Remembering Steve Achaiba - Champion Arranger 1975

[Pan Times]

First - First

Records by the late Panist, arranger and educator STEVE ACHAIBA

1. First person to win a National Panorama both as a player and arranger

   1. 1968 - Played in Guinness Cavaliers under Lennox “Bobby” Mohammed

   2. 1975 – Leader and arranger of Maritime Life Hatters Steel orchestra

2. In 1974 Hatters was the first band to appear on stage with canopies on the floats.  This captured the sound from the open stage.
    
3. Largest steel orchestra to cross the “Big Yard” (Queen’s Park Savannah) with 172 players (156 pan players and 16 rhythm players) and win the National Panorama for the Southland.
    
4. To this date, no steel orchestra from South has won the National Panorama. 2019 would make it 44 years since South won a National Panorama. 
    
5. In 1974 Hatters was the first band to arrange other pans besides the tenor pan in the frontline. (Steve Achaiba arranged double tenors and double seconds in order to hear harmonizations which created a melodious balance.  

Data sourced by When Steel Talks from Mrs. Candace Achaiba - (February 2019)

   

   Hatters won Panorama 1975 with this Steve Achaiba arrangement of Lord Kitchener's "Tribute to Spree Simon". Hatters is one of only two "South" bands to win a Panorama.

See more on Steve Achaiba

[Steve "Carter" K.]

Without a doubt Steve Achaiba is a Hero in the Pan World world wide for he definitely made his presence felt with all those numerous achievements thru all those many years of dedication to this art form.He was one who maintained discipline always during practice sessions so it impacted positively during performances . His legacy is remarkable.

[Ayesha Mohammed]

Thanks Mrs Achaiba for sharing this important history Work on it to produce book, that can preserve that history. I have been thinking over the past Panorama Finals, why South as well as, Tobago bands are still to make the grade after all these years

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