The weekend's big cultural event is the staging of the first international Panorama competition at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain.The competition has been organised by a joint government ministerial committee, the International Conference & Panorama (ICP and Pan Trinbago).
A number of the facets of this event have me excited, including some of the selections bands have chosen and the synergy which has been forged between foreign and local participants. For instance, of the three top-placed bands in the large category of this year's National Panorama final–Massy Trinidad All Stars, Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, bp Renegades–none are playing the selection performed in 2015.
Reigning national champion All Stars is not playing its winning Unquestionable, but will attempt to create history with its 1987 tune de Mighty Trini's Curry Tabanca, described by many a Panorama purist as "the best winning song that didn't win a Panorama competition." In fact, the 1987 Panorama was won by Phase II playing This Feelin' Nice, followed by Renegades and Witco Desperadoes.
The fierce rivalry between All Stars and Phase II will continue on Sunday with the Woodbrook steelband and its arranger Len "Boogsie" Sharpe taking the fight to the Duke Street band and its arranger Leon "Smooth" Edwards. Phase II will not play Happiness, its 2015 selection, which placed a close second to All Stars. Instead Phase II will play Woman on the Bass, the Scrunter calypso which won All Stars the national title in 1980.
Renegades too isn't playing its 2015 selection Jam Dem Hard but will instead vie with Duvonne Stewart's arrangement of Machel Montano's Like ah Boss.Large band 2015 runners-up Republic Bank Exodus (Puna Band) and PCS Nitrogen (Edwin's Legacy) are sticking with their selections of this year.
Sunday's competition is expected to produce a cornucopia of sweet pan music, especially with the overseas bands choosing some unique selections.
I am curious to hear how Yoshihiro Harada will arrange Dance of Phoenix for Japan's Panorama Steel Orchestra, and Amrit Samaroo's arrangement of Aunty Pam for Pantime of St Lucia. Aldric Benjamin's arrangement of Pan Revival for St Martin's Gunslingers Steel Orchestra ought to be also interesting, as well as the arrangement of Lead Pipe and Saddis' Ah Feelin' ah Feelin' by Brooklyn Steel.
One of the positives to enhance the International Panorama is local steel orchestras opening their "homes" (panyards) to the visitors and making them feel welcome. Aside from allowing the visitors to practice in their panyards, the local pan musicians have also been taking their guests around and many of them were seen at last Sunday's Laventille Emancipation Steelband Festival & Parade.
Plans to have an eastern steelband play host to the Brooklyn Steel Orchestra fell through and at short notice Junia Regrello made the Skiffle Steel panyard on Coffee Street, San Fernando available.Pan Trinbago Allan "Pablo" Augustus and his musicians at Valley Harps in Petit Valley have taken the members of England's Ebony Steelband under their wings.
Nestor Sullivan and Pamberi have done likewise for the members of Calypsociation of France.
Other bands which have made their panyards available to our overseas musicians include Couva Joylanders (Pan Fantasy, Canada); Sforzata (Salah's Steelpan Academy, Quebec, Canada); Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille (UWI Panoridim, Jamaica); Pandemonium (Panorama Steel, Japan); Melodians (Pantime, St Lucia); Southern Marines (Gunslingers, St Martin); Arima Angel Harps (Starlift, St Vincent & the Grenadines); White Oak Starlift (Pan Coalition, Maine, USA); and, Sangre Grande Cordettes (Mosaic, Virginia, USA).
Aside from bragging rights going to whoever wins the competition, there's also a first prize of US$250,000.Before Sunday's battle royale in the Savannah, Single Pan bands will be allowed their time to shine when Paving the Way street parade and competition are held in Port-of-Spain on Saturday, at 3 pm.
French steelband Association
In a timely fashion with the staging of the ICP, a French Federation of Steelbands � Steelband en France � has been formed. France has steelbands since several decades now. They were first adopted in the French West Indian community (from Martinique and Guadeloupe), and are more widely spread since the 90s. However, beside a mailing list gathering most of the players (215 members), France never had any kind of formal organisation.
Stimulated by the need of an official representation at the international level, a group of French pan folk have decided to create a federation. Steelband en France Association held its founding meeting in Arcueil on May 17 and it was officially registered the July 25. Arcueil is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 5.3 km (3.3 mi) from the centre of Paris.
An Association spokesperson said this week: "It is made up of a federation of associations and structures dedicated to the development and promotion of the pan and Trinidad and Tobago music."
