consensus
from whom – and consequential suggestion – was that we
simply do not have enough of this kind of pan entertainment
during periods between formal steelband contests like
Panorama, Pan in the 21st Century and the Music
Festival. I would therefore like to woo more sponsors, with
a view to increasing the frequency of pan exposure for its
evidently starved audience.
WST:
What genre of music is featured, and how far away is
it removed possibly, from conventional panorama
fare?
Terry Joseph:
I'm glad you
asked this, because I deliberately prevailed upon
participating bands, PCS Starlift, Neal & Massy Trinidad All
Stars and bpTT Renegades to limit performance of their
(admittedly outstanding) Panorama pieces, the reason being
that those items each require at least eight minutes to
reproduce. Given that the concert was 90 minutes long, open
season on Panorama pieces could conceivably result in just
11 songs being rendered, and this would reduce opportunities
for demonstrating the almost unlimited variety of musical
styles mastered by the national musical instrument.
WST:
One of the initial reasons for the concerts was to
create a sustained market for Trinidad & Tobago's
national instrument, to generate activity for the
pan yards outside of the traditional season. Has
that goal been accomplished locally from your
perspective?
Terry Joseph:
Understanding
that the Tourism Development Company Ltd acted as executive
producer, with collaboration from Pan Trinbago, the goal of
generating interest in steelband music in the post-Carnival
period, although among the primary motives, was coupled with
the concept of attracting an expected influx of tourists for
the Cricket World Cup playoffs. Although the level of
tourism fell somewhat below national expectation, we did
manage to draw some patronage from that niche market, but my
observation was that local pan lovers comprised the vast
majority of our audiences; satisfying the goal you describe.
WST:
Would you call the 2007 Panyard Sensations steelband
concerts a major success?
Terry Joseph:
If we are to
judge by the easiest indicator, patronage, the series was
indeed a major success and on several levels. All three
concerts were sold out and indeed, at the finale, the bpTT
Renegades presentation, we were forced to refuse hundreds of
paying patrons, when fire officials insisted we decline
further admission, fearing safety issues might arise. Media
critique was all positive and patrons insisted we repeat the
concept as soon as possible.
WST:
What was different this year from the past years?
Terry Joseph:
I was not the
producer of this event over the past two years, so any
comparison may be odious but I can say that inclusion of an
opening tableau titled "A Glimpse of Carnival," which
featured elements of masquerade, folklore and tassa, did add
a different and – from all reports – appreciated touch. Of
course, the selection of featured steelbands added further
value to the presentations.
WST:
Can the Panyard Sensations steelband concerts
finally become that major steelpan event outside of
panorama in Trinidad & Tobago, that the world takes
serious notice of?
Terry Joseph:
It is difficult
to assert that Panyard Sensations concerts can become the
magic wand for which we have all been searching, if only
because audiences for indigenous arts in Trinidad and Tobago
are – at best – fickle and may not gravitate to the same
kind of product with unwavering allegiance. Sustaining
interest in these concerts, would require fresh additives
for each production, which will increase costs well above
affordability in the absence of generous sponsorship.
WST:
Do you plan to expand in the future - and if so, how?
Terry Joseph:
I have already
indicated public response to the Tourism Development Company
Ltd, suggesting a brand of local tourism that can accrue
from continuation of the Panyard Sensations series.
Expansion in this context would imply spreading the net, as
it were, to include steelbands from other parts of the
country. The recently-concluded edition had several
constraints, not the least of which were traffic
restrictions imposed by the Cricket World Cup which, even
when eventually lifted, came too late to allow for variation
of the original plan and schedule. Without these
limitations, other approaches may allow for expansion of the
concept.
WST:
Can we look forward to streaming web broadcasts of
these concerts in the future? And the possibility of
a CD/DVD...
Terry Joseph:
Nothing is
outside the realm of possibilities available to Panyard
Sensations, although the three-concert production was
mounted without assurances of what level of patronage it
would likely attract. Now that the point has been made,
planning future events would undoubtedly embrace all
available technologies to further increase reach, as this
facet remains among the fundamental concepts being explored
in terms of globalizing pan music.
WST:
Do you see sometime in the near future when an
event, maybe similar to the Tobago Jazz Festival,
can feature nothing but pan and achieve the
worldwide interest like the St. Lucia Jazz festival?
Why hasn't it already happened in Trinidad ?
Terry Joseph:
Well, it has to
be said that the Trinidad and Tobago Steelpan & Jazz
Festival, which is also supported by the Tourism Development
Company and Pan Trinbago, and with which I have been
involved at executive level for several years, does offer a
singular level of steelband involvement but again, the issue
here is funding to a degree that would allow advertising
saturation on global media and sustaining interest for
months – a highly expensive proposition. Contrasting our
efforts with that of St Lucia Jazz invites a comparison of
funding sources and that could well require a separate
interview altogether.
WST:
You carry with you a wealth of experience, knowledge
and history on all matters related to pan. Is the
newest group of media and journalists as equally
committed to their craft in general, and more
specially, understanding of all the nuances of the
instrument, the people and the movement and its
respect?
