A daring arrangement of More Love, composed and arranged by Len "Boogsie" Sharpe and vocalised by Black Stalin (Dr Leroy Calliste), earned Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove its sixth National Panorama title and $1 million first prize at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, on Saturday night.
When the announcement of the result among the large conventional bands came after 3 am yesterday, Phase II had scored 283 points to relegate defending champion Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra to second place for its rendition of Clive Telemaque's Bounce and Drive, arranged by Leon "Smooth" Edwards. All Stars totalled 278 points and won $700,000.
Phase II, one of the most discussed bands in the pan fraternity, created history in 1987 by becoming the first unsponsored steelband to win a Panorama competition, as well as the first band to do so performing its own tune, Feeling Nice, sung by Denyse Plummer.
Third place, with a score of 275 points and a prize of $650,000, went to Bp Renegades for its rendition of Duvone Stewart's arrangement of Shock Attack, composed by Edwin Pouchet and Alvin Daniell. Republic Bank Exodus, with 271 points, placed fourth and earned $600,000 for offering the late Maestro's (Cecil Hume) Gold, arranged by Pelham Goddard.
Junior Sammy Group Skiffle, with 270 points, claimed fifth spot and $550,000 for its rendition of Supna–The Dream, arranged by Ray Holman. There was a tie for sixth position between Witco Desperadoes and CAL Invaders, with both orchestras scoring 268 points. Despers played Hammer Time, composed by Kenneth Charles and Alvin Daniell and arranged by Robert Greenidge. Invaders' contribution was Dat Is Lie, composed and arranged by Arddin Herbert.
Former two-time champion PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars and NLCB Fonclaire tied for eighth position with 267 points each. Silver Stars played Shock Attack, arranged by Edwin Pouchet, while Fonclaire offered Addicted, composed and arranged by Ken "Professor" Philmore. Tobago's RBC Redemption Sound Setters scored 259 points to place tenth for its interpretation of More Than An Oil Drum, composed by Don Clarke and Gregory Ballantyne, and arranged by Winston Gordon and Michael Toby.
In the medium band category, Tobago orchestras won first and third positions.NLCB Buccooneers scored 279 points for the win and $600,000 prize playing Gold arranged by Sieon Gomez, while Petrotrin Katzenjammers scored 275 points for third place and $500,000 prize doing Keshorn D Javelin Champion, arranged by "Boogsie" Sharpe. Second place and $550,000 prize went to Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille for "Professor's" arrangement of Long Time, composed and sung by the late Arrow (Alphonsus Cassell).
Other placings in the medium band category were as follows:
4th: Curepe Scherzando–We Come Out To Play
5th: Pan Elders–We Come Out To Play
6th: NGC Couva Joylanders–Band From Space
7th: Valley Harps–More Love, and Steel Xplosion–Tell Dem
9th: Carib Dixieland–Shock Attack
10th: Arima Angel Harps–We Come Out To Play.