Trinidad - In what has to be considered one of the most major moves in recent panorama history, Exodus Steel Orchestra took the stage in the preliminary, semi final, and ultimately final rounds of the panorama competition without their standard covering canopies.  Exodus is considered by many to be one of the top five steel orchestras in the world. 

Trinidad - The legendary Desperadoes Steel Orchestra descended from the hills of Laventille to put on one of the more memorable performances in recent times at the 2008 steelband music Panorama championship arena.  Their tune of choice was “The Ten Commandments of Pan” by New York-based arranger/composer/performing artist Jason ‘Peanut’ Issacs, co-written with wife Ingrid de Peiza.

Under the musical direction of noted arranger, the world-renowned Robert Greenidge with the assistance of Beverly Griffith, Desperadoes delivered a jaw-dropping and masterful work - it was indeed a special interpretation and performance.  Greenidge had pulled out all stops, especially for the final phase of competition.  His arrangement merited comparison with that of the magnificent musical themes of the classic Hollywood movie epics.

United Kingdom - Ryanair has been ordered to pay nearly £5,000 (approx. USD $9,863.00) to five black musicians, including a blind man, who were asked to leave a flight at gunpoint after another traveller wrongly expressed concern that they were terrorists.

The budget airline was criticized by a judge for its treatment of the members of Caribbean Steel International, a London-based steel band, after they were escorted off a Ryanair service from Sardinia to Stansted airport by armed police on New Year's Eve in 2006.

District Judge Roger Southcombe said the airline also made claims that were "false and misleading" in a statement it made to the media about the incident.

Antigua - The Antigua Grammar School (AGS) Steel Orchestra was yesterday presented with a $2,000 cheque to assist in securing up-to-date instruments.

The AGS, the current Schools Panorama Competition title holder, received the donation from the Antigua & Barbuda Steel Pan Association (ABSPA).

President of the association Anthony Hampson indicated at the school’s morning assembly that while he was extremely impressed with the level of performance displayed by the youngsters, it was their dexterity at showcasing the art form with what was quite visibly mediocre equipment that left a lasting impression.
 

Trinidad - CONGRATULATIONS are in order for Phase II Pan Groove, the Woodbrook steelband giant which put another lien on the coveted national Panorama title. In doing so, its leader, arranger and musical inspiration Len "Boogsie" Sharpe did extremely well to outrun last year's champions, Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars.

The men and women from the famed "Hellyard", long since having set up camp at the junction where George Street runs into Duke Street in east Port of Spain, had led the pack from the preliminary stage, and after the semi-finals.

It took mostly the genius of "Boogsie's" talent and his determination, along with the focus and dedication of the pannists under his charge, to come from behind and end up one point ahead of the "Stars" on final night in Skinner Park.
 

Antigua - Governor-General Dame Louise Lake-Tack yesterday formally pinned eight citizens with their national medals of honour for their various contributions to the country’s development.

Among the awardees at the brief ceremony was Aubrey “Lacu” Samuel, who was awarded an Officer of the Most Precious Order of Princely Heritage for services as a steel pannist and arranger. In speaking to the Antigua Sun, Samuel conveyed his immense gratitude to have been awarded such an accolade.

“It’s good to be able to receive an award when you’re still doing what it is that you do, and at least it motivates you more. I think getting the award you feel appreciated; you feel like you’re doing something that somebody recognises … so you can never give up.”
 

Trinidad - PAN TRINBAGO President Patrick Arnold said the call for foreign judges to adjudicate the panorama competition, will be discussed after Carnival.

Following Phase II Pan Groove’s victory at the panorama finals on Saturday night, the band’s leader and arranger, Len “Boogsie” Sharpe made a plea for “foreign judges to be hired for future panorama competitions because local judges are not active musicians.”

Sharpe’s counterpart, Ken “Professor” Philmore who arranged for medium category winners Courts Sound Specialists, also echoed the same sentiments saying, “it would take out the biases judges exude at panorama.” Yesterday Arnold said he was open to the idea.

