Unlike the Panorama final of 1975 when almost every steelband played one selection—Kitchener’s Tribute to Spree—this year’s Panorama is expected to unearth a cornucopia of new, beautiful music. Of the selections heard thus far the competition promises to be an exciting challenge to the arrangers and musicians as the composers seemed to have done their homework and pushed the envelope as far as melodies and song structures are concerned.
I can only imagine the music the 2016 competition would have with the likes of legendary arrangers like the late Clive Bradley, Anthony Williams, Bobby Mohammed, Ray Holman, Earl Rodney and Jit Samaroo. Still competing and expected to produce excellent music are Leon “Smooth” Edwards, Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, Robbie Greenidge, Pelham Goddard, Duvonne Stewart, Ken “Professor” Philmore, Terrance “BJ” Marcelle and Clarence Morris.
Apart from the music, Panorama 2016 will be an exciting event with the various shifts of arrangers and an increase in the number of bands (177) registered to compete. Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated development is the ascension of Lopinot’s Supernovas Steel Orchestra which has leapfrogged the medium band category from small to enter the large band category.
Supernovas, runner-up in last year’s International Panorama, will be going to the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain on January 24 playing Samaroo’s arrangement of Breakthrough, composed by Mark Loquan and Samaroo, and sung by defending National Calypso Monarch Chuck Gordon (Roderick Gordon).
Another exciting snippet in the competition is the reuniting of David Rudder and Pelham Goddard to create De Big Yard, the selection of Republic Bank Exodus.
I have heard some unique compositions and one of them is 5 Star Akil’s Different Me, composed by Jovan James, supposedly the choice of Desperadoes. Carlton “Zanda” Alexander is Desperadoes’ new arranger. Another unique composition is Madd Music, sung by Keith Lucas. This tune was composed by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and Nigel Rojas and is expected to be the tune of choice of Hadco Phase II Pan Groove, another steelband which has had a sponsor shift; from Petrotrin to Hadco. Rojas was also the composer of Happiness, Phase II’s Panorama selection in 2015.
Starlift has made a double shift for Carnival, securing a new sponsor and arranger. With its sponsorship contract with White Oak expired, the legendary Woodbrook steelband is now sponsored by Methanol Holding Trinidad Limited (MHTL). The band’s new arranger is Robert Greenidge, formerly of Desperadoes, and the selection he might be arranging for the band is Kernal Roberts’ Bass on Fire.
Looking southwards, NLCB Fonclaire is playing the same song as Starlift and has decided to remain with the tried and tested in arranger Ken “Professor” Philmore.
Staying south of the border, Skiffle is coming with How She Like It, sung by Hypa Sounds of Barbados. The band has also had a change of arranger as well and its selection will be arranged by a trio of young musicians in Kendall Williams, Odie Franklyn and Marc Brooks.
Defending National Panorama and reigning International Panorama champion Massy Trinidad All Stars, and arranger Leon “Smooth” Edwards, are hellbent on winning the coveted title for a second straight year. A couple weeks ago I heard the band’s selection—Leave We Alone—sung by sweet-voiced Sheldon Reid in the band’s Duke Street pan theatre. It is a beautiful song that has been composed by veteran All Stars musician Clive Telemaque.
I am also excited by how small band Golden Hands will perform. This band of young, extremely talented musicians, once mentored by the late Raf Robertson, is the creation of Franka Hills-Headley and they play wonderful music. For the 2016 Panorama competition, Golden Hands has chosen to utilise the talent of its prodigy musician, young Venessa Headey, who has composed and sings the band’s tune of choice Young and Free.
On the topic of young and free, my pores are raised as I write this, it’s difficult to contain my excitement with a bit of history to be made in this year’s Panorama competition when the first all-female steelband participates. The band is Platinum, based in Malick, Barataria, and it is lead by young musicians Lauren Pierre and Jenna James, both past members of Silver Stars, Potential Symphony and Trinidad East Side. The band also has a female arranger in the person of veteran Natasha Joseph and its selection will be Blue Boy’s Unknown Band.
