My partner, Merrytones, noticed an interesting trend. This year whenever an arranger has more than one band to arrange for -- the band or bands are playing old tunes. Is this just a coincidence? I don't think so.
bugs
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deltones tune was 6 min at a slow tempo. he ent go get away with so.
There are more that enough new calypsoes every year. If Pan Trinbago decide to go back to the original format of tune of choice being from the current year, band leaders and players would find songs that the bands could use. To use an old song, in my mind, sets it up to being compared to an older arranged version and could not be fairly gauged. Some arrangers complain that the season too short to wait all that time to wait on a good song that is current. Long ago we use to learn 2 songs side by side for panorama until one is decided upon. And some people want to say that nowadays have better panmen that in times gone by. The nowadays panmen are exposed to a lot more opportunities and resources but no more talented than the older heads. If they are better, why are the bands not learning more songs at carnival time? you know what, Panorama is what killing steelband at carnival, not the DJ, not the brass bands.
Hello Yarbey, I believe a lack of panmen loyalty to a steelband kill their development to becoming great arrangers.
Most young arrangers don't know what to do. If you listen to the tunes that Ray, Boogsie and Smooth did at their very young age for example, were miles ahead that any of anything that young arrangers are capable of today.
If you keep hopping from band to band you get nowhere and can't tell or select a sweet tune for pan.
For about 4 or 5 years Edwin Pouchet has been has been composing original panorama tunes for his band Silver Stars and
Katzenjammers from Tobago which have mostly been in winners row in the medium class. Boogsie and Jit and a few others did at one time 3 bands. which caused the Pan body to restrict arrangers to one band in order to give young arrangers a chance.
Teddy Pinheiro
Moretimes "the best" does not work out that well for these bands... I've been seeing Boogsie, Smooth, Pelham to name a few, run out in these other catgories... yuh might as well get a "no name" and less expenditure to do that. There is something about de arranger "in de yard" with de band that creates the vibes in your band... if you are "sharing" an arranger and "sharing" most of your players then what kind of vibes you generating in your yard? My guess is de vibes go be sometime-ish....
Sometimes we need Quality and not Quantity. We as Humans always seeks the best. If the Steel bands want the Best arrangers then that's what they Pay for and that's what they should get. This is what Democracy is about. The Best Tuners gets the Most Work without any problem. We cannot water down our Music to accommodate those less talented.
I think any good arranger can arrange for two or more Bands easily. Its not so Complex. Arrangers like Boogsie - Bradley and others has successfully done it before, even having their bands in the Finals, Clive Bradley had the distinction off Placing 1st and 3rd in the finals off
1999. Its not too difficult. The Problem is Pantrinbago. They stifled the arrangers ability to arrange for numerous Bands. Its unfair to the arrangers. Tuners can tune for any numbers of bands with no problem. Why cant arrangers do the same?
?
In 1993, I think Jit arranged for eight bands (including Pan around the Neck) of which five made the semis and three the finals of which one won! Perhaps our stats man can verify this.
Valentine,
Although I have nothing against an arranger working with more than one band there is a down side, other good arrangers can't get work.
Do we really want to hear these arrangers more than once? When is the last time you heard a panorama arrangement that is destined to becoming an all-time classic? Even the young people don't listen to these arrangements after panorama. They are rediscovering and listening to the same old classics the veterans loved.
bugs
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