Global - On the night when major music occurrences were happening at the 2010 Grammys in Los Angeles, and singing, performing sensation Beyoncé set a new record for the coveted award - simultaneously, equally powerful musical tremors that were felt all across the steelband music - world took place.  The headlines said “Beyoncé wins 6 Grammys - a women’s record” and in the steelband world the headlines said “Exodus - fails to make steelband 2010 panorama finals.”

Leading the pack into the finals is Phase II Pan Groove with the legendary arranger Len “Boogsie” Sharpe at the helm.  They are followed by last year’s champions Silver Stars, and Skiffle Bunch from southern Trinidad rounds out the top three positions going into the final phase.

Exodus (pictured) is one of the world’s elite steelband music performing franchises.  What made the exclusion of Exodus from the 2010 Panorama finals so stunning is that, Exodus - in addition to being an expected “sure shot” for the finals - has had a virtual lock on the top spots over the past two decades.  When Steel Talks’ observation of the steelband fans over Facebook and the When Steel Talks network forum, during and after the competition, reflected an extremely stunned internet listening and viewing audience based on their comments.
 

In the medium conventional category  the top three groups going into the finals are Steel Xplosion, Valley Harps and Buccooneers respectively.  Steel Xplosion and Buccooneers hail from the sister isle of Tobago, while Trinidad’s  Petit Valley-based Valley Harps is directed by arranger Michelle Huggins-Watts.  And coming out of the semi-finals in the small conventional category Laventille Serenaders,  Merrytones and Crescendoes Musicale are the top placing performers respectively.

The musical bonanza chock full of almost seventeen hours of music performances began on Sunday morning with Trinidad and Tobago’s national anthem at 8:33 EST (Eastern Standard Time), with the final band in the large category - Tropical Angel Harps - striking their last notes at 1:03 a.m. EST on Monday.  Results for the competition were released shortly thereafter.

Ten (10) steel orchestras in each category will move to the next and final phase in two separate Final competitions.

click for full semi final results

Global Pan Community responds to Semi-Final results - have your say!