Interview with Panexcel Steel Orchestra's founders.
Panexcel Steel Orchestra
Who are the Directors of PANEXCEL?
Husband and Wife Team:
Ronald Matthews and Sherene Matthews
Musical Director: Mr. Ronald Matthews
Coordinator: Mrs. Sherene Matthews
What is the primary goal of PANEXCEL?
Panexcel is a musical entity that was formed on April 2nd 2011. It was established for the sole purpose to promote Steelpan music in our nation and globally. It began with a dream to see the culture of this special art form develop and take root in our local communities and beyond.
How many members are in the Group and how many went to Mexico?
At present, there are twelve (12) members. All 12 went to Mexico.
What was the purpose of the Trip?
Panexcel was invited by Xalapa Steelband to perform with them to form one Steel Orchestra. The collaboration was aptly named “XALAPA ‘L CARIBE”. The Xalapa Steelband is the only known Steelband in Mexico. The vision of it’s Director, Mr. Lalo Tellez is to promote this unique instrument in Mexico. It was our pleasure to make this dream a reality since it is also within Panexcel’s vision.
How did the Band connect with Xalapa Steel Band?
Ronald and Sherene are the owners of a Steelpan Manufacturing Company, RS SWEET PANS LTD. The Director of Xalapa Steelband has been a client of ours for some years. We are also the Tuners for their Band. We visited Mr. Lalo Tellez (Director, Xalapa Steel Band) in Xalapa in 2014 after connecting with him through the internet. Mr. Tellez is learning to make and tune Steelpans with Ronald. Lalo made a set of Six Bass for the Band for this Tour with Panexcel. He did a wonderful job. Lalo started a Steelpan Workshop with Ronald in Xalapa in 2014 and continued in Trinidad in 2015. It was through this relationship that the idea of a Tour was born.
What did Panexcel have to do to raise money for the trip? Did the Government or Pan Trinbago lend aid?
Panexcel raised the Funds by staging a Concert “A Trini Mexican Fiesta”. Additional funds were given by members of Panexcel and the Company, RS SWEET PANS. There was no Government funding or Pan Trinbago aid. The Xalapa Steelband assisted with some of the expenses.
What did the trip consist of? (Please see the Flyer attached for the schedule)
The trip consisted of:
(a) Music collaboration between the Management of the two Bands
(b) Rehearsals
(c) Performances (Senior Citizens Home and 3 others)
(d) Master Class on Steelpan history, Tuning, Demonstration on Playing etc.
(e) Sightseeing Tours:
La Cantona
Nace El Rio
Was there a Closing Concert?
No. Our last performance was outdoors in El Jardin de Las Esculturas. It was interactive with the audience.
What kinds of takeaways did each Band get out of the experience on the whole?
PANEXCEL:
A very rich cultural exchange. The meshing of the two cultures was fabulous. We did a two-week trip to ensure that there was sufficient time to knit the two teams together, both culturally and musically.
Our goals for the Tour consisted of:
- The promotion of the Steelpan with its versatility to stand as an unique instrument in the world of music in an environment where it is unknown.
- To promote Trinidad and Tobago
- To connect musically two Orchestras.
- To assist Xalapa Steelband in the promotion and development of the Steelpan in Xalapa and beyond.
- To expose our Panexcel members to a different culture in another part of the Globe.
- Essentially, to create history by being the first Steelband to perform in Xalapa, Veracruz.
All of the above goals and objectives were achieved.
XALAPA STEELBAND:
The goals of Xalapa Steelband were very similar to those of Panexcel’s. The feedback from the trip was tremendous. Mr. Tellez is still receiving compliments and enquires from individuals in Mexico and worldwide. One of the songs chosen for the repertoire is HUAPANGO. This is a popular, classical, traditional Mexican piece that has never been done on Pan. Mr. Tellez did the arrangement for the Steel Orchestra and it was a beautiful masterpiece. The goal of demonstrating the versatility of the instrument by performing this Classical piece was achieved. It stunned the audience.
We can safely conclude that the Xalapa Steelband enjoyed the rich cultural interaction with Panexcel. Plans are afoot for another Tour in 2018. It will involve more Cities such as Mexico City and Veracruz.
Is this something you’d recommend others do in the future? If so, why and how should they go about executing a trip like this?
We would certainly recommend other Steel Orchestras to do a Trip such as this. There are financial constraints in planning such a trip. This is Panexcel’s fourth international trip. It is always a challenge if you are an unsponsored Band. This trip was the most challenging because of the huge cost factor. It is important for the management of any Band to prove itself to be progressive in the community and to be committed to its goals and objectives. We may not have received financial aid, but our Fund raising Concert attracted much more support than in past years. We took that as an indication that we were doing something right and the general public had gained confidence in us. It takes time for a Band to achieve that level of confidence of the public.
Any successful Band needs good management. Therefore, any project such as this one would require careful advance planning. For instance, the trip was booked with COPA AIRLINES in November 2015. Since it is considered Group Travel, we were able to make a deposit on the reservation and so the Airfare was held for almost nine months. It took us about one year to plan and prepare for the Trip. Today’s technology assisted that process since the physical constraints of not being in Mexico to help Lalo’s preparation was challenging. Skype, Whatsapp, Email, Facebook etc. helped a great deal
All in all, the key to planning such a trip is good Management. The formula for success lies in the management to achieve its goals and objectives by creating a values-based environment for oneness and unity of the Band. When each member buys into the vision of the Band, then it becomes easy for the Band to go forward to achieve positive goals.
By Ted Goslin
Musician/Writer/Editor
