Diaz lauds Golden Hands

Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz describes the victory by San Fernando-based Golden Hands Steel Orchestra in this year’s Small Conventional Band category of the 55^th National Panorama Competition as a fitting tribute to the band’s founder Franka Hills-Headley.

Speaking on his weekly programme called Pan For The People on i95.5FM, he recalled the tremendous efforts of the steelband advocate over the years.

“When yuh go down by the Headley’s yuh see pan in the kitchen…pan in the living room…Is pan all over the house. She has a pan house, and a pan school, teaching children to play pan and they (are) coming from all over,” he said.

Diaz added, “She should be commended for the contribution she’s making to the society as a principal of a school, having children to teach in school and then to go home and teach other children from other schools. It takes a lot out of that woman.”

Diaz went on to extend congratulations to Hills-Headley’ s daughter Vanessa Alexandra Headley on attaining her first Panorama victory.

The younger Headley composed and arranged the tune-of-choice played by Golden Hands, titled Trouble.

“I want to complement all the small band arrangers. If you observe, there are a number of young arrangers in the pan world today, in the small band category. And, they are moving up. They are taking over from the old guards. So, I want to commend them also.”

Diaz saluted businesses that give priority to steelband sponsorship as part of their corporate social responsibility mandate. He cited Angostura, which returned to the fold as the title sponsor of two-time Single Pan Band champion Newtown Plaboys Steel Symphony; Shell, which now serves as the title corporate partner with Invaders; and Caribbean Airlines Limited. The latter has tied its brand to San Fernando-based Skiffle.

Turning his attention to the standard of music produced by steelbands in this year’s competition, Diaz described it as “very high.”