Generations of parang and steelpan met at the SoundForge stage in Port of Spain on Monday for the fifth edition of ‘Cantando Gloria,’ hosted by Parang Queen and mentor Alicia Jaggasar.
Ms. Jaggasar, who is also the President of the National Parang Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NPATT), told TTT News she was happy to have some of the top-performing parang and school steelpan bands perform at the event.
She said it’s all about keeping the music going from generation to generation.
“We love to pass on all that we have learnt to the younger generation. That is the only way for it to be preserved. So for us, when I watched St. Mary’s and I watched St. Joseph’s tonight, it filled my heart actually, seeing these young people carrying on the tradition of parang.”
One of the performing school bands was the St. Joseph’s Convent – St Joseph Parang Band. Another was ‘BAHS of Steel’ – the Bishop Anstey High School Steelband. After their performance, band captain Samiah St Hillaire set the record straight for anyone who thought that pan and parang do not fit melodically on the same stage.
“Pan has such a sweet melody, and we know that pan is our instrument, Trinidad and Tobago, so we must play it for parang, right? It has that sweet melody, and there are many different kinds of pans, so it all blends together to give not just sweet music but the vibes with us as well, and the dancers just come together one time because we are ‘BAHS of Steel.'”
Band coach Barry Mannette spoke with pride of his Hilarian girls. He said these events help the youth transition into adult performing life.
“Events like this really give the youth an opportunity to shine, and because there are not really many opportunities for us, we really appreciate being invited to take part in this, and we look forward to coming back in 2026.”