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New York,
USA -
The grand
event known
as
“Panorama”
commences on
its
traditional
date - the
last
Saturday
before Labor
Day. Part
show, part
theater and
part musical
competition
- “panorama”
is, and
remains, a
critical
part of the
cultural
fabric of
the
Caribbean
carnival
experience
of New York.
There is
nothing just
like
panorama -
the
enormity,
the
spectacle,
the raw
emotions and
the sheer
investment
of human
will and
drive.
Back in the
late 80’s,
this writer
invited a
college
colleague,
Jessie N.
from
Columbia
University
to
experience a
New York
panorama.
“How is it
possible
that I’ve
never heard
about this -
how could
something of
this
magnitude be
happening in
this city
without
anyone
knowing?” he
would say
after
experiencing
his first
Panorama,
where on
that night
no less than
ten steel
orchestras,
each
fielding
sometimes
over one
hundred
musicians,
took the
stage
battling for
musical
supremacy.
This
Columbia
math major
and musician
was totally
blown away
by his
experience.
In the age
of “reality”
everything,
few can rank
with the
annual New
York
panorama -
demanding
huge
investments
in talent,
time, work
and passion.
This year,
thousands
will once
again
descend on
the Brooklyn
Museum
grounds to
experience
this musical
phenomenon.
Long before
the intense
musical
rivals (some
so for over
30 years and
now,
literally
spanning
generations)
confront
each other
in musical
warfare that
night; there
is a ton of
critical
details that
must be put
in place.
Indeed, the
preparation
begins in
earnest from
Spring.
CASYM
practices
for 2009
Panorama
Housing
The
acquisition
of adequate
practice
space is
paramount to
the fortunes
of any
organization
wishing to
have a
chance of
triumphing
in panorama.
Unfortunately
practice
space
remains one
of the
greatest
challenges
the steel
orchestras
must face in
New York.
The
requirements
of a large
steel
orchestra -
upwards of
100 players,
are at
direct odds
with the
shrinking
landscape of
available
land for
panyards.
Bands do not
actually own
their
panyards. In
fact it is
not uncommon
for bands to
go late into
July or
early August
still trying
to secure a
yard. CASYM
Steel
Orchestra
(long-time
affiliate of
NY Daily
News) was
faced with
this very
dilemma this
year.
Once the
panyard is
secured, it
must be
prepared as
musicians
will remain
almost glued
to the yard
for hours at
a time. The
yard will
become home
away from
home. And
some of the
fondest and
most
cherished
memories of
the pan
players will
take place
there.
Beginning
with the
first week
of July, New
York
steelbands
begin a
‘round
robin’ of
sorts of
“band
launches.”
The launch -
in addition
to providing
the
musicians
with
performance
opportunities,
allows the
community to
see their
bands
perform next
to the other
bands. It is
in some
sense a
‘sizing up’
of the
competition.
For some of
the
excitable
out-of-town
visitors,
like Mildred
who has
Panamanian
and Jamaican
roots, it is
a
springboard
of rhythmic
delight:
“The rhythms
are so
great! I
can’t wait
to hear the
steelbands
in
competition,
and also for
J’Ouvert!”
exclaimed
Mildred as
she took in
the music at
a recent
band launch
- while
dancing
around.
Bringing out
a steel
orchestra
for panorama
is an
extremely
expensive
feat - costs
sometimes
run far
upwards of
sixty
thousand
dollars - so
in this
regard the
launches are
critical to
the
orchestras’
raising
financial
support from
the
community.
The top
prize has
been around
fifteen to
twenty
thousand
dollars for
the last
couple of
years.
But to bring
a band about
the size of
this year’s
defending
champions
Sonatas
Steel
Orchestra -
one hundred
musicians -
to the
panorama
stage
annually,
costs more
than twice
the amount
of last
year’s first
prize. Says
Macauly
Scott,
president of
Sonatas,
about the
first prize:
“It is a
waste of
time, it is
a big joke!”
Scott
continues,
“You are
putting out
about twice
that amount
coming to
panorama
[sometimes
more than
fifty
thousand],
and that is
only
if
you win, you
get that
first prize.
