Sweet sounds of pan - by Barbados Today July 12, 2019

The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) is gearing up to stage one of the biggest events for the Crop Over season, the Massy Pan Pun de Sand 2019, scheduled for this Sunday.

This year, the event which will be held at Brandons Beach, will feature popular acts such as Zig-E and Mosaic, along with a combined schools’ group, comprising some 60 students from across the secondary schools and the Barbados Community College (BCC).

Speaking to the media during the launch of Massy Pan Pun de Sand at BCC where a pan workshop was being held, Country Manager Frere Delmas, said 2019 marks 15 years since Massy has been title sponsor of the event, starting two years after the first event. He said coincidentally, this also coincides with the 5th anniversary of the launch of the Massy brand across the region.

“Over the past 15 years, it has been obvious to us as title sponsor that it wasn’t our support alone that has contributed to the growth of this event. Indeed, to produce a show of this calibre as a free event for so long, is no small undertaking.

“And while our commitment in cash and kind has increased over the decade and a half of sponsorship, we cannot ignore the fact that there have been a number of supporting sponsors, both past and present, that have helped to contribute to the success of this event over its 17-year history.

“Without their support, the Massy Pan Pun de Sand might not have seen the kind of growth that it enjoys today. So, for that, I want to publicly express our thanks to all sponsors-both past and present as well as those named and unnamed,” he said.

Demas also grasped the opportunity to recognize the various event planners of the event from the NCF who have aided in the evolution of the event over the years, including Stacia Bryan, Randy Eastmond, and David “ZigE” Walcott, who would have put their own stamp on the event in recent years and helped it grow.

He also acknowledged the work of NCF’s Karen Pestaina who considers the event to be her “baby”.

“Admittedly, during our 15-year history of Pan Pun de Sand, we have had some of the best bands from Trinidad & Tobago, including our own Massy Trinidad All-Stars, as well as groups out of Antigua and St Lucia. Additionally, we have had solo acts such as last year’s headliner, Dane Gulstone,” Delmas said.

On Sunday, the thousands expected to flock to Brandons Beach could look forward to a dazzling display of pan mastery from Trinidadian Professor Liam Teague who will be headlining the event.

Also delivering remarks, event producer Pestaina noted that it was because of Massy, that a number of school children were learning to play pan. She said Massy had donated pans to be used in schools.

“We found out that there are some schools that just have two pans and 30 children. What Massy has done makes me appreciative. I just need people to be aware of that. I will sit down with them after Crop Over to keep them involved so they could see what we are doing with the Massy pans going into the schools,” Pestaina said. (AH)