Champions Desperadoes topped the semi-final of the National Panorama Large Bands category last Sunday at the ‘Big Yard’, Queen’s Park Savannah. Despers played Good Morning, arranged by Carlton ‘Zanda’ Alexander, scoring 282 points.
Massy Trinidad All Stars placed second with Full Extreme, arranged by Leon ‘Smooth’ Edwards. The band scored 281 points in front of around 200 dedicated pan lovers at 3.25am on Monday morning, after about 18 hours of pan. BP Renegades played Good Morning, arranged by Duvonne Stewart, and placed third. The band scored 276.5 points.
All Stars is the horse to beat on form, especially on finals night. The Duke Street players are ramaging extremely well, and champs Despers, leading by only one point, have something to prove. Despers has a wicked key change, and talk in town is that All Stars are coming with tassa in the final on Carnival Saturday night.
PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars played We Are Conquerors, arranged by Liam Teague, and placed fourth. The band scored 276 points to a standing ovation from the North Stand. Republic Bank Exodus placed fifth with Good Morning, arranged by Pelham Goddard and Terrence ‘BJ’ Marcelle; the band scored 273 points. They started very well, but then went into slow motion in verse and chorus.
T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps played Single arranged by Clarence Morris, placing sixth. The band scored 272.5, and surprised pan lovers from the introduction all the way to the end. After placing fourth in the prelims, Phase II Pan Groove placed seventh at the semis playing Red, White & Black, arranged by Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe. The band scored 272 points. Boogsie has to improve the tone of the pans, and there needs to be an introduction for the song.
Pan Elders Steel Orchestra and arranger Duvone Stewart are going for four straight wins in the Medium Bands category. The San Fernando steelband topped the semi-final in that category, playing Roti and Talkarie and scoring 269 points. Placing second was Curepe Scherzando; they played Stranger, and scored 260 points.
NLCB Valley Harps and NLCB Buccooneers tied for third, scoring 259 points. Valley Harps played Total Disorder, arranged by Michelle Huggins-Watts. NLCB Buccooneers, with arranger Sieon Gomez, played Rhythm Run Ting and was fiery from the start. The arrangement from Gomez is good, but the band is 10 points off Pan Elders and it may be necessary for them to play faster in the finals. For the past three years Pan Elders has led from start to finish.
Katzenjammers played Good Morning, arranged by Terrence ‘BJ’ Marshall. They scored 258 points to tie for fifth position with Melodians, who played Umb Ba Ya, arranged by Amrit Samaroo and Marlon White. They lost marks again by playing too fast in the first key change – a little more phrasing at practice is therefore needed from ‘BJ.
Steel Xplosion and Sound Specialists tied for seventh, scoring 257 points. Steel Xplosion played Wet Mih Down, arranged by Arddin Herbert; Sound Specialists played Dangerous, arranged by Rudo Forteau.
In the Small Band category, LH Pan Groove played In De Minor, and scored 274 points to lead Our Boys by two points. Fascinators tied for third with Fusion Steel, scoring 271 points. Fascinators played Unforgettable, and Fusion Steel played Magic Drum. In fifth was Tobago Pan-Thers; the band played Cheers To Life, scoring 270 points.
LARGE CONVENTIONAL BANDS
(The first 10 bands go through to the finals)
1. Desperadoes Good Morning (282)
2. Massy Trinidad All Stars Full Extreme (281)
3. BP Renegades Good Morning (276.5)
4. PCS Nitrogen Silver Stars We Are Conquerors (276)
5. Republic Bank Exodus Good Morning (273)
6. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps Single (272.5)
7. Phase II Pan Groove in assoc with HADCO Red, White & Black (272)
8. CAL Invaders Full Extreme (271)
9. FCB Supernovas Rumble In The Jungle (270)
10. MTHL Starlift Good Morning (266)
10. Skiffle Good Morning (266)
12. NLCB Fonclaire Panorama Soldier (264)
13. Birdsong Pan Kingdom (259)
13. La Brea Nightingales We Are Conquerors (259)
MEDIUM CONVENTIONAL BANDS
(The first 10 bands go through to the finals)
1. Pan Elders Roti And Talkarie (269)
2. Curepe Scherzando Stranger (260)
3. NLCB Valley Harps Total Disorder (259)
3. NLCB Buccooneers Rhythm Run Ting (259)
5. Melodians Umb Ba Ya (258)
5. Petrotrin Katzenjammers Good Morning (258)
7. Pan Demonium Cheers To Life (257)
7. COURTS Sound Specialists of Laventille Dangerous (257)
7. NGC Steel Xplosion Wet Mih Down (257)
10. NGC Couva Joylanders Band of The Year (256)
11. Western Stars Philarmonics Stranger (254)
12. Arima Angel Harps Far From Finished (253)
12. Sforzata Ducking (253)
14. Pamberi Gee Gee Ree (251)