Another woman to be reckoned with—in the medium band category this year—is Michelle Huggins-Watts, arranger of Valley Harps. She is arranging Leston Paul/Lennox Picou’s Get Up and Dance for the Petit Valley steelband.
Also in the medium category, chomping at the bit is Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille which has stuck by its arranger Ken “Professor” Philmore and will play David Rudder’s Ganges Meet the Nile. Philmore’s arrangement is extremely lively and exciting and, up to press time, he had completed six minutes of the band’s required eight-minutes of playing time, and nothing has been repeated in the arrangement.
So, provided the arrangers spead their wings and embrace the new music and melodies, we can expect an outstanding Panorama competition. In closing, I would like to reiterate my rigid position on steelbands being allowed to go “retro” and compete with “old” songs. I feel that there is much too much new music being made, and eventually wasted, for this to continue.
2016 National Panorama selections:
D Greatest Invention—De Original de Fosto Himself
Lotto Plus—De Fosto
Different Me—5 Star Akil, composed by Jovan James
Madd Music—Keith Lucas, composed by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and Nigel Rojas
Ah Love It—Crazy
Breakthrough—Chucky Gordon, composed by Mark Loquan and Amrit Samaroo
How She Like It—Hypa Sounds
Music Inside Meh Head—Nadia Batson, composed by Johann Chuckaree
We Calypso—SuperBlue
Roxanne—Gerrelle Forbes
Sweetest Escape—Gerrele Forbes
Dem Judges—Joanne Foster, composed by Gregory “GB” Ballantyne and Don Clarke
Young & Free—Venessa Headley
Leave We Alone—Sheldon Reid, composed by Clive Telemaque
Nostalgia—Anslem Douglas, composed by Gregory “GB” Ballantyne and Carlton “Panman” Harewood
Soca Have Dem So—Anslem Douglas, composed by Gregory “GB” Ballantyne and Mark Loquan
Sweet Lime Energy—Anslem Douglas, composed Brian “Bean” Griffith
De Big Yard—David Rudder, produced by Pelham Goddard
Ting Ah Ling Ah Ling—Krisson Joseph, composed by Steve Neaves
Big Mama—KV Charles, composed by Michael Gabriel
2016 National Panorama agenda:
January 8: National Single Pan preliminary (Northern Region), The Paddock Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain (6 pm)
January 9: National Single Pan preliminary (South Central Region), Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre (5 pm)
January 10: National Single Pan preliminary (Eastern Region), The Velodrome, Arima (5 pm)
January 11: National Panorama preliminaries (Tobago Region), Buccoo Intergrated Facility, Tobago (7 pm)
January 15: National Single Pan preliminaries (Eastern Region Small and Medium Conventional), Arima (6 pm)
January 16: National Single Pan preliminaries (Northern Region Small and Medium Conventional), The Paddock Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain (6 pm)
January 17: National Single Pan preliminaries (South Central Region Small and Medium Conventional), Skinner Park, San Fernando (4 pm)
January 19: National Panorama large conventional bands judges’ night ( Tobago & Eastern Zones) (7 pm).
January 20: National Panorama large conventional bands judges’ night (Northern Zone) (7 pm).
January 21: National Panorama large conventional bands judges’ night ( South Central Zone) (7 pm).
January 22: National Single Pan/Small semi-finals, Pan Trinbago headquarters, Victoria Square North, Park Street, Port-of-Spain (7 pm)
January 24: National Medium and Large Conventional sem-finals, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain (9 am)
January 31: National Junior Panorama Finals, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain (9 am)
February 1: Arima Panorama Finals, Basketball Court, Arima (7 pm)
February 2: THA Pan Champs Finals, Dwight Yorke Stadium, Tobago (7 pm)
February 4: National Panorama Finals (Single Pan & Small), Skinner Park, San Fernando (6 pm)
February 6: National Panorama Finals (Medium & Large Conventional), Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain (7 pm)
February 13: Champs of Steel Plus, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain (7 pm)