SISTERS, MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS, WOMEN OF NOTORIOUS CHARACTERS.
BOBOLUPS- JEAN IN TOWN- SANDRA- MAYFIELD- RITA- EVELYN- NAMES THAT DONT MATTER AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE MOVEMENT IS BOTH MEMORABLE AND TIMELESS.
WOMEN OF PAN WERE AS FEARED AS THE MEN. SOMEHOW THEY REPRESENTED THE STRENGTH OF THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY LIVED. FIGHTING CUSSING, GOING TO JAIL, HAVING CHILDREN FOR THE MEN WHO WERE FIGHTING, CUSSING GOING TO JAIL GAMBLING AND UNEMPLOYED. NO RESPECTABLE WOMAN OR MAN WOULD GET INVOLVED WITH THESE PEOPLE. THEY WERE ROUGH, TOUGH AND LOUD. BUT THEY WERE SUPPORTIVE OF EACH OTHER AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE MOVEMENT IS SO VERY IMPORTANT. WOMEN WHO WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE CHILDREN THAT THEY HAD FOR THE MEN. FOOD AND CLOTHES AND TRY TO KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL. WOMEN , SOME WOULD GAMBLE .AND DO WHATEVER TO TAKE CARE OF THE FAMILY. SCARS ON THEIR FACES AND SOME WITH MISSING FINGERS ETC. WOMEN WHO WOULD BE AROUND AMONG THESE MEN . AND ALWAYS LOYAL TO THE MOVEMENT. THEY WERE FLAG WAVERS AND THEIR PRESENCE IN A STEEL BAND IDENTIFIED THEM AS WOMEN OF THE PAN. SO CALLED RESPECTABLE WOMEN WERE NOT INVOLVED, WHISPERING WARNINGS TO THEIR CHILDREN --NOT TO BE LIKE THOSE VAGABONDS.--YOU WANT TO GROW UP TO BE A PAN MAN? WOULD BE THE WARNING. BUT PAN WAS EVERYWHERE. CAPTURING THE NIGHT AIR AND BRIGHTENING THE DAY. AND ON CARNIVAL DAY THERE WAS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT BEING A PART OF THIS NEW , PULSATING ENERGY THAT HELD AND WELDED THE PEOPLE TOGETHER, EVENTUALLY. MOST OF THESE WOMEN CHANGED AS THEY GREW OLDER. AND SO DID PAN. MORE YOUNG MEN BECAME INVOLVED, IGNORING THE WARNINGS OF THEIR PARENTS. THIS CAST THEM INTO THE CIRCLE OF PEOPLE THAT YOUR DAUGHTER WOULD NOT BE SEEN WITH IF SHE HAD ANY DECENCY ABOUT HER. IT TOOK ALMOST TWENTY YEARS BEFORE WOMEN WOULD SHOW PRIDE IN BEING ONE OF THE WOMEN OF PAN.
PANORAMA..THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH. BELIEVE ME, POLITICS HAS NO PLACE IN CULTURE. MUSIC IS THE FOOD OF THE SOUL. STEEL BAND MUSIC IS THE SOUL OF THE PEOPLE OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO . PAN IS WE TING. SLOWLY PAN AND STEEL BANDS ARE BEING SIDELINED. THE THOUSAND DOLLAR COSTUMES ENCOURAGE VISITORS TO COME TO THE ISLAND AND DISCOURAGE THE LOCALS FROM PARTICIPATING . EVENTUALLY THERE WILL BE NO NEED TO ATTEND THE CARNIVAL STREET PARADES. ---WATCH IT ALL ON UTUBE.
PANORAMA IS A PRESENTATION OF SOME OF THE LARGEST ORCHESTRAS IN THE WORLD. MADE UP OF MUSICIANS OF ALL WALKS OF LIFE. DOCTORS , TEACHERS, MOTHERS, CHILDREN, LOCALS, VISITORS, AND PEOPLE OF ALL RACES. COMING TOGETHER TO PERFORM UNDER THE MOST DEMANDING DISCIPLINARY STRUCTURE THAT HAS EVER BEEN TESTED. MUSIC TO MOVE YOUR FEET AND THROW AWAY YOUR GARMENTS.