“It is nothing new because we used foreign judges for the world steelband festival. However, we would have to meet with all stakeholders before a decision is made. We can’t just do something because “Boogsie” Sharpe or “Professor” Philmore say so or a few people say do it. I am open to the idea but discussions must be held first,” Arnold said.
 

Indiana, USA - This story begins, like a teen flick from the 1980s, during band class.

Yes, band. That bastion for the middle school music geek, where talent is allowed to flourish – free from irony – among squawking clarinets and sheet music. And where an adolescent with a flair for rhythm first learns the inevitable result of combining a black T-shirt with a set of drum sticks. (Yes. We’re talking about groupies here.)

But the more than a dozen students who gather inside the Kekionga Middle School band room every day around 1:45 p.m. aren’t just band students. They are the future of the local music scene, a group of adolescents pounding out tunes by Santana and The Ramones on a bright blue set of steel drums.
 

Trinidad - UNLIKE last year, the staging of this year's National Panorama Finals at Skinner Park in San Fernando was fraught with problems.

The inclement weather forced a 70-minute delay to the start of the competition, which was scheduled to begin at 5 .m.

When the show did get underway at around 6.10 p.m. with the NLCB Buccooneers playing Destra Garcia's "Hooked" in the Medium Band category, it was announced prior to their performance that the DJ, as a result of a "mix up", did not have a recording of their song of choice. Loud "boos" emanated from the audience.

An announcement at around 6.25 p.m. by MC Jemma Jordan revealed that the DJ who had the recordings had just arrived, and that his excuse was that he was unsure about the starting time for the competition. There were more "boos". 

Trinidad - Pan Trinbago president Patrick Arnold yesterday again made a call for proper facilities for arts and culture to avoid the embarrassments suffered by bands every year at Panorama.

On Saturday evening, inclement weather, electrical glitches, soggy grounds, judges seated in rain, wet chairs, poor ramping system threatened to mar the National Panorama finals at Skinner Park, San Fernando.

Arnold argued that such problems will always exist once a cultural centre is not in place to protect patrons and pan against the elements such as the what happened on Saturday .

Trinidad - COURTS SOUND Specialists of Laventille “Hooked” the stage at Skinner Park, emerging victorious in the medium bands category of the Panorama Finals for the second consecutive year, walking away with the grand prize of $600,000.

The band’s leader, Wayne Scipio, said that it is now celebration time.

Scipio said: “We feel just great to be the champions and would continue to celebrate. We were confident that we would win.”

Trinidad - IT WAS sweet “Musical Vengeance” for arranger Len “Boogsie” Sharpe on Saturday night when his band Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove triumphed over rivals Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars by one point at the Panorama Final at Skinner Park, San Fernando. The band will receive $1 million as its prize.

The Woodbrook band amassed 481 points with a winning performance of “Musical Vengeance” written by Gregory “GB” Ballantyne, arranged by “Boogsie” a

Trinidad - Champion arrangers Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and Ken “Professor” Philmore yesterday called for foreign judges to be hired for future Panorama competitions.

Sharpe, who snatched a one-point victory from rival Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars at the large band Panorama Final in San Fernando on Saturday night, said local judges no longer had the musical expertise to evaluate steelbands and it is time for Pan Trinbago to bring in foreign musicologists.

Trinidad - ONE point was all it took for Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove to prevent 2007 Panorama champions Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars from scoring a double win and walking away with the $1 million prize at Skinner Park, San Fernando, yesterday morning.

It was a case of sweet revenge for the Woodbrook-based band, whose hopes of pulling off a hat-trick last year were stymied by All Stars who had clinched the title then by two points.

Playing "Musical Vengeance" composed by Gregory "GB" Ballantyne and arranged by Len "Boogsie" Sharpe, Petrotrin Phase II had emerged as one of the favourites having tied with All Stars for first place in the preliminary round.

