St. George’s, Grenada, W.I. - For the participants in the 2012 Grenada Bomb Tune competition, and those who had the good fortune to be there in person to experience it, the show was probably a good one, if 2011 and other past Bomb Tune competitions were anything to go by. The results for the top two bands remained the same, with New Dimension and Angel Harps steel orchestras retaining their hold on positions one and two, respectively. Angel Harps last won in 2010.
Pan Ossia, a “young” band on the Grenadian steelpan scene which started coming together three years ago, and first performed in public in 2010, made strong moves up the ladder to secure the third spot in this year’s musical contest. Incidentally, Pan Ossia’s arranger Robert Cadet, Sr. grew up playing both bass Pan and drums with Commancheros, the fourth-placed band in the competition. Pan Wizards which took the third spot in 2011 did not participate this year. Full results are below. With an allowance of a maximum thirty steel pan musicians, each orchestra took the stage with a time allotment of five minutes for their Bomb Tune. They also delved into previews of their respective 2012 Panorama selections, and an additional ‘tune of choice,’ making for a well-rounded music program throughout the evening.
Grenada’s 2012 Bomb Tune competition—which got underway about 6:40 p.m. with the first band Florida All Stars—was an interesting affair indeed, or more accurately, the apparent lack of media surrounding it was. Checking the online Grenada radio stations, three were in the throes of political fever as campaign rallies of respective political parties were being covered. However, for the steelband community and culture, the annual Bomb Tune competition—one of the marquis events on the country’s carnival calendar—seems not to have had any live broadcast associated with the event. Lamentably in this age of technology, and even with alternate forms of relatively simple broadcast mechanisms such as USTREAM et al, Pan music lovers not at the National Stadium in Grenada were presumably unable to experience this year’s competition ‘live.’
Angel Harps
Thanks to the diligence of steelband stalwart David Seales of Angel Harps Steel Orchestra, When Steel Talks received a heads-up as to when the show was underway, even as Seales saw to the responsibilities of his own band as they prepared to compete. Seales also stepped up and provided the results for this year’s competition.
Relative to the event itself, it is curious to note that an intensive search online tuned up no Grenada event website listing this event for its July 8th, 2012 occurrence. Instead, the few that did have information, such as GrenadaActivites.com and a listing of ‘Spicetivities,’ curiously reflected the show for June 30th, 2012.
With the Grenada 2012 Bomb Tune competition now complete, the annual national Panorama competition will be occupying the steel orchestras’ full attention. The Panorama comes off August 11th; that’s when Angel Harps take the stage to defend their Panorama championship title.
Placing | Score | Band | Selection / Performer | Arranger |
1st | 178 | New Dimension | Killing Me Softly / Robert Flack |
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2nd | 170 | Angel Harps | Symphony No. 5 / Beethoven | |
3rd | 161 | Pan Ossia | Bailamos / Enrique Iglesias | |
4th | 160 | Commancheros | Sonata in C Major / Mozart |
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5th | 155 | Rainbow City All Stars | Rhythm of the Night / DeBarge |
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6th | 111 | Florida All Stars | Bailamos / Enrique Iglesias |
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7th | 100 | Pan Lovers | Affairs of the Heart / Damian Marley |
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8th | 96 | Grand Roy Pan Angels | Sir Duke / Stevie Wonder |
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