Ebony – coming to retain their title of ‘Champions of Steel’
United Kingdom
- This year’s Notting Hill Panorama will be held on
Saturday 27th August 2011 at the
Horniman’s Pleasance, Kensal Road off Ladbroke Grove. The event is scheduled to be hosted between
3:00-7:30 p.m. The ‘Drag’ where the bands practice on Kensal Road before the competition, will be open from 1:00 p.m. Panorama is a focal point for all Carnival celebrations globally where top steel bands come together in a musical battle for supremacy.
The UK’s juggernaut steel band, Ebony, acclaimed to be Europe’s finest,
has won the UK Panorama nineteen times, placed second eight times and third twice, giving a grand total of twenty-nine (29)
[appearances] in a competition that is only 33 years old. What a fantastic achievement
- and they are also the only steel band in the world to achieve such high accolades in such a competition. They were also European Champions in 2000 and 2002. A world icon of the art form!
UK Panorama
CSI returns to the competition after staying away from last year’s event. Their last outing saw them attain third place when Panorama was held in Hyde Park. This year they return to play Brent Holder’s own composition,
Pan in the Panyard.’ Brent is the first UK-based Trinidadian to have his own composition played at this iconic competition. Paul Dowie and CSO continue their musical quest to achieve the Champions of Steel title with his rendition of Boogsie’s ‘Do
Something for Pan’. His band of young musicians continues to do him proud. Frank Rollock’s London All Stars will certainly be pulling out all the stops to ensure that they are in the winners’ row with their rendition of
Momentum. Mangrove’s association with
Andre White has seen them knocking on the door of success in this competition
- capturing second place in 2009 and 2010. Andre’s musically arranged rendition of ‘Is ah Trini’ will certainly be a strong contender for the coveted title. Last but not least is
RASPO who has employed the services of
Iman
Pascall. This is their second
appearance at this competition, and Pascall’s rendition of Destra’s ‘Calling Meh’ will see them combine their musical forces with the players from Aberdeen, Scotland in musical combat with the other competitors in this musical battle. No prisoners will be taken in this war when these magnificent steelbands clash on the night to reveal their musical supremacy.
The 2011 Panorama will see Horniman’s Pleasance, Kensal Road, West London turned into a musical inferno fuelled by the captivating steelband music on offer from the six top UK steelbands. Panorama takes place on
Saturday 27th August 2011 and is the precursor to the Notting Hill Carnival, where over 500 pan musicians from all over the UK who have practiced for hundreds of hours, will be playing thousands of instruments performing a piece of music, improvised and arranged to last for up to 10 minutes per band, to capture the prestigious title of ‘Champions of Steel’.
Order of
Appearance
BAND |
TUNE |
COMPOSER/SINGER |
Arranger |
RASPO |
Calling Meh |
Mark Loquan & Ken “Professor” Philmore / Destra Garcia |
Iman
Pascall |
Croydon Steel Orchestra |
Do Something for Pan |
Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe & Gregory Ballantyne / Sache Alexander |
Paul Dowie |
Mangrove Steel Band |
Is ah Trini |
Benjai |
Andre White |
CSI Steelband Trust |
Pan in De Panyard |
Brent ‘Antics’ Holder / Anslem Douglas | Brent Holder |
Ebony Steelband Trust |
It’s Showtime |
Edwin Pouchet & Alvin Daniel / Anslem Douglas | Earl Brooks |
London All Stars |
Momentum |
Don Clarke & Alvin Daniel / Chucky | Frank Rollock |
Panorama is the biggest showcase for steel pan music in London. The judges will once again be looking out for technical excellence, flair and showmanship. This year the UK’s top steel bands, each comprising of between 40 and 75 musicians will meet in musical battle to be crowned the ‘Champions of Steel 2011.’
Adjudicators
Judges on the evening will be
Anise ‘Halfers’ Hadeed,
Nestor Sullivan,
Ray Holman,
Robert
Bailey
and
Rudy ‘Two Lef’ Smith.
Please ensure you are present to witness the start of one of the greatest shows on earth, and if you can’t be present visit
www.panpodium.com for a written review, photographs and videos of the performances.
Location: Horniman’s Pleasance, Kensal Road off Ladbroke Grove, London W10.
Date: Saturday 27th August 2011
Time: 3:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (FREE)
Previous Winners of the Notting Hill ‘Champions of Steel’ Panorama
UK PANORAMA WINNERS
|
YEAR
|
1ST
|
2ND
|
3RD
|
2010
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Mangrove Steel Band
|
Real Steel
|
2009
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Mangrove Steel Band
|
CSI Steel Band/Real Steel
|
2008
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Real Steel Orchestra
|
Southside Harmonics
|
2007
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Stardust Steel Orchestra
|
Mangrove
|
2006
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Stardust Steel Orchestra
|
Southside Harmonics
|
2005
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Stardust Steel Orchestra
|
Southside Harmonics
|
2004
|
Mangrove Steel Band
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Glissando Steel Band
|
2003
|
Mangrove Steel Band
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Glissando Steel Band
|
2002
|
Mangrove/North Stars
|
|
Real Steel
|
2001
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Mangrove Steel Band
|
Metronomes
|
2000
|
Mangrove Steel Band
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Glissando Steel Band
|
1999
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Mangrove Steel Band
|
Glissando Steel Band
|
1998
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Southside
|
Eclipse
|
1997
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Glissando Steel Band
|
Eclipse
|
1996
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Eclipse
|
Mangrove
|
1995
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Pantonic
|
Lambeth Youth
|
1994
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Pantonic
|
Lambeth Youth
|
1993
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Metronomes
|
Mangrove
|
1992
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Mangrove/Metronomes
|
Pantonic
|
1991
|
Ebony Steel Band
|
Mangrove
|
London All Stars/North Stars
|
1990
|
Mangrove
|
Ebony
|
Metronomes
|
1989
|
Ebony
|
Mangrove
|
Metronomes (Issac Newton School)
|
1989
|
London All Stars
|
Stardust
|
Bromyard Centre
|
1988
|
Ebony
|
Metronomes
|
Mangrove
|
1987
|
Phase 1
|
London All Stars
|
Stardust
|
1986
|
Mangrove
|
Ebony
|
Stardust
|
1985
|
London All Stars
|
Mangrove
|
Ebony
|
1984
|
Metronomes
|
Ebony
|
Mangrove
|
1983
|
Ebony
|
Metronomes
|
Mangrove
|
1982
|
Metronomes
|
Ebony
|
London All Stars
|
1981
|
Mangrove/Metronomes
|
|
London All Stars
|
1980
|
London All Stars
|
Ebony
|
Metronomes
|
1979
|
Metronomes
|
Paddington Youth
|
Ebony
|
1978
|
Paddington Youth
|
Metronomes
|
Glissando
|
From the
news
desk of
Pan
Podium
Image by
Robbie
Joseph