Trinidad & Tobago’s 2012 Junior National Panorama set for Sunday
Global - Forty bands will compete in the National Junior Panorama at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on Sunday 12th February 2012 from 8:30 a.m. The competition is staged by the Ministry of Education, Pan in the Classroom Unit, Pan in Schools Coordinating Unit and Pan Trinbago.
In last year's Junior National Panorama arena thirty-one steel bands had moved on to the 2011 Junior Panorama finals after the elimination rounds which initially fielded about forty-seven participants in competition for slots in the final phase. Playing The Original De Fosto's "A Raging Storm" arranged by Mickiel Gabriel, the very proud 2011 Junior Panorama champs in the Non-Schools category were Success Stars Pan Sounds from Laventille.
Unlike their adult counterparts, the performances of the winners and their fellow competitors—who took the stage on February 27 in the 2011 Junior Panorama—appeared under-reported in their own national media, in the country where the Steelpan is the ‘national instrument.’ To the immense chagrin and pained disappointment of all, especially the champion young steelpan musical aces from Laventille, press coverage appeared non-existent.
Arranger Mickiel Gabriel spoke of the sadness and hurt felt by his players when they questioned him the day after claiming the championship. "Is it because we're from Laventille the media didn't say anything thing about us winning after we work so hard?" Another player even went on to say "if someone had died in the school again we would of been on the front page of every news paper for the entire week, but we won junior panorama to uplift not just our school but the community of Laventille and there was little or nothing said by the media." Fellow band member Joenelle Callender wrote: "Very disappointed and saddened because as a member of Success Stars Pan Sounds, the newly [-crowned] champions of the non schools category, we were never noticed as the champions for 2011, and we find it very unfair and to be honest if it was another band I know that the next day their picture would have been published on the front page of some newspaper; people do not even know we won, and that's very sad but we know we are the champions."
This year, these talented young men and women from Laventille will be defending their title with their performance of Pan Victory, sung by their arranger Mickiel Gabriel and co-written with Gerelle “Gel” Forbes.
For this Sunday's event, the participating bands will be judged according to categories i.e. Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and Non-schools. The break-down is as follows: - Primary School (21), Secondary School (13) and Non-school (6).
Junior bands, like their senior counterparts, may select any selection once that composition has not been played by the band in a Panorama competition. Each participant shall perform for a maximum of six (6) minutes.
In addition to the competition, patrons will be entertained by some of the country’s popular recording artistes. Admission is free.
Click for list of participants, categories, their selections and order of appearance
Replies
All defending champions in each category of the junior panorama should be hi-lighted for recognition and BIG UPS. Support the juniors!!!!