Terry Joseph:
Thank you for the
very flattering comments, Trevor, but I still consider
myself a mere student of these matters, which is probably
the discernible difference you are here trying to establish
between my own approach when I was an employee in mainstream
media, and that of the current crop of writers. The matter
of someone else's commitment to the same task is always
difficult to measure and, to be sure, some of the
contemporary writers on pan issues apparently think far less
of their responsibilities than tradition implies. I came to
the table with certain advantages, not the least of which
was my proximity (in every respect) to Bertie Marshall and
the legendary Hilanders Steel Orchestra, a brief but
rewarding experience as a player and, having secured a level
of "conventional music" education, was able to speak in a
way that defended my sometimes contentious criticism. I have
no evidence of matching bona fides among those who do
similar jobs today, but this problem should more properly be
deposited at the feet of their employers who, for the most
part, no longer seem to consider these attributes essential.
WST:
What do you think is the role of Global Media
coverage, broadcasting, and the internet in the
furthering of the steel orchestra?
Terry Joseph:
This remains a
ticklish question, given the often competing issues of
globalization and copyright protection. One school of
thought suggests every reporter from no matter how obscure a
publication or program should be allowed unbridled access to
steelband events and, by so doing, furtherance of pan music
will be swiftly achieved. The contrasting theory implies
that plagiarism and piracy will become commonplace, leaving
the pan principals no better off for the warmth of
international embrace. To my mind, more dialogue on the
subject is desperately needed, so as to secure the rights of
the steelband practitioners while engaging the influence of
those who would advance pan's currently precarious
condition. For openers, we can certainly pay more attention
to institutionalizing local media coverage when the
government takes pan abroad.
WST:
What is the future of pan in TnT from your
perspective?
Terry Joseph:
I always rush to
reinforce the point that pan is a relatively new instrument
in the music pantheon, as distinct from the guitar,
saxophone or piano and, having originated in circumstances
far less prestigious than any or all of the above, will find
"progress" a daunting challenge; given today's level of
competing interests. Remember that Panorama annually
produces circa 10,000 pannists, a formidable proposition if
one is considering full-time employment or even regular
engagement. In addition, our tradition has appointed events
like Panorama as the ultimate assessor, even if the size of
a large band at this event renders it impractical for most
local applications, when you consider the economies of
scale. Pan therefore has to deduce more ways of fitting the
formula, rather than hoping the formula will adjust to its –
more often than not – emotion driven aspirations. The
critical area of research and development is not being
addressed in any meaningful way (again, funding is an
issue), which means that the sheer mass of even an
exclusively acoustic steelpan ensemble will continue to
render it far too cumbersome for most relevant off-season
applications. To distill what could be a very long
conversation, we have to step back and take a fresh view of
pan, a more practical way of packaging and presenting it, if
hitherto elusive commercial benefits are to spring from this
family of truly marvelous instruments.
WST:
What is TnT's role from a global perspective?
Terry Joseph:
If you mean the
government's role, then we will, quite likely, never have a
global perspective. For reasons that remain unclear,
Trinidad and Tobago has never been blessed with a government
which demonstrated anything but cosmetic interest in pan,
calling it the National Musical Instrument or any of the
other seemingly supportive epithets accorded the steelband
have all been transparently deceptive, as were dramatic
increases in Panorama cash prizes and other such gestures
that remain without substance, long-term rationale or
follow-up action. It is only when we have a government that
understands the value of this extraordinary creation and its
worth as a self-replenishing asset; are we likely to enjoy
global reach in the way Jamaica, for instance, promulgated
reggae. For a quick example, just look at how we treated the
opening ceremony of the Cricket World Cup, sending a single
pannist (albeit virtuoso Len "Boogsie" Sharpe) in lieu of a
full orchestra, and then not even worrying about the fact
that his work was not heard by the estimated one billion
persons viewing the event.
WST:
What are your thoughts on the new entertainment
center to be constructed in the place of the Grand
Stand and surroundings in the Queen's Park Savannah?
Terry Joseph:
Frankly, this all
remains a puzzle to me. All I know of it is what has been
published in local media by the State's spin-doctors, who
would have us believe that we'll all be better off for
allowing them to proceed with this magical facility, as
though it would – with the sweep of a wand – erase all the
extant difficulties regarding presentation of our culture.
The most astonishing thing about this Cultural Center is
that the State saturated our people with propaganda about
the irrelevance of a stage, when they wanted to convince
gullible carnival band leaders that they should parade
outside the Queen's Park Savannah; then proceed to construct
a TTD$500 million Carnival Center – with a stage – and, most
curiously, with full compliance from the festival's special
interest groups.
WST:
How do you see this new facility as impacting, if at
all, on the social structure and community culture
that was the 'drag' at panorama time?
