November 2008 has been set aside for the staging
of “Pan Is Beautiful X1 – Trinidad & Tobago
National Steelband Music Festival.”
Produced by Pan Trinbago Inc., T.C., Pan Is
Beautiful XI will be held in phases throughout
the coming month starting with the Minor
Categories (soloists, duets, quartets) on
Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd November 2008 at
Trinidad & Tobago Bureau of Standards, Trincity
Industrial Estate, Macoya, while Ensembles and
Single Pan Bands will take place on Wednesday
26th and Thursday 27th November 2008
respectively at the St. James Amphitheatre,
Western Main Road, St. James.
Play off in the Orchestras category is scheduled
for Sunday 30th November 2008 at the
Jean Pierre Complex, Port of Spain, Trinidad.
At the close of registration in August, there
were 10 Soloists, four (4) Duets, six (6)
Quartets and eight (8) Ensembles. In the Single
Pan category there were nine (9) competitors
while eight (8) bands have signaled their intent
to compete in the Orchestra Class.
Bands registered for this (Orchestra) leg
include World Steelband Music Festival champion
Sagicor Exodus, four former National Panorama
winners i.e. bp Renegades, Petrotrin Siparia
Deltones, Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille
and CLICO Sforzata together with bmobile Our
Boys (Tobago) and Solo Pan Knights.
All competing bands are required to play two
selections, one being the mandatory test piece,
Sparrow’s “Document Pan”. “Rose” and “Education”
were selected for Single Pan Bands and Ensembles
respectively.
The Trinidad & Tobago National Steelband Music
Festival is a biennial event giving pannists an
opportunity to display the versatility of the
instrument.
From
the news desk of Angela Fox - Pan Trinbago