Panorama's Ill-Advised Drift Away From Carnival

[Pan Times]

Panorama's Ill-Advised Drift Away From Carnival
Symposium tackles the Panorama question: Is there a need to revisit the Steel Band Panorama Format?

by Les Slater
 

Brooklyn, New York - It was the Carnival celebration that gave rise to the steel band, so it was only fitting that George Goddard, George Yeats and others (including Desmond Chase) would have pressed authorities for the steel band to have a forum of its own in the organized Carnival festivities, beyond its then dominant role of providing music for street revelry. Panorama was thus intrinsically a Carnival animal from its inception. Whether by moves that were deliberate, or through the ineluctable demands of what some might call “progress”, or on account of whatever combination of factors, we have seen notable signs of fissuring in the once seamless pairing of Carnival and Panorama.
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[Linda T. Bridgman]

Keep panorama with the carnival.  There could be another type of competition or festival later in the year to keep pan in the forefront..Like Calypso, when carnival is finished, Pan and Calypso goes into hiding....

[simon l nicholas]

yr point being

[John Dinga]

J'ouvert in Brooklyn is all steel bands.  About 15 or so but not as large as Trinidad.

[Tony Blackman]

I believe the days when Panorama was part of Dimanche Gras, on Carnival Sunday night, this kept steelpan prominent on j'ouvert morning side of things, especially with a Bomb competition by the Town Hall to top of the morning. Then progress probably saw the separation to the Panorama finals Carnival Saturday night, and inadvertently, steelband sizes and overall presence on the road reduced significantly over time. Electronics the most lethal stage, eventually rendered steelband music practically useless for reveling on the streets.Nevertheless, pan here to stay for me and in support of the above lament, I believe in the following formula.....

Steelpan + Calypso + Mas = Carnival

[Cecil hinkson]

This is how it was back in the good old days

The formula now is......DJ+Soca+Decadence= Carnival

 

[simon l nicholas]

are you saying that pan exist only for the benefit of carnival ?

[John Dinga]

I was fortunate to attend Carnival and Panorama in 1976 and 1981.  There were so many large steel bands on the road for J'ouvert and Carnival Monday and Tuesday parades.  Pan heaven!