Grenada - June 28, 2007 - One of
Grenada's most outstanding pannists and arranger Michael "Boose"
Cyrus is planning to draw the curtains on his Panorama career
when he does his last arrangement for Corinthians in this year's
panorama competition. Doing a song aptly named "Farewell to
Pan", Cyrus will bid farewell after being involved with the
steelpan over the last 40 years.
Cyrus began his steelpan career as a toddler
on a Coke Box with Angel Harps and was the youngest member of
the band when they recorded their first album in 1973 "Brighter
out of Darkness". It was also around this time (1973/1974) that
he became the senior arranger for Angel Harps Steel Orchestra,
taking on the responsibility after people like Lester Boyke and
Arthur Coard had migrated from Grenada.
Cyrus made his panorama arranger debut in
1978 placing second with Kitchener's "Pan in the 21st Century"
and Sparrow's "Natasha". This was the period when bands still
played two selections for panorama. His next appearance at
panorama was in 1983 when he again placed second with an
arrangement of "Rebecca". He won his first panorama in 1984 with
"Tourist Elsie" a Kitchener composition that was jointly
arranged by James Clarkson. Cyrus also served as a captain for
the Harps during the eighties.
His willingness to assist other bands saw him
associated with the newly formed City Newtones in the early
eighties as arranger and in recent times with Corinthians Steel
Orchestra of St. Davids, also as an arranger.