A very long ‘Savannah Party’

IF PAN lovers attending the annual Carnival Savannah Party on Sunday at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, decide to stay till the very last of the 58 bands to play in the semi-final round of competition for conventional steelbands categories of small, medium and large, they may probably have to walk with their blankets..

Pan Trinbago, in its wisdom has increased the small band semi-finalists from 20 to 30..

It may be argued that large band semi-finalists have decreased by three but there are still seven more semi-finalists selected to play on Sunday, that will add 56 more minutes, excluding moving on, setting up and moving off the stage..

Nevertheless the show goes on, and first up on stage at 9 am in the small band category is Fascinations playing Unforgettable, arranged by Yohan Popwell..

Thirty bands later Sforzata will get the medium band category on the way with a Dr Jenine Remy arrangement of Ducking, while Republic Bank Exodus will start the large band category with Good Morning arranged by Pelham Goddard and Terrence BJ Marcelle. Ten Tobago bands have made it to the National Panorama semi-finals - seven small and three medium..

Two arrangers have bands playing in each category on Sunday..

They are Arddin Herbert with Laventille Serenaders, NGC Steel Xplosion and Caribbean Airlines Invaders, and “BJ” Marcelle with reigning small band champs Arima Golden Symphony, Petrotrin Katzenjammers and Exodus with Goddard..

Reigning medium band champions Pan Elders plays in position 13, with a Duvonne Stewart arrangement of Roti and Talkarie..

Stewart is one of six arrangers with two bands in the semis. The others are Ken Professor Philmore, Amrit Samaroo, Len Boogsie Sharpe, Yohan Popwell and Carlton Zanda Alexander, arranger for current large band champs Desperadoes, playing in position 8, with Good Morning..

The last playing steelband will be Massy All Stars with Full Extreme arranged by Leon Smooth Edwards..

http://www.newsday.co.tt/features/0,239634.html

Replies

Claude Gonzales February 10, 2017 at 2:19pm

merrytonestothebone: I need to know what time you are playing on Sunday. I eh getting up no FIVE O CLOCK IN THE MORNING to listen to no SMALL BAND, eh (PST is four hours behind Trinidad in the winter and ah see the show starting at NINE a.m.). I would not mind if the first band is about three hours late. Ah want to hear YOU and OUR BOYS.
- merrytonestothebone > Claude Gonzales February 10, 2017 at 2:22pm
  
  I would say between 11 and midday...if the show starts on time...
Morning Glory February 10, 2017 at 1:48pm

Maybe it's the kinda food we grow up on,why we coulda play Pan whole morning for jouvert,,,,come back out Monday play whole afternoon,,, and still come out and play whole day Tuesday, and then do las lap,,,,,they don't even have las lap anymore. So ,so,SAD,for Pan.
- Cecil hinkson > Morning Glory February 10, 2017 at 3:01pm
  
  Morning Glory, the only difference with the youth of today is, they have a car and a cell phone, other than that they like the other sex just like we did, they like to party and have a good time just like we did. The thing is that they don't know of steelbands on the road, maybe they saw All Stars but that's it, they never saw 9-10 steelbands on the road carnival day jamming, so it is difficult for them to visualize. If we could have something like judging small bands on the road this would encourage pan people to come on the road and support their band.
Morning Glory February 10, 2017 at 1:38pm

That's why there are so few Steelbands on the road ,these Carnival days,,,,and even the bands that do come out it's with a few players, and they play for a short time ,and then it's empty racks rolling.
Morning Glory February 10, 2017 at 1:34pm

Carnival Monday would be great,,,,but as Merrytones said the players of today,,,,don't ,and some can't play Pan on the road.
Morning Glory February 10, 2017 at 1:25pm

It was being suggested by some concerned Pan People,a little while before the Carnival season,,,to have Single ,and maybe Small Bands,Panorama in August for Independence. But they never got the opportunity to get to it,as all the protests began.Just a suggestion.
- merrytonestothebone > Morning Glory February 10, 2017 at 1:44pm
  
  But you know too...once it's a competition pan men will come out...personally, I not playing pan on the road just so...I do enough of that over the years...
patrick February 10, 2017 at 1:03pm

Why do we need all these categories? Can single pan, small band and medium band etc have their own competition after carnival?
- merrytonestothebone > patrick February 10, 2017 at 1:17pm
  
  Not after...Single Pan especially could be on Carnival Monday...but then again after the crackshots and hustlers run day run day doh want nutten with pan for Carnival anyway...

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