T&T
Steelband Panorama Excitement Looms Large
By
William Doyle-Marshall
Panorama
2016 is heating up the atmosphere in the twin island republic of Trinidad and
Tobago. Finalists have been selected by panels of judges and anxiety is quite
high touching the sky. Citizens in the country as visiting family members and
friends are already there for the big occasion. President of Pan Trinbago Keith
Diaz admits recession is taking its toll on the festival attendance but without
having final figures on hand he could not be very specific. Well, as everything
else, life goes on.
After almost seventeen hours of keen music
rivalry, the finalists were announced in the wee hours of Monday morning, Pan
Trinbago announced earlier this week. Ten bands from each category will compete
in two Grand Finals (Single & Small) at Skinner Park, San Fernando on
Thursday February 4th, and the Medium & Large Conventional Bands
at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on Saturday February 6th,
respectively. Fifty-one steel orchestras, including fourteen from Tobago
performed their tunes of choice before three (3) individual panels of judges in
order to be selected.
The
big question many have asked over the years: Why is Panorama such a big thing?
As one who has been exposed to this cultural happening from quite young, I
consider this event as the showcase for the country’s talented musicians and
arrangers. Yes members of the steelbands are drilled like soldiers to show up
at competition venues and perform admirably. Impressing the judges is the
principal objective. In addition supporters are fed with material to return
home with bragging rights. “Yuh hear sweet pan? Dat is pan in yuh tail. Take
dat!” These are only a few comments that braggarts use following their
favourite steelband’s performance at Panorama. Some of the very colourful
expressions cannot be used in this column.
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| photo from Pan Trinbago archive: 2014 Panorama festival |
Now that deejays have taken over the sound
on carnival days steelbands have lost their glory of the past. If you are old
enough to recall when two bands would meet on the street and try to outplay the
other. Those encounters provided the percussionists (iron man or woman) to
exhibit dexterity on their instruments and the stronger one would survive. But
at Panorama, patrons are treated to the work of creative geniuses. Arrangers
would take a composition and work it to the point that the listener would sit
or stand in awe and applaud spontaneously as the musicians on stage executed
their work.
It is almost impossible to sit quietly
during Panorama at the Queen’s Park Savannah especially if you have a genuine
interest in music. After weeks of preparation; many nights of very little
sleep, working and re-working segments of arrangements then coming up with the
final serving for the judges on that particular night, you get to hear what
many believe is the finished work of art. But given another chance arrangers
return home and re-work the piece again. A young journalist in Toronto decided
two years ago she wanted to learn to play the instrument. She joined Pan
Fantasy and was troubled with the arranger’s demand that she should attend
rehearsal every night. After explaining to her that arranging a composition can
be compared with writing an article. You write and re-write until you hand it
in to your editor. Given some more time you are likely to make further changes.
It is the same experience arrangers have, I told her. At that point she got the
message and stopped worrying about having to attend rehearsal every night.
With this at the center of my mind, I am
troubled at the sub-standard of broadcast I have been experiencing at this
year’s semi-finals and even the last two years. Alvin Daniel, a respectable
composer and other broadcast personnel have been showing up to competitions
unprepared to do their work. A broadcast (radio or television) is serious
business. And the person holding the title for that time ought to be in control
of his topic. Viewers and listeners are interested in knowing about the
performers onstage. Where did they prepare for this big day or night; did
members of the orchestra make sacrifices to be where they had arrived for this
contest. Well, this calls for research. A haphazard interview with the arranger
on the night in question is insufficient.
The judges are the ones to decide whether an
arranger’s selection was worthy of being in the competition. Fortunately they
do not listen to these unprepared broadcasters in order to decide. I am
referring particularly to Andy Narrell’s tribute to Raf Robertson, an outstanding and passionate musician, who died recently. Keep your
opinion to yourself Mr. Daniel and prepare for a proper broadcast with facts
and figures and real questions not taking up precious time with talking about
yourself.
There was a time when steelbands waited on
calypso compositions of the year in question to prepare for Panorama. But it is
commendable that is no longer the practice. The mix of selections prove there
is no such thing as an old song. In my experience nationals of Trinidad and
Tobago are quite tolerant and appreciative of the hard work which our artists
undergo to provide us with creative material.
With changing attitudes the appearance of
events featuring other types of musical experiences is refreshing. Music lovers
now visiting the country for the carnival may well take advantage of these
happenings. For instance the Groovy Soca Steelpan competition and pan mass
takes place February 8; Pan on the Road Mas and Las Lap is on February 9 and
Champs of Steel at the Queen’s Park Savannah February 13
January 30 2016
