Pan excellence from South’s 5 big bands

Soca stars Fay Ann Lyons-Alvarez and Baron (Timothy Watkins) delivered a memorable performance of their 2012 hit All Over at the T&TEC Angel Harps panyard during Panorama preliminary judging. Angel Harps is playing the song in this year’s competition. Players formed a conga line and danced their way in and around the pans and gave a superior performance of Clarrence Morris’ arrangement of the song before the judges just before 2 am yesterday. It was a fitting end to a night of pan excellence as the Panorama judges visited five big bands at their panyards in areas ranging from La Brea to Siparia, San Fernando and Chaguanas.

On Coffee Street, San Fernando, Junior Sammy Skiffle demonstrated real woman power with first-time arranger Shenelle Abraham and the entire front line occupied by young women. The young players responded with verve to Crazy’s instruction to Play Yourself, their 2012 tune of choice. New sponsor Junior Sammy appeared pleased after the band’s performance. Prior to that, at the corner of Fonrose and Claire Streets, San Fernando, Ken “Professor” Philmore, woke up the entire neighbourhood as Fonclaire played his superb arrangement of Destra’s Vibes.

Pan enthusiasts commented it was the first time since “Professor’s” classic arrangement of Pan By Storm, which southerners felt should have won the National Panorama title in 1990, that the band had sounded so sweet. The judges had to make their way through a large crowd of spectators who spilled over on the streets to hear their band play. They were not disappointed. After the performance, many said they felt as though they were at a Panorama finals. “It’s a storm all over,” one person remarked.

Commendable performances also came from Petrotrin Siparia Deltones and La Brea Nightingales. Deltones did a Winston “Shadow” Bailey’s composition, Naked Riddim, arranged by Carlton Zanda Alexander. Nightingales, the first band on the list, kept the judges waiting for almost one hour. However, when the band performed Action, composed and vocalised by SuperJigga TC, and arranged by Terrance BJ Marcelle, they were worth listening to.