Trinidad - When Steel Talks got hold of Leon 'Smooth' Edwards, veteran arranger for Trinidad All Stars at the band's panyard on Duke Street, Port-of-Spain.  It was early in the afternoon, and before the beginning of another night of regimented yet enjoyable session of musical excellence, aka 'practice, practice, practice.'  His is a positive outlook.  "Things going beautiful, things going beautiful  - everyone is in high spirits...We have to pace ourselves because it's still about five days before the big day."

Like all other panorama finalists, Smooth is still fine-tuning his arrangement and the band's execution.  "No bands sit on their laurels regardless of how high they place in the semi-finals...they're always seeking ways of improvement."  The arranger last tasted victory along with his band back in 2002 playing De Fosto's Firestorm."  This year they are competing yet again with another De Fosto selection, Pan Lamentation, a popular choice among the bands.  He says that it [a championship] is long overdue, and like the seven other finalists, the Hell Yard residents are pulling out all the stops to win next Saturday's panorama championship.

But while things may be under control in the Trinidad All Stars camp, that is not the perception that the veteran arranger has of the status of arrangements related to the Panorama competition itself.  "To be honest, I am still of the belief that the finals will be in Queen's Park Savannah."  Asked why, Smooth brought up several reasons, not least of which is the fact the Grand Stand itself remains standing, and is yet to be demolished.  He went on "Up to now, we don't know what the prize money is; we're not sure of the means of transportation, [down to San Fernando and back], and we're not sure how our instruments are coming back up [to Port-of-Spain] in time to play for our masqueraders.  That's my only concern.  Unless these people address these things ASAP, I think somebody going to be in for a lot of surprises,  or inconvenience, or something.  But something has gotta be done, or said as soon as possible...they haven't finalized, nobody sure...it isn't making any sense to me."

When Steel Talks explored the possibility that other bands who have to journey southward might be having the same concerns, to which Smooth responded "I don't know why the silence; I don't know why the other bands not kicking up about it, but I think it's time that somebody be man or woman enough, and say 'this is the situation."

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