Guardian December 30, 2019
Now anybody who reads this THIS FORUM will know that CALYPSO (and especially CALYPSO LYRICS is my BIG OBSESSION - and NOT THE PAN TING).
But this "SAVANNAH GRASS" got my attention because of the RHYTHM TRACK -- which is REALLY RARE for me. So I give the song a LOT OF CREDIT even though I thought that THE LYRICAL ACCOMPANIMENT was GRATUITIOUS, CHEAP and DESPERATE.
However, THE MELODY WAS HAUNTING and it still rings in MY BRAIN -- so I could justify THIS AWARD.
Of course, if you are a REAL TRINIDADIAN -- and you look at the picture above ... you would have to know that THIS SONG could never have WON ROAD MARCH. Not to mention, that any STEELBAND that tried to play THIS SONG as a PANORAMA TUNE -- doh know nothing about THE CULTURE OF TRINIDAD!!!
Though my view of the CULTURE OF TRINIDAD is as OBSOLETE as DONALD TRUMP'S VIEW of the CULTURE OF AMERICA -- as the MEXICAN CULTURE takes back THE COUNTRY ... ONE HOUSE at a time DISPLACING AFRICAN-AMERICANS and POOR WHITES!!!
Congratulations to KES on THIS AWARD!!!
Replies
Claude, I disagree with your conclusion that this tune does not lend itself to the pan as a selection.
Please go online and listen to Mangrove in London rendition of Savannah Grass an Andre Whites winning arrangement 2019, and tell me that this was not a good song for Pan.
I actually think this is a much better tune to arrange than Trouble in The Morning which a lot of bands are plating this year.
Another thing… If a band is going to rip-off par of other arrangers intro it should not be so blatant.
A nod to - New Eastside Dimension’s Savannah Grass 2020 arrangement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjD-BlURxF0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YsbV8juucc