This weekend the national instrument is on the frontburner as Pan Trinbago holds the semi-finals for four categories of the National Panorama competition.
The semi-finals for Single Pan and Small steelbands will be held tomorrow at the Queen's Park Savannah, from noon. On Sunday, at the same venue and time, it will be the turn for medium and large orchestras to face the judges.
Competition is expected to be keen and fierce in each category, especially among the large bands, especially with eight past national champions among the 15 semi-finalists.
This year, its rivals will also be making a determined effort to deny defending champion Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove from achieving a hattrick, a feat that is rare in the competition. In fact, since 1963, only one steel orchestra—Renegades—has ever secured a hattrick of victories in the National Panorama competition.
Sunday’s show, branded as Savannah Party, is also expected to be a music feast as just two bands are playing the same selection, also a rare occurence in Panorama in the large band category. They are Tobago’s RBTT Redemption Sound Setters and NGC La Brea Nightingales who are playing De Fosto’s Pan on de Road.
This category has always had bands playing the same tune of choice, especially in the 1975 final when seven of the eight finalists played the same selection—Kitchener's Tribute to Spree Simon.
Come Sunday, expect to hear some of the sweetest melodies composed in any category of calypso this year. Falling into this ranking are De Puna Band, composed by Pelham Goddard, recorded by Farmer Nappy, and played by Republic Band Exodus; Robert Greenidge’s Pan Hoo Ray, recorded by SuperBlue, and performed by Witco Desperadoes; and, Len “Boogsie” Sharpe’s Happiness, recorded by Olatunji, and performed by Phase II.
It would be interesting to hear how some arrangers and musicians cope with compositions that contain a number of chord changes, like Shanaqua’s Outta de Box, to be played by Harmonites, with arrangement by Seion Gomez, and Clive Telemaque’s Unquestionable, sung by Sheldon Reid, and to be played by Massy Trinidad All Stars.Sunday also promises to be a showcase of the best pan arrangers in the land as they pit their skill against each other. Among them are previous winning national competition arrangers Leon “Smooth” Edwards, Goddard, Greenidge and Sharpe, while 11 have never copped a national title.
http://www.guardian.co.tt/entertainment/2015-01-29/sweet-pan-play-savannah-party
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