The St Margaret's Youth and St Margaret's Boys AC Primary School Steel Orchestras emerged champions in their individual categories at the just-concluded Orlando Spring Music Festival, organised by USA Music Festival, and held at Universal Studios, Florida, on April 9.The competitive aspect of the festival was divided into two categories: elementary schools and open.
The St Margaret's Boys AC Primary School competed in the elementary schools category and won with its three selections: My Favourite Things, One Moment in Time, and Like A Boss. St Margaret's Youth won the Open category, playing five selections: a rock medley, Happy, a Michael Jackson medley, zouk and Ola.
At the end of the competition the St Margaret's contingent was declared the overall champion by taking home five trophies: first place in the two categories, Champion in Elementary Schools, Champion in the Open Category and The Most Supportive Group.The contingent–which left Trinidad on Monday, April 4–comprised 59 individuals, inclusive of musicians and chaperones.
Fifteen were players from St Margaret's Boys AC Primary School Steel Orchestra and 19 from the St Margaret's Youth Steel Orchestra.
They were the same young musicians who gave a stellar performance at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in Manhattan in June 2015, and received a standing ovation there, as well as at other performances at the Libertyville Science Centre and in Brooklyn.
The adjudicator commented on the excellent musicianship of the players and singled out the music from the guitar sections for special praise. He also complimented the aesthetically pleasing visual performances by the members that were enhanced with creative choreography.
Organisers said participation in the festival was possible because of the commitment and hard work of the musical director Shenelle Abraham, the foresight of the founder Rosemarie Abraham who introduced and keeps alive the Steelpan Music Programme in St Margaret's Boys' AC Primary School, and the manager of the St Margaret's Steel Orchestras, Kurt Abraham.
Chaperone Jemma Jordan offered thanks to Methanol Holdings T&T Ltd for its continued financial assistance; the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and The Arts; and Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL).
Steelband honours Ronnie McIntosh
Last Saturday's Diatonic Steel in Motion, held along High Street, Siparia, attracted such a mammoth crowd that organisers Diatonic Pan Institute and Siparia Regional Corporation may have to expand the parade route next year. Now in its sixth year, the event featured a competition exclusive for Single Pan steelbands, competing in four categories, namely Religious, Best Repertoire on the Road, Best Flagwaver and Best Ronnie McIntosh Selection.
This year, the competition was extended but the mammoth crowd still spilled off the pavement along High Street. Several patrons were overheard pledging to return for next year's competition especially for the ambience, good pan music and sense of security ensured by the protective services on duty.
The route employed this year required bands to assemble at the Daisy Voison Hub on SS Erin Road and proceed down High Street, dispersing at the corner of High and La Pastora Street.
McIntosh is the sixth popular calypso figure to whom tribute has been paid by the organisers by having a category named after them. The former International Soca Monarch and champion Carnival 2016 bandleader attended on Saturday and received a plaque from Diatonic Pan Institute president Keith Byer. Previous artistes to be honoured have been Crazy, Baron, Nelson, Calypso Rose and Iwer George.
In addition to the dozen single pan steelbands competing, there were also guest appearances by Petrotrin Deltones, San City, Southern Stars Philharmonic and Siparia Rhythm Section.
National Panorama 2016 Single Pan runner-up Trinidad East Side copped Saturday's overall title, ahead of Arima All Stars, Pan Stereonettes, San Juan All Stars and City Sun Valley. East Side won the two major categories– Religious and Best Repertoire on the road. At this year's National Panorama Single Pan final, East Side placed second to San Juan East Side Symphony, playing Carlon Harewood's arrangement of Duke's Total Disorder.
On Saturday, T&T Fire Services took home the first prize for Best Ronnie McIntosh Selection playing Ah Come Back Home while San Juan All Stars' Makeda Bishop won the Best Flag Waver title. In the Religious category, East Side's selection was Nobody's Greater Than You.
In other steelband news, qualifying games in the 2016 ComPANions Family Day continue this weekend at the panyards of bpTT Renegades and Republic Bank Exodus with the actual finale planned for Sunday, May 29. One of the day's highlights is the fun parade and this year's theme is Let's Go Up the Islands. Steebands have been given a list of 32 Caribbean and Latin American states to depict.
The Laventille Steelband Foundation has cancelled this year's 8 of Hearts Concert which was originally earmarked to showcase the steelbands of Laventille. However, Pan Trinbago Inc will hold its next installment of Pan in De Countryside on May 25 (eve of Corpus Christi) in Las Cuevas. There will be shuttle service to and from Pan Trinbago's headquarters at Victoria Square North, Park Street, Port-of-Spain.
Schools dance festival finale
The Secondary Schools Dance Festival is an annual festival that is hosted by the National Dance Association of T&T (NDA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The festival is in its eighth year and has recently concluded three days of preliminaries during the period of March 22-24. The final round of the competition is set to take place at 9 am on Friday, April 22 at the Rudranath Capildeo Learning Resource Centre, Couva.
Every year, presentations become increasingly fascinating and growth is seen in students who repeatedly enter the festival. While some of the festival's regular entrants were not present this year, the preliminary round proved to be an exciting foundation for what can be expected in the finals. This year also saw newcomers, Ste Madeleine Secondary, offering six impressive submissions for the judges' consideration.
"This festival is essential to the students because it is an opportunity for them to showcase their creativity and talent," said NDA PRO Kamille-Ann Lynch-Griffith.
For the finals, students will be judged in categories such as: 11-15 (age group) and 16-19 Solo Male and Female, 11-15 and 16- 19 Duet, Group Dance, Creative Freestyle and Compulsory Folk. The final of the festival also helps to celebrate National Dance Month, an initiative of the NDA to promote and foster dance awareness and dance development in T&T.
This year, the NDA will be hosting a series of dance workshops as well as Conversations with the Elders. The conversations are meant to facilitate dance pioneers passing on of their knowledge to the younger generation of dancers. These conversations will take place over the course of two Saturdays in April.
People interested in updates or additional information on the happenings in the dance community, as well as the events of National Dance Month, which leads up to International Dance Day on April 29, can "like" the NDA on Facebook.com/NDA.TT.ORG, or call the president of the NDA at 663-6404 or 490-7776.