It’s PCS Silver Stars for Panorama 2010SEAN NERO
Published: 23 Nov 2009
http://guardian.co.tt/features/entertainment/2009/11/23/it-s-pcs-silver-stars-panorama-2010PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars is the new musical force in pan. On Saturday, the reigning National Panorama champion Silver Stars, led by Edwin Pouchet, and corporate giant PCS Nitrogen formalised a deal for full sponsorship at the band’s Tragarete Road, Newtown, Port-of-Spain, headquarters. Before an audience which included Chief Justice Ivor Archie and wife Denise, Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz, Canadian High Commissioner Karen Mc Donald, Junia Regrello, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and Genders Affairs, and First Citizens chief executive officer Larry Howai, the new brand in pan PCS Silver Stars was unveiled.
Expressing delight with the new sponsorship arrangement, managing director of PCS Nitrogen Ian Welch said, “There was no obstacle between PCS Silver Stars and infinite success.” Meanwhile, Diaz, noted that more than three decades as T&T’s late Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams initiated a campaign to get corporations involved in pan through sponsorship, his legacy lives on. Keith Byer, manager of the band underscored the power of pan as a unity instrument which brings together people of all backgrounds and races. He underscored the fact that when a corporation got involved in a steelband, they actually get into community development, youth guidance, education and poverty eradication.
Listing most of Silver Stars most envied accomplishments, which included being the most recorded steelband in history; a world record for being number one on the hit parade chart for 17 weeks; the only steelband to win the coveted Band of the Year title, with Gulliver’s Travels, Byer said: “It means that PCS has just discovered a gold mine, and I want to congratulate PCS on a good prospecting.” “Welcome aboard the Silver Stars train. It will be a long and smooth ride.” Regrello noted that significance of PCS’ sponsorship at a time when the global financial and economic crisis provides a plausible explanation for the reluctance of corporate organisations to offer sponsorship to steel orchestras.
He said Silver Stars was deserving of sponsorship. “As a unsponsored organisation, it has demonstrated a will to survive and grow by organising a series of self-help initiatives,” Regrello said. “Through this approach, it was able to raise funds, remain connected with supporters and well-wishers and obtain resources for developing its quality of music. “This should be an object lesson for other unsponsored bands to follow the example for Silver Stars. “If you work hard and become attractive and marketable, sponsorship could be at your door.”