Sonatas
practices
for 2009
Panorama
So why
compete for
a prize that
could be
less than
half what it
cost to
compete?
“You cannot
tell your
young
players that
they are not
going to
Panorama!”
Scott
exclaims in
resignation.
So every
year, mainly
because of
the passion
of his young
players for
Panorama,
and also for
the
continuity
of the
steelpan
culture and
art form, Macauly
Scott
undergoes
the
seemingly
illogical
rite of
“panorama
competition”
year after
year. And so
do several
other band
leaders and
their
orchestras.
And what
about if
someone
wants to
enter the
competition
for the
first time,
start-up and
present a
band of one
hundred
players?
Scott laughs
cynically,
saying
“You’d
better have
a
millionaire
backing
you!”
After
all, the
initial
outlay of
about one
hundred
fifty
thousand
dollars for
instruments
alone can be
a
conservative
estimate…
In recent
years, there
has been an
influx in
students and
players from
other
countries,
states and
colleges
joining NY
bands to
experience
the panorama
event.
Sonatas
Steel
Orchestra
has a
growing
contingent
of music
majors from
Oberlin
College
making this
yearly trek.
Panorama
provides
them the
opportunity
to be part
of the
performing
music
experience
outside of
the
classroom,
and that -
at its
highest
level - by
steelpan’s
originators
and
practitioners.
The Tune
The song
picked to
play is next
in
importance
to
delivering a
command
performance
on the
night. The
song must
not only be
embraced by
the band,
but it must
jell with
the attitude
and
personality
of the
orchestra.
There is
a host of
tunes
written for
this year’s
panorama;
“Pan
Army”
and “Battle
Zone”
are among
this year’s
favorites.
The
Arranger
The single
most
important
individual
in a
panorama
venture is
the
arranger. It
is him each
band
entrusts to
put together
a musical
story that
will woo the
judges as
they execute
and fulfill
the judging
criteria to
a point. A
most
sought-after
position,
that of
arranger is
one coveted
and highly
acclaimed.
New York
panorama has
fielded some
of the best
in the
world. The
current
champion
arranger is
Yohan
Popwell
of Sonatas.
Other greats
include the
late
legendary
Clive
Bradley and
bonafide
superstar
Len
“Boogsie”
Sharpe.
The Tuner
He, the
tuner, is
entrusted
with
preparing
and tuning
massive
numbers of
instruments
(hundreds of
drums) in
readiness
for
panorama. He
is the
‘sound’ of
the
orchestra.
Many a time
one only
needs to
listen, to
know which
tuner has
touched the
pans of an
orchestra.
Such is the
case, for
example,
when people
say they are
listening to
“Birch pans”
referring to
one of the
world’s
finest
tuners,
Bertram
“Birch”
Kelman,
who not only
tunes the
instruments
of current
champions
Sonatas, but
also
manufactures
them. This
is a
momentous
task, and
can only be
accomplished
by a select
few in the
world;
Roland
Harrigin is
also one
such. The
tuner holds
an esteemed
position
within the
steelpan
fraternity.
New York has
a rich and
vibrant
history with
the steelpan
instrument
beginning
with
Rudy King,
the man who
brought the
steelpan to
America. The
panorama
experience
is now
cross-generational,
encompassing
full family
units and
all
nationalities,
speaking
best to the
“melting
pot”
mystique.
Sonatas,
Pantonic,
CASYM and
ADLIB have
been the
champions
over the
last five
years, and
are examples
of best
practitioners
in the
artform.
Their
management
teams are
led by
Macauly
Scott,
Glenda
Gamory,
Williams
Jones and
Franklin
Mayers,
respectively.
 Look for the
2010
Panorama to
be as
engaging and
spirited as
ever in its
almost
forty-year
history. The
line-up is
expected to
include
ADLIB,
Boston
Metro, CASYM,
D’Radoes,
Dem Stars,
Despers USA,
Harmony, Pan
Sonatas,
Pantonic and
Sesame
Flyers steel
orchestras.
Complete
info on the
2010 New
York
Panorama
is available
here.
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