Trinidad - With a score of 481 points, Phase II Pan Groove recaptured the steelband music panorama championship from Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra, the 2007 champions in the large band/steel orchestra category. The Woodbrook-based steel orchestra turned the tables on All Stars, who had dethroned Phase II (2006 champs) last year.

Trinidad All Stars took second place with 480 points, with their customary and renowned arranger Leon 'Smooth' Edwards again at the helm. Phase II played a Len "Boogsie" Sharpe composition "Musical Vengeance". The music standout also arranged the music for the orchestra. The competition was held in south Trinidad in Skinner Park in the city of San Fernando for the second year running.

Trinidad - Studies have shown that the use of music in the classroom can make the entire learning process more enjoyable and can stimulate "right" brain learning. Lorna Green, the Executive Director/Founder of the Cultural Academy for Excellence (CAfE) based in Maryland, agrees. But instead of the piano, violins or recorders being used at the CAfE, they use pan as their instrument of choice.

Trinidadian born US-based Green is currently in Trinidad for Carnival and, of course, for Panorama. "Every year I try to come down to be a part of Panorama because of what I do, my involvement in the steel drums in Maryland."

Trinidad - There has not been any song and dance about it but tonight Trinidad and Tobago will host the 45th anniversary of the Panorama finals, the indigenous musical competition involving a new 20th-century instrument that has made many not only here and elsewhere sit up and take notice if, that is, they are not tapping their feet or, indeed, dancing up a storm.

One wonders why the anniversary has not been widely heralded. It just may be that sticklers for accuracy will argue that tonight's is not the 45th but the 44th since the competition was aborted at the preliminary stage in 1979 in the wake of a steelband boycott. Others, however, will argue that while Panorama '79 did not proceed to a final determination, Panorama did take place, with bands appearing before the judges up to the stage of the semi-finals, the absence of a final stage depriving Kitchener's "Symphony in G" from being ranked as one of the greatest "pan tunes" of all time.

Trinidad - LH Pan Groove proved to be the undisputed Single Pan Band Champion for the fourth consecutive year to take home the first prize of $180,000.00. 

Trinidad - Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars leads the way into tomorrow's final of the National Panorama Championship, which comes off at Skinner Park, San Fernando, from 5 p.m.

It will take the stage second in the line-up of eight finalists in the Large Band category.

Kicking off the night's competition will be Arima Angel Harps, playing "Latin On The Court" in the Medium Band category. Leading the standings here is Courts Sound Specialists with their rendition of "Hooked".

BP Renegades will be the first Large Band to face the judges playing "Thunder Coming", while the Witco Desperadoes will bring the curtain down with the "Ten Commandments Of Pan".

Trinidad - For the second consecutive year, pan lovers will be converging on Skinner’s Park, San Fernando, tomorrow for the National Panorama finals.

The venue, which was upgraded to the tune of $1 million last year to host the event, will be filled with music from the top steelbands from across the country as they compete for one of the season’s most coveted titles.

Among the large bands that will be making the trip to tomorrow are reigning Panorama champions, Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars, Phase II Pan Groove, Sagicor Exodus, Silver Stars, WITCO Desperadoes, bp Renegades, RBTT Redemption Sound Setters, and Tropical Angel Harps.

Trinidad - Not unnaturally, I suppose, I have been thinking a lot of my late friend, Terry Joseph, to the point where I can barely bear being at the Carnival events that he used to frequent, his long frame loping along so that you could spot him at a distance, wisecracking with a laugh or infuriating with some argument the logic of which escaped you such as when he first put it to me that Pan Trinbago should accept "old tunes'' in the Panorama competition.

Well, he got the better of me there because while I haven't been minded to attend any of the shows we both used to frequent (although never together for the very good reason that neither of us, when it came to carousing, could tell the other "tun back'') his influence on Carnival reaching me on the radio, so many of the bands playing the "old tunes'' in the new format that he had persuaded Pan Trinbago to adopt.