Terry Joseph:
Firstly, it would
be important to put some kind of estimate on when the
facility will become available to the people. Initial
estimates keep changing. Perhaps by the time it is
commissioned, our people will become accustomed to the
Panorama final being held in San Fernando, or the political
directorate may even find it expedient to shuffle the event
around the various counties. Assuming none of this occurs,
the design of the Carnival Center is not friendly to the
traditional conduct of Panorama and the event may require
further social adjustments to its already disrupted
"community culture" template. If at that time the State
raises the prize money again, there might be even less
protest than obtained this past season.
WST:
It appears that there are those who feel plans for
the center lack pan people's input. World-renowned
costume designer Peter Minshall came out pretty hard
against the proposed structure. What do you think?
Terry Joseph:
Minshall's
opposition to the plan is steeped in long-standing debate
over putting any hard structure in the Queen's Park
Savannah, which he frequently describes as "the lungs of the
capital city." He is not lonely in this view and, as you may
remember, paving of the stretch west of the (then) Grand
Stand, while ideal for the movement of pan-racks, did not
find universal favour and certainly was not toasted by
environmentalists. Incidentally, a presumably homeless
person is quietly constructing a fairly large shelter on the
south side of the Peschier Cemetery and no one in authority
seems to have noticed this development. On the matter of
public involvement with the plan: There are those who insist
consultation was effective, although the majority have not a
clue as to what is being constructed and, pointedly, a
number of cultural organizations complain they have not been
shown the plans nor asked for reaction. From where I sit,
all that was needed was correction of the line-of-sight
difficulties at the Grand Stand which, if we were – like
most civilized countries – inclined to respect cultural
heritage, would long have been declared an iconoclastic
building; as observed by Pat Bishop.
WST:
What are your thoughts on going to San Fernando,
South Trinidad, every other year for the finals of
the Panorama competition, as some people have
proposed?
Terry Joseph:
My thoughts are
no different from that which would obtain if government
decided to move the annual Calypso Fiesta or Southern Games
from San Fernando. Again, tradition and cultural heritage
seem to have been sacrificed in favour of what, lest we
forget, is really reckless repositioning of this traditional
event to the Prime Minister's political constituency. The
parochial arguments that ensued, largely implying that San
Fernando is also part of Trinidad; may soon be stretched to
include the reality that Castara is part of Trinidad and
Tobago. Panorama was originally situated in the Savannah
for a set of reasons that had little to do with geography or
other equally simplistic views.
WST:
What are the biggest challenges facing the steelpan
industry in TnT?
Terry Joseph:
We must first
understand and internalize the fact that pan was initially
offered at no cost to the consumer. People were encouraged
to come to panyards and hear music for free. Then, pan was
described as "we t'ing" implying shared ownership and
consequently found it increasingly difficult to attract a
paying audience. The shift from "playing for the love of it"
to a requirement for remuneration has forever altered the
parameters and therefore, one has to factor in more than
merely token payment for pan music. It may be difficult to
support every pannist or steel orchestra but, remember,
nowhere else in the world is indigenous music pampered in
such fashion. The best bands will no doubt survive and that,
perhaps, is the first lesson players and steelband managers
should receive. The exaggerated "democracy" of giving each
steelband a "turn" at events which the State underwrites can
lead to massive mediocrity. Just like bands should earn
graduation from single-pan to conventional status, the
concept of longevity should be ruled out as a form of merit.
For the industry itself to survive, it needs an initial
injection of cash to set up necessary infrastructural
delights. For years we have been hearing about seed-funding
for a chroming plant and that remains only talk. Experiments
in metallurgy are supported by those persons (like Prof
Clemont Imbert, Dr Derek Gay, Dr Brian Copeland et al) who
conduct them; and not the State on behalf of the national
musical instrument. No one has gone into the core reasons
why factories operating in the USA can sell a soprano
(tenor) pan for USD$5,000 and in Trinidad and Tobago, you'd
be lucky to get that figure in local dollars, which rate at
less than one-sixth of the same US denomination. The
challenge, therefore, is to reverse a dearth of information
on the complexities of marketing pan and that commodity will
only become available if the interest-level of the State is
heightened by a perceived need to "push" pan. The artisans
clearly have neither the financial nor intellectual
resources required to compete on a grand scale.
WST:
The present government administration has put into
motion, an audacious agenda for Trinidad by the year
2010, it's called "Vision 2020." Do you feel
enough consideration and thought is being put into
the role of cultural activities and art, (such as
all aspects relating to steelband, including pan
education), as part of this grand plan?
Terry Joseph:
Let me put it
this way: Pan was declared the "national musical instrument"
some 14 years ago and that has yielded nothing tangible. In
the interim, there have been myriad "pan in schools"
projects and that too has come up barren. The only
identifiable difference with Vision 20/20 is that it cannot
yet be reviewed.
WST:
What is on the horizon for Terry Joseph?
Terry Joseph:
I knew this
interview would have a trick question! Since my separation
from mainstream media, I have worked on a number of
successful entertainment-oriented projects and have been
charmed by those pursuits, perhaps to a degree that may yet
alter my dream – details of which will remain under wraps at
this time.
click for complete bio About
Terry Joseph
Contact Terry Joseph: Terry
Joseph passed on January 2, 2008 in Atlanta Georgia USA.
He was 60 years old...
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