2016 Panorama Festival in Trinidad

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 4^th, and the Medium & Large Conventional Bands at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, on Saturday February 6^th, 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.

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