Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Lather, rinse, repeat - a different year, different song, sometimes the same arranger, but energized and captivating presentations and performances of popular soca tracks. That about sums up the 2018 Junior National and Schools Panorama, featuring some of the brightest, young, up-and-coming steel orchestras in the country. Venue and date were the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on Sunday February 4.
In the Non-Schools/Elite grouping, champs Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra left a vivid music performance stamp yet again. They took the title for a fifth consecutive time, playing Sokah by popular young composer and performing artist Nailah Blackman. And the music organization held on to their harmonious relationship with arranger Andrew Charles - who has been at the musical helm for each of their five championships - 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and this year, 2018.
The best of the bands in the Primary Schools and Secondary Schools were the title-defenders in each respective category - St. Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School Steel Orchestra, and St. Francois Girls’ College Steel Orchestra.
So - music lovers, proud parents and family members, schools’ communities, pan lovers, and the senior/adult steel orchestras who lend their equipment for practice and competition - can generally be counted on to be there in support of this national, junior steelband music endeavor year after year. According to the press release for the finals event, 2018 is its 43rd anniversary.
So where is the data protocol - i.e. the comprehensive packet of information on these bright and talented future stars? Reflecting the full names of arrangers (with tunes of choice, and more - in each of the three categories - not just one or two); each school’s musical bio especially as it relates to the steelband art form, and academic history; the back story of the partnerships between respective communities and orchestras? Is this type of data a state secret?
at the 2018 Junior National Panorama at the Queen’s Park Savannah
Who nixes an opportunity to showcase the brilliance of their youth in a positive light? As “Voice” so elegantly chronicled for all time in his 2018 masterpiece Year For Love - What are they fighting for? In other words, where is the documentation and promotion of what the players/schools put forth year after year? Where are the searchable online archives of performances, where is the broadcasting of this annual competition? Where is the “good” that these, the young people of Trinidad and Tobago are doing - the story of their musical deeds?
And - that leaves the most beleaguered and sad part of the entire event. For the finals, the young musicians and their orchestras are ready for “prime time.” They bring their “A” game to the stage. But on a year-to-year basis - in the 21st century, - and in the so-called “home” of Pan, these fine players cannot know for sure, if the finals will be broadcast on local TV, or even streamed online so friends, and proud family members who cannot make it to the Savannah, can point out their musical “Minnie Mes” as they smartly take the stage and play their hearts out. Each year it is a “hit or miss” - scenario. And guess which one played out [or not] for 2018? We’ll simply leave a visual social media post we found on the issue as a damning indictment of everyone from the top down in the country’s government, and “the world governing body for pan” - as they say: “shit rolls down hill”.....
So - participants and supporters in general - take a bow. The rest of the parties responsible for “presenting,” marketing, et al......
Click the following links for the results in the other categories, as they become available:
Single Pan | Small | Medium | Large | Results Summary
2018 Junior Panorama Results | |||
PRIMARY SCHOOLS | |||
Placing/ Points |
Band | Selection | Arranger |
1st 278 |
St. Margaret’s Boys’ Anglican School | “Good Morning” | ???? |
2nd 272 |
Tacarigua Presbyterian Primary School (Tac Pres Treble Makers) | “Full Extreme” | ???? |
3rd 271 |
Guaico Presbyterian Primary | “Toco Band” | Kayle Noel |
3rd 271 |
St. Mary’s Government | “Free Up” |
Aquil Arrindell |
5th 270 |
St. Paul’s Boys’ Anglican | “Poom Poom” | ???? |
6th 268 |
Point Fortin AC Starz | “Full Of Vibe” | ???? |
7th 263.5 |
Malabar RC | “Hulk” | ???? |
8th 262 |
Bien Venue Presbyterian School | “Dis Feeling Nice” | ???? |
9th 262 |
Fifth Company Rising Stars | “Buss Head” |
Aquil Arrindell |
10th 254 |
Rosary Boys RC | “Far From Finished” | ???? |
11th 247 |
Couva Anglican | “Good Morning” | ???? |
12th 244 |
Carenage Boys’ Government Primary School | “Full Extreme” | ???? |
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SECONDARY SCHOOLS | |||
Placing/ Points |
Band | Selection | Arranger |
1st 283 |
St. Francois Girls’ College Steel Orchestra | “Pan Break” | ???? |
2nd 268.5 |
Naparima Girls High & Naparima College | “Fallin’” | ???? |
3rd 264 |
St. Joseph’s Convent, St. Joseph | “Free Up” |
Anders Kappel Øvre |
4th 262 |
Providence Girls/QRC Steel Orchestra | “Far From Finished” |
A. Eric Mc Allister |
5th 260 |
South East Port-of-Spain Secondary School Steel Orchestra | “Buss Head” | ???? |
6th 255 |
Trinity College Moka | “Year For Love” | ???? |
7th 246 |
East Mucurapo Secondary | “Free Up” | ???? |
8th 244 |
Bishop Anstey & Trinity College East (B.A.T.C.E) Steel Orchestra | “Kings & Queens” |
Aviel Scanterbury |
9th 234 |
Goodwood Secondary School Steel Orchestra | “This Melody Sweet” | ???? |
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Non-School (Elite) Class | |||
Placing/ Points |
Band | Selection/ Performer |
Arranger |
1st 285 |
Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra | “Sokah” | Andrew Charles |
2nd 274 |
Desperadoes Youth Steel Orchestra | “Buss Head” | Roseford Coutain |
3rd 269 |
Trinidad All Stars Youth | “(ITF) Inside The Festival” | Kygel Benjamin |
4th 268 |
Tropical Angel Harps Youth | “Chutney Bacchanal” | Curtis Jones |
5th 265 |
St. Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando (SJC)/Blue Steel Combined | “Band From Space” | Jonathan Achaiba |
6th 262 |
Success Stars Pan Sounds | “Bonnie & Clyde” | Brenton Joseph |
7th 261 |
Invaders Youth Steel Orchestra | “Year For Love” |
Members of Invaders Youth Steel Orchestra |
8th 256 |
Supernovas Youth | “Sokah” |
Tristan Brewington-Japsi |
9th 253 |
St. Margaret’s Youth Steel Orchestra | “Kings & Queens” | Shaquille Noel |
10th 250 |
Starlift Juniors | “(ITF) Inside The Festival” | Roesha Edwards |
11th 248 |
Skiffle Steel Youth Orchestra | “Good Morning” | Kevan Calliste |
12th 226 |
Harmonites Juniors | “Hello” | Cylan Franklin |
13th 220 |
Old Tech Youth Steel Orchestra | “Sweet Fuh Days” | ??? Joseph |
14th 219 |
Laventille Road Police Youth Club | “Full Of Vibe” | Damien “Baddes” Nobles ??? |
15th 179 |
West Stars Youth/Diego North Combined | “Hello” |
Rodney Stowe |
at the 2018 Junior National Panorama at the Queen’s Park Savannah
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