A call for corporate Trinidad and Tobago to show love for the national instrument through the sponsorship of steelbands.
TTT News caught up with Minister of Tourism Culture and the Arts, Randall Mitchell, as Pan Trinbago judges visited Medium steelbands in the South-Central Region on Thursday.
On January 16th 2025, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and the Arts allocated $2.42 million toward supporting unsponsored steel orchestras. This included an increase to $10,000 for Single Pan bands and $20,000 for Conventional bands.
According to the Line Minister, Randall Mitchell, they encourage all corporate sponsors in Trinidad and Tobago to get on board with the steelpan movement and to find a band and sponsor that band. He said there are also tax incentives available for the sponsorship of steelbands.
“And equally, we encourage the bands themselves to organise themselves and develop themselves in a way that would attract corporate sponsorship, and I know that at PanTrinbago they work with bands to ensure bands have their audited accounts and they are well organised, well structured, and that is ongoing, and more and more bands will be sponsored.”
Six Medium Conventional bands in the Eastern region performed at their preliminary stage on February 5th. Fan favourites for Panorama 2025, Pamberi Steel Orchestra, gave an energetic performance of Too Own Way by Aaron St. Louis (Voice), arranged by Andre White.
Small Conventional Band Champion Arranger for 2025, Vanessa Headley-Brewster, also featured on the Medium Conventional stage, where she arranged Lord Kitchener’s ‘Flag Woman’ for the NGC La Brea Nightingales, featured on Day 1 of 2 for the South/Central region.
According to Mrs. Headley-Brewster, it was exhilarating to see the young people put their heads down to execute a really good performance.
“I am confident that Nightingales is going to be in the Semi-Finals at Savannah Party on Sunday the 16th. We are going to get ready as though the results are already out.”
Judging for the Medium Bands ends on February 8th in the Tobago Region. A total of 22 bands will be attempting to qualify for the National Panorama Medium Conventional Band Semi-Finals, to be held on Sunday February 16th at the Queen’s Park Savannah.