"Play Yourself" - Trinidad All Stars (2012 Panorama FINALS)
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oh to be in the sun right now
Wicked!!
CONGRATULATIONS to the MGT Mr. Beresford Hunte, M'S Denise Riley, and Mr Jason (stumps).Arranger Leon (smooth) Edwards. Road and Bomb arranger Terry Dumas Drill Master Nigel (Kilamanjero) Williams and all the behind the scene men and women who made this yet another successful and enjoyable one Special shoutout Jackie,Darryl, Petal, Kimmie, Grip, for their contributions
"Certant omnes sed non omnibus palma" (All may strive, but the prize is not for all) - QRC motto, where I believe Smooth Edwards was an alumnus). Annual arguments about who really "won" Panorama are interesting but at a certain level, quite pointless. Competition in this art form necessitates the subjective application of criteria to the performances, by the judges. There can only be one winner (usually) in the points system of judging. Our commitment to and love of the Panorama competition require us to believe and trust that the judges' only agenda is to do the best job that they can, within all the imperfections of a subjective system, to select a winner, because they understand that the stakes are so high. So let us all rejoice in the win by All Stars this year, and feel collective pride, because The Panorama winner, whoever it may be in any given year, is an essential part of an important national fraternity or family: the steel pan culture in Trinidad and Tobago. . And let us also all rejoice in the performances of all the performing bands, and notwithstanding the motto quoted above, consider them all prize winners, because of their enormous dedication to striving to give all of us the very best of themselves in this amazing event called Panorama.
Kevin,
"Love Respect Laugh and Live GOOD with one another cause GOD lent us to each other to LOVE and calls on US anytime he wonts"
Amen, my brother! That says it in a nutshell. I perceive you too are a believer.
We sometimes forget we are all united in a love for Pan, whatever the differences that may have us fighting one another. We should debate, discuss, by all means, but never lose sight of the fact that we need to show respect: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
God's blessings on you too.
- Big Sid
@S.F.THOMAS: my thing is where is the sportmanship...all arrangers are doing the same thing.....Dr. Jit won 3 straight with the same style...alot was mad maybe still mad but we cant win them all but we can lose them all..Y show division in the Culture? butter luck next time and there is always next year in all the negativity is this what we really want to show the world and the youths who are coming up and looking to get tinto arranging...LETS ENJOY THE MUSIC AND OTHERS..QUOTE.. Love Respect Laugh and Live GOOD with one another cause GOD lent us to each other to LOVE and calls on US anytime he wonts..GOD BLESS
Glenroy,
I can agree with most of what you say. Nothing lasts forever. Whole art forms can go out of style and be forgotten, let alone any individual exponent of it, genius or not.
So if Smooth is finding favor with the judges, and with a large share of the public also, he should savor it while it lasts. I for one do not begrudge him his triumph one little bit. Big up to the very charismatic front-line players too! They make it seem a very light thing to be a virtuoso performer.
I agree that all the arrangers do what they do, and their stamp on it is usually pretty evident.
But that said, I have to lift Boogsie up higher than the rest. Even with his signature always present, he pushes the envelope more than the others. He moves easily between the jazz and classical polarities, even within the same arrangement, as with Archbishop of Pan. He gives you something to think about, and study, almost like a math problem, even while staying well within the crease of the calypso and Panorama art form and aesthetic. He is eulogizing in music a favored daughter of the soil, yet this is carnival, this is Panorama, so it has to be reverential, but it must also be uptempo and joyous. How does an arranger even begin to think he could pull that off? Yet Boogsie does it. He does it with grace, with taste, and with high style. He does not make you want to get up and wine down the memory of Pat Bishop, but there is enough calypso in there that it is not out of place on Panorama night. It is a musical meal to savor. Credit where credit is due.
It doesn't detract from Smooth's brilliance, like a Pele on the ball, dribbling. Smooth's is a Panorama offering through and through. He doesn't have to square the circle, like Boogsie. He is all excitement and panache, and with virtuoso panmen and women to make it work. But there is not that much to chew on. Given the occasion -- it's Panorama after all -- it may well deserve first prize (well, except for Renegades!! I'm more and more impressed every time I listen to that one!). But it is light fare compared to Boogsie.
That's my humble (and subjective) opinion, for what it's worth. I'm not saying it to down the judges. And definitely not to down Smooth and All Stars.
But as we talk about Pan, and whether Panorama is stifling it or not, this is a case study to consider. I wonder what Liam and Raf would say about that showdown between All Stars and Phase II, not forgetting the masterful work that Duvone Stewart put down with Renegades. Would we have gotten all that without competition? Would we have gotten better offerings? Would Boogsie's Archbishop have turned into a dirge, if he didn't have to worry about making it fit into Panorama? Would that have been better art? Who knows?
I am just glad to be living through what I am sure will some day be looked back upon as the Golden Age of Pan.
- Big Sid
In spite of the criteria and score sheets etc, don't let anyone fool you.
Panorama judging is subjective.
I don't know anything about music, but I know that Smooth's arrangements excites me.
I like what he does with All Stars, and I admit my bias.And whether or not they choose admit it, few real steel band lovers are objective.
Like Jit Samaroo had a sound in the eighties and nineties, so does Smooth have his sound.
I happen to think that Jit never lost his touch,but the judges just wanted to hear something different, so he stopped winning.
Smooth does what he does, Bradley and Jit did what they did, and Boogise does what he does.
As long as we have a competition that's sublective, judges will choose what they like.
There will come a time when they tire of Smooth's stylings, and will move on to someone else.
It won't mean that Smooth has lost his touch, just that the judges will choose a different sound.
That's just the way it is.
Hi Bede,
Yes, but I wouldn't use the word "ROB". It's one of those things where fair-minded people can disagree. To me and to you it's obvious that Boogsie had the better musical meal on offer.
But to all the All Stars supporters, we must also acknowledge that Smooth and his band do what they do very well. I enjoyed their performance very much also.
But in that same spirit of giving credit where credit is due, we all must call it as we see it, and let the chips fall where they may. On that basis we have to cut the judges some slack, I think.
And we need to big up ALL the arrangers, and ALL the bands. It's a cliche to say it, but it's true: they were ALL winners. I hope none gets discouraged from any sense of being robbed.
- Big Sid
Thank you Shahadah45. In our hearts we consider TAS our family, not only for his contributions but because of the love and high esteem he had for his "TAS sons". Gone but will never be forgotten.
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