Blog Archive, April 2025

April 15, 2025

We have lost a patriot and a staunch pan supporter. Mark Loquan valued Pan perhaps more than his successful corporate career. In 2024, the government wisely honored his energy and steelpan innovation contributions with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago. His passing this month leaves us all deeply pained.

We spoke to him in 2023 and found his passion for our culture boundless; his ambitions for Pan visionary. Mark composed music for Panorama and artists like Denyse Plummer and Destra, and often collaborated with the late Ken “Professor” Philmore.

Winning bands performed more than 30 of his compositions in…

April 1, 2025

We should all applaud the Pan Tuner Apprenticeship Programme for its emphasis on young people. Launched last month, the initiative aims to train 15 people aged 17 to 35 for two years. The age cohort is useful because it means participants can have a long career ahead of them. It is a sustainable idea, assuming training is thorough and professional, and graduates remain in the industry.