Congratulations are in Order to Pantrinbago for Staging This International Panorama Competition

Well the 1^st International Conference and Panorama has come and gone. The Panorama itself was pretty good over all. However, the stream did break-up on my tablet so I had to change to my wired laptop to get around the doggy internet stream. That said, it was quite enjoyable.

The logistics, presentation and organisation of those putting it on, left a lot to be desired.

Presenters obviously were not afforded basic background information. Things like time-zone knowledge or lack of it, took away a degree of professionalism. For example Mr. La Pierre and his co-presenters was not provided with the fact that Japan was 16 hours ahead of Trinidad. Which at times made him look incompetent. Not his fault. WACK should have had researchers doing the job of providing useful information to its presenters and consequently making for a more professional approach.

The Savannah stage broke halfway through causing total mayhem. This in turn confirmed Trinidad is still very much a third world country. Isn’t about time a more permanent structure is put in place for this type of event? It not like we still have horse racing staged there or Inter-Col for that matter. I’m showing my age here. Both the Grandstand and “North-stand” for that matter should be completely rebuilt. I very much doubt whether doing so would not be in keeping with the conditions stipulated by the Town council which purchased it from the Peschier family.

To those who lack the foresight…. Many of the foreign orchestras performing yesterday used background instruments from local bands. Thus proving it is possible to have a degree of uniformity and convention when it comes to drastically reducing the long drawn-out performance of a Panorama show. Just like a modern orchestra a piano is always a piano, a trumpet is a trumpet, so should we be looking at making steel-pans as standard as possible. If you are a musician you should be able to play your preferred instrument irrespective of who made it. Trinidad steel bands must move towards music literacy thus musicians will just need to walk on stage and perform instead of the time being wasted pushing racks on and off stage. With the exception of a few sponsors, whose branding may be lost, a slick fast moving show would be much better to sell to foreign media thus improving the financial viability of the event.

The hard lined traditionalist amongst you will argue that each band is unique. To that I say rubbish, the modern steelpan is very much similar in tonal quality as the tuners more or less use the tried and tested method in producing the finished product. It is no longer possible to tell the difference between Invaders, Desperadoes, Starlift, All Stars and Skiffle like it was in the old days. Roland Harrigan and Co put paid to that, thankfully. Today it’s only the arranger that brings uniqueness to the table.

Finally to Pan Trinbago I say thank you, and hopefully your efforts will be rewarded with many more International Panorama competitions. And to All Stars, Congratulations.

Just my thoughts.

Randi Curvan

Replies

Randi Curvan August 10, 2015 at 5:36am

Well the 1^st International Conference and Panorama has come and gone. The Panorama itself was pretty good over all. However, the stream did break-up on my tablet so I had to change to my wired laptop to get around the doggy internet stream. That said, it was quite enjoyable.

The logistics, presentation and organisation of those putting it on, left a lot to be desired.

Presenters obviously were not afforded basic background information. Things like time-zone knowledge or lack of it, took away a degree of professionalism. For example Mr. La Pierre and his co-presenters was not provided with the fact that Japan was 16 hours ahead of Trinidad. Which at times made him look incompetent. Not his fault. WACK should have had researchers doing the job of providing useful information to its presenters and consequently making for a more professional approach.

The Savannah stage broke halfway through causing total mayhem. This in turn confirmed Trinidad is still very much a third world country. Isn’t about time a more permanent structure is put in place for this type of event? It not like we still have horse racing staged there or Inter-Col for that matter. I’m showing my age here. Both the Grandstand and “North-stand” for that matter should be completely rebuilt. I very much doubt whether doing so would not be in keeping with the conditions stipulated by the Town council which purchased it from the Peschier family.

To those who lack the foresight…. Many of the foreign orchestras performing yesterday used background instruments from local bands. Thus proving it is possible to have a degree of uniformity and convention when it comes to drastically reducing the long drawn-out performance of a Panorama show. Just like a modern orchestra a piano is always a piano, a trumpet is a trumpet, so should we be looking at making steel-pans as standard as possible. If you are a musician you should be able to play your preferred instrument irrespective of who made it. Trinidad steel bands must move towards music literacy thus musicians will just need to walk on stage and perform instead of the time being wasted pushing racks on and off stage. With the exception of a few sponsors, whose branding may be lost, a slick fast moving show would be much better to sell to foreign media thus improving the financial viability of the event.

The hard lined traditionalist amongst you will argue that each band is unique. To that I say rubbish, the modern steelpan is very much similar in tonal quality as the tuners more or less use the tried and tested method in producing the finished product. It is no longer possible to tell the difference between Invaders, Desperadoes, Starlift, All Stars and Skiffle like it was in the old days. Roland Harrigan and Co put paid to that, thankfully. Today it’s only the arranger that brings uniqueness to the table.

Finally to Pan Trinbago I say thank you, and hopefully your efforts will be rewarded with many more International Panorama competitions. And to All Stars, Congratulations.

Just my thoughts.

Randi Curvan
VALENTINE YOUNG August 9, 2015 at 7:46pm

Contrary to How We All feel about Keith Diaz and Pantrinbago Past Performances. We Must Give them Credit for Successfully Staging the First International Panorama Competition. Well Done!

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