ONE steel orchestra is taking a musical stance against crime in its community and hopes its music among other initiatives would bring a positive change to residents.
Massy Trinidad All Stars, the Mango Rose community and PALOS Crew hosted a vigil on July 23 following the murders of two of its members on July 12, and said it hoped the event could be the start of healing for the community.
The reigning Panorama champion also called on other bands to do the same within communities deeply affected by crime and criminality. The groups hosted the vigil following the July 12 murders of Jean-Marc Fonrose and Kerwin MCleod.
Fonrose was a tenor player in All Stars' Youth Steel Orchestra, playing with the band for three-four years and McLeod was one of the its many fans.
People and residents were invited to attend and wear white and walk with a candle. It was held between 6-8 pm. It began at the band’s Duke Street headquarters and a procession to Mango Rose followed.
Under the cover of a soft evening, the band tuned its pans and played a Sparrow medley among others hoping to inspire the residents to come together and find peace again.
Trinidad All Stars’ community manager, ace pannist and PALOS Crew member Dane Gulston along with its PRO Staci-Ann Patrick spoke to Newsday about it.
Patrick said PALOS Crew started the discussion about what could be done. The crew is a group of friends who were living in Mango Rose, grew up as adults and moved out but who kept a close connection to the community, Gulston is one of its members.
“I don’t know how many people will end up being here but I think it is a start for us to be able to start taking personal responsibility. We can no longer say that it is the red’s fault, or the yellow fault or the blue fault.
“We are personally responsible,” she said.
Patrick said music was a healer and good music should be a balm to people’s problems.
Panyards were safe spaces where generations of people came together, she added. She gave the example of Funrose’s grandfather also playing Trinidad All Stars.
Recently, the Ministry of National Security recently launched its Call to Order initiative aimed at youth between ten and 24, and invites them to record videos singing their own lyrics using the instrumental for The Call, a song by Marvin King feat Isasha, Ziggy Ranking, King David and Prophet Benjamin.
Asked if the band believed music could help Trinidad and Tobago’s crime problem, Patrick said she personally believed that no initiative should be marketed as a way to solve crime.
Younger people should be invited to panyards to learn to say, “Please, Thank You, Good Morning. Basic Manners,” she said.
[caption id="attachment_1098045" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Massy Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra members perform at a candlelight vigil and procession hosted by the band beginning at it's panyard on Duke Street, Port of Spain. The vigil was held in honour of All Stars members Kerwin McLeod and Jean-Marc Fonrose who were both murdered by gunmen on July 12. - Photo b
