The ''handpan community'' is nothing more than a cult. To be more specific, it is a cult of personality where the personalities are handpan makers who have cultivated their own individual cult followings.
The more we study the ''handpan community'' and document the general behaviors and attitudes of its members for the purposes of this blog, the greater the extent that their inherent corny nature becomes clear.
What is the ''handpan community'' after all, if not a self-serving construct of the Handpan Mafia, which they established and currently maintain in order to drive their own sales and generate revenue? There is not a single online forum/discussion group with active members that is not strictly controlled by the Handpan Mafia and its flunkies. The flunkies are not necessarily directly connected to the bosses, but they crave recognition from those at the top, and often bicker and jostle for scraps and leftovers from the tables of the bosses. The scrap miners in the handpan community are often those capitalist oriented individuals who organize various gatherings, festivals, hangouts, etc. Other scrap mining flunkies sell shells to wannabe makers.
Everyone is in it for the taking and as the ''handpan community'' proves, a sucker is born every minute. Admittedly, it is amusing to watch a new sucker get turned out and ''jumped in'' to the ''handpan community''. In fact, watching a newbie getting brainwashed and programmed by the handpan community handlers is a lot like the scene that plays out when street level drug dealers in Berlin fight with each other over who is going to serve the tourists on the prowl in the park looking for a fix.
For those of you who have personally witnessed prospective cult members posting their videos of non-Handpan Mafia-sanctioned handpans being played, and getting subsequently flamed and roasted for not buying one of the ''good'' Handpan Mafia sanctioned handpans, you should be all to familiar with the jist here.
And after the cult/''community'' has thoroughly lambasted the prospective cult member for buying a handpan which is not sanctioned by the cult, a small army of handpan hawkers will begin making their capitalist sales pitches with the intent of pushing their product onto the newbie, just like drug dealers in the park who are fighting over who is going to serve the starry-eyed, fiending tourist on deck.
In any event, the point of this cult initiation ritual that takes place day after day is to drive home the fact to all prospective cult members that one can only become a member of the ''Handpan Community''/Handpan Cult when he/she kicks up money to the Handpan Mafia, and purchases a Handpan Mafia-made instrument. If you own a spritually clean, cultural misappropriation-free KaribPAN handpan, chances are you do not desire to become a handpan cult member. If you own one of our handpans and desire fellowship with the handpan cult, it is virtually guaranteed you will not be welcome as an owner of a KaribPAN handpan.
And forget about common sense when discussing anything in a ''handpan community'' forum, since the cult is driven primarily by emotions and white supremacy. The fact that Dr. Anthony Achong completely debunked PANArt three weeks ago and Felix Rohner has yet to bark orders to his lap dog, Michael Paschko, imploring him to make an official statement on the matter speaks volumes. In this case, their silence reinforces their guilt.
Not to mention the fact that aside from Daniel Bernasconi, not a single soul has raised the issue of the fact that the whole ''handpan community'' was built on one big white supremacist lie. In fact, when Daniel Bernasconi raised the issue, he was essentially attacked and reprimanded by the ''community'' for merely raising the issue. It is clear that the entire ''handpan community'' recognizes they are in contempt by virtue of Dr. Achong's article, and like their idol and default cult leader, Felix Rohner, they continue to remain silent and hope that the issue will disappear.
Is it exremely corny to live a white supremacist lie (''handpan'') that is based in negro history and culture (steelpan)? We think so.
Is it laughably corny to sleep in a handpan fantasy world and refuse to awake from your slumber once a cold bucket of water has been thrown in your face? We definitely think so.
But as we have maintained all along, the ''handpan community'' is not concerned with truth since they prefer to be driven by emotions. The handpan cult as a whole could care less about spritually uplifting steelpan vibrations capable of healing, as the Handpan Mafia would like the public to believe. This musical therapy selling point is just the mask or the the front of the operation, an operation which ultimately revolves around sales and growing sales through the indoctrination of new suckers into the handpan cult/''community'.
Living Colour - ''Cult of Personality'' Lyrics
Look in my eyes, what do you see?
The cult of personality
I know your anger, I know your dreams
I've been everything you want to be
I'm the cult of personality
Like Mussolini and Kennedy
I'm the cult of personality
The cult of personality
The cult of personality
Neon lights, a Nobel Prize
Then a mirror speaks, the reflection lies
You don't have to follow me
Only you can set me free
I sell the things you need to be
I'm the smiling face on your T.V.
I'm the cult of personality
I exploit you still you love me
I tell you one and one makes three
I'm the cult of personality
Like Joseph Stalin and Gandhi
I'm the cult of personality
The cult of personality
The cult of personality
Neon lights a Nobel Prize
A leader speaks, that leader dies
You don't have to follow me
Only you can set you free
Instead of fighting ,why dont you join us … you just have to spend a few thousand euros, buy one of my pans, a couple of hammers of a friend of mine (jimmy) shells I produce with another friend (shellopan)and if you’ve got a couple coins left,go and buy a bag from alessio massi he is our little dog and every now and then we must give him some thing .
Dear Handpandan & iSatan,
What you are two still doing here if not for the fact that you can’t get enough of us? No one forced you to read our blog or comment here, you did this on your own collective free will.
See you two on the flip side.
Jesus Christ, you are such an asshole, what the fuck is wrong with you?
Manic depressed ? Asperger-syndrome? Sick of life itself?
Go buy a gun, and put a bullet into your own head, freakin’ idiot.
Have the nerve to come even close in my arm length range, and I beat your fuckin head up, you mother fuckin asshole.
Nothing wrong with our community, or even this group. I know Mark for about 3 years now, he is about the most honest and fair man I know off. Fuck off man.
The only fight you are fighting is against yourself Rudy…and you are always going to lose, because your ego s too big to realise that you are your worst enemy.
Dear PapaNormus,
Your name reminds me of Panormus Drum the maker who is also a moderator of the handpan instrument lovers group. From what I can recall, Panormus was probably the only moderator who wanted to allow KaribPAN articles in the group, while other hateful handpan forces seemed to get a majority decision in their favor to ban our articles.
With that being said, if you are Panormus, keep on fighting the good fight!