Videos

Modern panorama music is all glitz, speedy runs ,great panmanship and complex arrangements.But they are like fast food ; filling at the moment , but lacking the satisfaction you get from a good home cooked meal.A classic panorama performance , on the other hand is like a good , home cooked Trini meal. It "sticks to your ribs" as the saying goes, and the enjoyment remains even after the meal has been digested.Similarly , these classic arrangements remain stuck in the memory forever, unlike today's "fast food" arrangements , which are quickly forgotten.This Desperadoes performance is one such classic.Panorama Final night in 1984 was a night of a number of memorable steelband performances, and WITCO Desperadoes placed fourth with this arrangement of Winsford Devine's composition "The Jammer" as performed by calypsonian Baron.This performance by Desperadoes Steel Orchestra is a classic Clive Bradley arrangement that brings out the true Desperadoes sound and musical attitude.I thought that Bradley deliberately chose a tempo and rhythm with this arrangement to convey the impression of a musical jam, which may or may not have gotten across to the judges, but all in all I think it was an outstanding performance , in spite of the fact that I've heard that Despers encountered some problems on stage.You may also at time 6:23 catch a glimpse of the band's legendary former leader , the late Rudolph Charles.From Panorama Finals Night 1984 , live from the Queens Park Savannah in Trinidad , here is WITCO Desperadoes Steel Orchestra and Clive Bradley's arrangement of "The Jammer"