Colin Dowe

GCC Chairman

St. George’s, May 20, 2010: The chairman of the Grenada Carnival Committee (GCC) has said that he is committed to ensuring that the national steelbands’ competition, Panorama, is held as part of the 2010 carnival that will be officially launched on June 12.

Colin Dowe gave the assurance Wednesday after the Grenada Steelbands’ Association (GSA) issued a statement announcing that members had decided to “abstain from participating in the 2010 National Panorama Championship’’ because of an “ongoing impasse’’ with the GCC.

One of the central complaints of GSA was non-payment of outstanding prize monies of some EC$150,000 owing for such things as the 2009 Junior and Senior Panorama competitions, and for a steelbands’ “Bomb Tune Competition’’ of last year.

The GSA said its decision only related to Panorama and it would be willing to participate in other carnival activities, including playing on the road on Carnival Monday on Tuesday, August 9 and 10.

Mr. Dowe, in a television interview Wednesday night, said the GSA had not officially notified the GCC of its decision to “abstain’’ for Panorama 2010.  He also revealed that money outstanding for the Junior and Senior Panoramas was paid on Wednesday, saying there are only a “couple of mop up monies’’ still to be paid for such things as trucking, appearance fee and the “Bomb Tune Competition.’’

The GCC chairman emphasised that steelpan was integral to Grenada’s Spicemas. “Carnival comprises mas, pan and calypso,’’ Mr. Dowe said. “I have been in conversations with the President of the Steelbands’ Association up to today (Wednesday) and it will continue because the commitment of the GCC is there. We need all components – mas, pan and calypso. If we do not have all three, it is not carnival. We are committed to staging a panorama competition.’’

GSA official David “Peck’’ Edward said the association is meeting on Thursday, May 20, to further discuss the Panorama situation. Some steelbands are known to be opposed to boycotting the national pan competition.

Mr. Edwards, musical arranger of 2009 Panorama champions, Coyaba New Dimensions, said a major grouse of the GSA is what he described as the disrespect for the local steelband movement.

“Over the years we’ve had a number of promises and most of these have not materialised,’’ he complained. “It’s like people are not taking us seriously. It is painful for us as pan people.’’

Mr. Edwards, whose band is likely to boycott this year’s competition, said it’s now late to start readying for Panorama. “Preparing for Panorama is not something you can do overnight. We should have started in April,’’ he told broadcaster George Grant in an interview.

In the opinion of Mr. Edwards, carnival is underfunded. It’s not just an issue of the GCC but one that requires a “marriage’’ between government and the business sector, he said.

“We see the bigger problem is because of the funding,’’ Mr. Edwards said. “I am not saying that government alone must fund the festival, but the corporate sector also has a responsibility. Until we can get that marriage in the right proportion, we’ll always have a problem.’’

GCC chairman Dowe said the June 12 launch of carnival will held during the day to accommodate the involvement of children.

“Carnival belongs to everyone and we want it to be all-encompassing,’’ he said. “We don’t want a night-time activity to leave out the children. We have to build on the children for carnival to be sustainable.’’

Mr. Dowe said the GCC, which has been able to negotiate sponsorship from a few corporations, including LIME, is looking to build on the success of last year’s carnival presentation.

Jourvert, one of carnival’s “signature events,’’ will receive “very special attention’’ in 2010, he said.

“It cannot be allowed to just happen in a haphazard manner. So Jourvert needs to be produced,’’ said Mr. Dowe, who invited Grenadians to visit the GCC website at www.spicemasgrenada.com