Pan Trinbago’s president Keith Diaz says pan tuners should be recognised as natural treasures and should be held in the same regard as Michelangelo and Michel-Jean Cazabon.
He was speaking during his tribute at the funeral service for veteran pan tuner Herman “Guppy” Brown, at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
Diaz said, “Guppy tuned pans and took them all over the world; people cherished them in all different aspects and didn’t mind waiting a little more for one of his pans.
“But we don’t look at it in that way because he came from Laventille, and we don’t recognise his work and the quality of his instruments.
“We should cherish every single pan tuner who brings into Panorama the tonal quality and artistry of their pans. We don’t take time to see how hard these tuners and arrangers work or the art they put in place and I would compare them to great artists like Michelangelo and Cazabon.”
He said the country was not even conscious of how great these pan tuners were, and it was about time that T&T’s artistes were taken care of. Diaz said a space must be found in T&T where its artistes could be given the tribute they deserved, especially members of the pan fraternity before they passed away.
Canon Knolly Clarke called on Diaz to not only make sure that everything was all right with Guppy’s family, but also the young men coming forward who needed the skills, dedication, discipline and commitment to tune the pan, as too many people were hired hands in T&T.
He said they knew the skills but were charging money for everything.
Clarke said culture at the grassroots level would take the country out of the state it was in.
He said the future of T&T was in the hands of people like those who performed in the church that day that gave Guppy a musical sendoff with the pan, poems and song.
Clarke also challenged the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians Organisation to look after young calypsonians and teach them how to compose, present songs and be committed about their art form, as there was too much half-hearted work being done.
He said young people must benefit from Guppy’s legacy. Guppy also tuned pans to be played in the church.
Arranger Len “Boogsie” Sharpe performed a stirring rendition of Take It To The Lord In Prayer.
Also present were members of the pan fraternity, “Birch” Kelman, Dr Phaedra Pierre and Jamaat-al-Muslimeen leader Yasin Abu Bakr.
The officiating clergy was Fr Carl Williams.