Pan strikes up this evening

Pan Trinbago Inc will begin the 2016 National Panorama competition this evening with competition for Single Pan bands of the Northern Region taking place at The Paddock, Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, from 6 pm. Twenty-nine steelbands are registered for the competition.

First out of the starting block is “new kid on the block” Newtown Playboys Steel Symphony with its rendition of Ronnie McIntosh’s On The Road, arranged by Seion Gomez.

Competitors in the main have chosen selections from the 90s such as Carnival Baby (Kitchener); Doh Rock It So (Winsford Devine); Don’t Stop This Party (Swallow); Rebecca (Blue Boy); The Will (Scrunter); Johnny (Colleen Ella); The Party Hot, Hot (Iwer George); Ra Ti Ray (Merchant); Marilyn – Ash Wednesday Jail (Chalkdust); and, Party Time (Bally).

Tickets are priced at $60. The action shifts to south of the border tomorrow when ten Single Pan bands will face the panel of adjudications when the South Central Region stages its preliminary competition at Skinner Park, San Fernando, from 8 pm. Admission is also $60. 

First on stage is Tiger Tanks Fyzabad 4th Dimension, led by Joseph Findley, and, for the competition the band has elected to play the SuperBlue composition, Get Something And Wave. New Age Trendsetters of Chaguanas will play in the final position with another SuperBlue selection, Wine on Something.

In addition to SuperBlue, other favourites include works from the repertoire of  Tambu with two plays, followed by Kitchener, Farmer Nappy, Swallow, Shadow, Machel Montano (2016) and Iwer (2016), with one each. Excitement and excellence can be expected on Sunday when the Eastern Region stages its preliminary at the Velodrome, Arima, from 5 pm.

Twenty-one bands will perform before the judges’ panel in a bid to secure places in the semi-final round which will be held in front Pan Trinbago Head Office, opposite Victoria Square, Park Street, Port-of-Spain, on January 22, in what is expected to be fierce competition which starts at 7 pm. The event is free to the public.

Steelbands’ selections range from traditional calypso, soca, oldies and goldies, power and groovy soca with compositions penned by Winsford Devine with the most plays, closely followed by Austin Lyons, aka SuperBlue. Caribbean artistes in Biggie Irie and Becket  also have songs in the mix. Defending champion San Juan East Side Symphony will play in position 13 and will once again be under the baton of maestro Duvonne Stewart with his arrangement of Tambu’s No No We Eh Going Home.

PRELIMINARIES 

Northern Region National Panorama preliminary—Single Pan
1. New Town Playboys Symphony—On De Road (Seion Gomez)
2. La Famille United—Ra Ti Ray 
(Carlton “Zanda” Alexander)
3. La Creole Pan Groove—We Can Make It If We Try  (Yohan Popwell)
4. Nuttin Big Pan Groove—Party Tim 
(Jamal Gibbs)
5. D’Untouchables Pan Groove—My House  
(Michael Jaggernauth)
6. Nostrand Symphony—Pop Ah Bottle 
(Clive Telemaque)
7. Belmont Hi Larks—Drunk & Disorderly 
(Brian “Bean” Griffith)
8. Woodbrook Playboyz—Free Up        
(Michelle Huggins-Watts)
9. City Sun Valley—Commess     
 (Dane Gulston)
10.Gonzales Sheikers—Like A Boss     
(Keisha Codrington)
11. Music Makers—Doh Rock It        
(Rikki Robley)
12. T&T Fire Services—Rebecca             
(Terrence “BJ” Marcelle)
13. Ice Water Pan Ensemble—Carnival Baby          
(Eric Allister)
14. Uni Stars—The Jammer         
(Kareem Brown)
15. St. James Tripolians—Pan Round De Neck       
(Nigel Diaz)
16. Nayal Hill S.O.M.—Too Sweet  
(Hanif Goodridge)
17. Trinidad Freelancers    —Marilyn-Ash Wednesday Jail  (Committee)
18. Sea Lots One Love—Drunk & Disorderly  
(Ian Baird)
19. Word Wide
20. All Aces—Doh Back Back  (Curtis Edwards)
21. Blanca 47
22. Spree Simon Harmonics—Barbara (Cilon Franklyn)
23. Harlem Syncopators—The Will (Kevin Williams)
24. Scrunters Pan Groove—Johnny 
(Alexis “Lecky” Hope)
25. TnT Defence Force DS/Orchestra—Don’t Stop This Party (Sheldon Peters)
26. Stardust—Nah do Dat (Jason “Peanuts” Isaac)
27. Belmont City Kids
28. D’Original W/brook Modernaires—In The Road     (Ankoina “Bobby” Paul)
29. Brimblers—The Party Hot Hot
(Tevin “Sparky” Shockness)