Association secretary Dr Aur�lie Helmlinger is representing Steelband en France at the ICP. The web site address for Steelband in France is : https://sites.google.com/site/steelbandsenfrance/
The board of directors and founding members of Steelband en France are:
Arc en ciel ( Les allum�s du bidon ), represented by Jean Duval
Calyps'Atlantic, represented by Mokhtar El Mokhtari
Calypsud, represented by Laura Trouchaud
Calypsociation, represented by Paloma Bertrand
D.n'roy / La Philharmonie, represented by Xavier Mertian
Kaducia, represented by Alain Rouaud
Ramajay steelband, represented by Aur�lie Helmlinger
Pan � Paname, represented by Guillaume Kervel
Pan n co, represented by B�reng�re Rortais
So'calypso, represented by Fanny Broueilh
Steelband en France � Directors:
President : Mokhtar el Mokhtari
Vice president : B�reng�re Rortais
Treasurer : Guillaume Kervel
Assistant treasurer : Jean Duval
Secretary : Aur�lie Helmlinger
Assistant secretary : Paloma Bertrand.
International Panorama � selections and arrangers:
Foreign bands:
Brooklyn Steel (New York, USA) � Ah Feelin' ah Feelin' (Odie Gonzales, Kendall Williams, Marc Brooks)
Calypsociation (France) � Prophet of Pan (Matthieu Borgne & Laurent Lalsingue)
Ebony (England) � Ah Feelin' ah Feelin' (Duvonne Stewart)
Gunslingers (St Martin) � Pan Revival (Aldric Benjamin)
Mosaic (Virginia, USA) � Pan in a Rage (Jit Samaroo)
Pan Coalition (Maine, USA) � Outta de Box (Nigel Chase)
Pan Fantasy (Ontario, Canada) � Lucy (Al "Allos" Foster)
Panorama Steel (Japan) � Dance of Phoenix (Yoshihiro Harada)
Pantime (St Lucia) � Aunty Pam (Amrit Samaroo)
Salah's Steelpan Academy (Quebec, Canada) � Outta de Box (Salah Wilson)
UWI Panoridim (Jamaica) � Pan Commandments (Orane Shaw)
Starlift (St Vincent & the Grenadines)
T&T:
Massy Trinidad All Stars � Curry Tabanca (Leon "Smooth" Edwards)
Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove � Woman on de Bass (Len "Boogsie" Sharpe)
bp Renegades � Like ah Boss (Duvonne Stewart)
PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars � Edwin's Legacy (Liam Teague)
Arima Golden Symphony � Ah Feelin ah Feelin' (Terrance "BJ" Marcelle)
Curepe Scherzando � Bassman (Yohan Popwell)
NGC Steel Xplosion � Thunder (Arddin Herbert)
NLCB Buccooneers � Gold Remake (Seion Gomez)
Pan Elders � Party Time Again (Duvonne Stewart)
Super Novas � Dr Samaroo (Amrit Samaroo)
T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps � Pan for Beethoven (Clarence Morris)
Pan Sunday in Laventille
The memory of late pan icon Julian "Vice" Cudjoe was celebrated in song, dance and steelband music on Sunday when the Laventille Steelband Festival Foundation (LSFF) staged its 17th annual Emancipation Steelband Festival & Pan Parade along Eastern Main Road.
The event was dedicated to Cudjoe, a co-founder/and vice-chairman of the LSFF, a member of Witco Desperadoes and a producer of the biennial 8 of Hearts pan concert. Cultural homage was paid by Malick Folk Performers, Wasafoli and North West Laventille. Also preceding the pan parade were Claxton Bay Tamboo Bamboo Band; 11-year-old singer Tyrell Toby and Relator.
As he has done in previous years, former president Max Richards, accompanied by his wife Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards enjoyed the cultural prelude to the parade of 30 steelbands from the VIP Box. They were accompanied by National Security Minister Carl Alfonso and his wife Lesley; Community Development director Susan Corbett; San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation chairman Anthony Roberts; Justice Malcolm Holdip and his wife Dianne; Emancipation Support Committee directors Khafra and Asha Kambon and Eintou Pearl Springer. Guests were made to feel at home by LSFF chairman Michael Cooper and members of his executive committee including secretary Carol De Roche, Sandra Awai, Wayne Jordan and George Duncan.
Like last year, Sunday's theme of the parade was Give Peace a Chance and the pan musicians and several of the spectators wore white attire.
Among the steelbands to thrill the hundreds witnessing the parade along Eastern Main Road were T&T Defence Force, Pan Elders, St James Tripolians, Melodians, Desperadoes, White Oak Starlift, CAL Invaders, TnT Music Stars, Laventille Serenaders, Old Tech and and Brimblers.
Live steelband action continues tomorrow when Pan Trinbago Inc and the International Conference & Panorama stage Paving the Way, a Single Pan competition from Victoria Square to the Queen's Park Savannah.