‘Breakthrough’

Roderick “Chuck” Gordon has dropped the ‘Y’ from his name. The double National Calypso Monarch winner playfully says he’s not questioning anything anymore in his career and so had no further use for the ‘Y’ in his famous sobriquet.  Gordon wrote himself into calypso history at the 2015 Dimanche Gras by becoming only the sixth calypsonian to win back-to-back titles in nearly a century.

In 2014 he became the second youngest winner of the National Calypso Monarch competition, repeating the feat in 2015 with a political commentary entitled “The Rose” and a patriotic call for national unity in “I Believe”.

His two national titles followed a string of consistent appearances in the finals of the National Calypso Monarch (four times) and International Groovy Soca Monarch (five times) competitions.

In 2012 Chuck won his first title, the Lord Brynner Independence Calypso Monarch competition.

The Red Boyz-produced “Take Me Home” formed the title track for his 2015 European tour through six cities including: Aalborg, Copenhagen, Oslo, Amsterdam, Paris and London.

The Laventille-based artist has also consistently contributed music to his country’s national instrument, the Steelpan, with his 2008 calypso “Thunder Coming” being voted Pan Song of the Year after dominating the Panorama competition.

Chuck has also traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean diaspora this year participating in Carnivals across North America. He was also recently nominated in the Best New Male Artist category at the International Soca Awards in New York. He will tour extensively in 2016.

 

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Supernovas Steel Orchestra is moving from the small to large band category for Panorama 2016, a monumental task for any band to achieve unsponsored. Supernovas is not only seeking to break through in a new category, but also looking to cause musical ruction among the majors with its song composed and written specifically for the band, called Breakthrough.

Mark Loquan, who composed Dr. Samaroo (performed by Supernovas for Panorama 2015), completed most of the melody by May 2015. “The idea, musically, was to have a verse in a minor key, going to a chorus in a major key to give that explosive effect of a supernova or that burst of energy and contrast. This has not been common in songs composed for Panorama so it should enable the band to make a statement” says Mark. Amrit placed his own stamp on the music inserting changes in the melody, and writing the lyrics. "The story speaks of the trials, triumphs and ambition of Supernovas, giving the listeners an introduction to the little band that can." The band Supernovas hails from Surrey Village, in Lopinot, home of the cultural icon, Dr. Jit Samaroo, Amrit’s legendary father, and where the entire community fully supports the band.

This is not the first time Mark and Amrit have collaborated, as they have worked together to produce Brazilian Flagwoman back in 2009.

Chuck Gordon, two-time Calypso Monarch, injects Breakthrough with life, capturing the spirit of the song, with the musical production done by Junior “Ibo” Joseph.

The band, Supernovas, captured its audience with its precise and rich interpretation of Dr. Samaroo for the first International Panorama held in Trinidad in August 2015, sounding in the vein of Jit himself, by placing 2^nd in a field of bands performing from all over the world. It is no doubt, the band is seeking to find its place in history.

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Amrit Samaroo - Panist, Arranger, Composer, Steelband Leader, Educator

Born 2^nd July 1982, Amrit Samaroo has always been inspired by the work of his father, Dr. Jit Samaroo. During his formative years he played the tenor pan and won first place at the San Fest and School’s Music Festival in 1992 and 1999 respectively. Amrit holds an Associate Degree in Performing Arts from COSTAATT (The College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago), and Bachelor of Arts in Musical Arts from the University of the West Indies. He was the first winner of the Music Literacy Trust Fund Scholarship.

Although he enjoyed success as a panist, his passion was arranging. He has written his name in the chronicles of pan arrangers in Trinidad and Tobago by taking the BP Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra to winner’s row in the National Junior Panorama Competition in their first three years (2002 to 2004) and to the runner-up position from 2005 to 2007. He continued to win other junior competitions with St. Augustine Girls’ High School Steel Orchestra.

In the senior competition, Amrit has taken bands such as Lee Chong's Pan Glow, Trinidad Nostalgic, Melodians, and BP Renegades (2008 and 2009), to the National Panorama finals. He continues to arrange music for Renegades in competitions like the "Pan is Beautiful Steelband Festival" and the "Pan Jazz Challenge".

Amrit, along with his cousin Anthony Samaroo and other residents of Surrey Village in Arouca, formed the Supernovas Steel Orchestra in 2010. With Amrit as leader/arranger Supernovas placed second on debut in the small band category of the 2012 National Panorama. This was followed with third place in 2013. In 2014 Supernovas won this division of the competition.

Internationally, Amrit has arranged for the Pantime Steel Orchestra in St. Lucia since 2005. They have consistently placed in the top three of St. Lucia's National Panorama and won in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In the 2014 New York Panorama, the Long Island-based ADLIB Steel Orchestra, placed second on Amrit's debut as their arranger.

Amrit has also composed memorable “made-for-pan” calypsoes such as Brazilian Flagwoman, T.K.O. and the popular Band from Space.

As an educator, Amrit has conducted workshops in pan-playing techniques and arranging at the Pan New England Steel Band Festival (2008); and Panorama Arranging at the PANorama Steel Band Festival (2011) and PANfest (2015) in Virginia Beach.

Amrit is currently a player and a staff arranger of the Trinidad and Tobago National Steel Symphony Orchestra performing for world leaders and royalty, including Prince Charles of the United Kingdom, King Juan Carlos of Spain and the United States President Barack Obama.

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2016 represents the 17^th year, Mark Loquan is composing for Panorama.  Mark is also the Musical Director of the first steelband in Western Australia, Perth Pandemix which started in early 2013, and placed 3^rd in the 2^nd Australian Steelpan Festival held in Brisbane (Sep 2015).  He has produced/co-produced works such as Passion for Pan album (2000), and the pioneering products of Pan In Education (2004), and Pan in Education 2 (2011).

Mark has produced several popular songs for Panorama, which have been performed in Trinidad, and across the globe in main pan events as well as in schools and universities.  Starting with songs like Glory, Passion for Pan, Fire and Steel, Identity, Frenzy, Colours Again, he has also collaborated musically with Amrit Samaroo, Edwin Pouchet, Ken “Professor” Philmore, Andy Shaefe and Seion Gomez, to produce songs like Outta De Box, Celebration Time, Hooked, Dangerous, Surrender, Calling Meh, and Vibes. At the first International Panorama held in Trinidad in August 2015, Supernovas placed 2^nd with his composition, Dr. Samaroo.  He has also worked with a multitude of singers, writers, and performers and has enjoyed long term collaborations with Denyse Plummer and Destra Garcia over his musical journey.

Mark has also put forward two other songs for Panorama 2016, Soca Have Dem So and Bass on Fire, the latter in collaboration with Seion Gomez.

 

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