Peter Ray Blood
Published:
Friday, January 1, 2016
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.
Replies
I am glad that Peter spoke about the NEW MUSIC being made, it's the right thing to have bands play it, panorama is not the time for retro.
Cecil: Do you like Five Star Akil's DIFFERENT ME? Sounds like he stole everybody else's musical ideas to me and compiled them in a CUT AND PASTE song.