New York 2024 Panorama Results - Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra and André White Take Championship

Click for championship performance

Brooklyn, New York, USA - On this night there would be only one - one champion steel orchestra, and one champion arranger. For the band now in its ninth year of existence, it is its first-ever New York Panorama triumph. Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra founded by Wayne Bernard finally took home the championship title, trophy and prize purse. And for the band’s champion arranger André White, winning is certainly in his ‘DNA’ (the tune he arranged for Pan Evolution) - having been a champion arranger multiple times in the years past, including just one week ago at the 2024 UK Panorama with Mangrove Steelband. But this success is exceptionally sweet, as André has been with Pan Evolution Steel Orchestra affectionately known as “PESO” since its inception in 2015, and this title is his first with the band. For founder Wayne and family - this achievement comes at a very special time.

Steel Sensation with arranger Tristan Japsi kicked off the competitive evening of sounds of steel just after 8:45 p.m., the first of eight steel orchestras to appear before judges Martin Albino, Wade Robinson, Jeff Smits, Kenrick Noel, Roger Sardinah and chief judge Ezra Joseph. The panel was assisted by time keeper Lauren Pierre, while Kern Sumerville was tasked with tabulating scores. Pan In Motion led by Dr. Kendall K. Williams was next on stage, and would go on to place fifth overall, at the same time receiving the ‘People’s Choice Award’ after amassing ten thousand digital votes. Both Pan In Motion and Steel Sensation are in their second year of Panorama participation.

Despers USA and Philadelphia Pan Stars Steel Orchestra performed in positions three and four, with the former going on to tie for sixth place with Steel Sensation. The latter, also known as Philly Pan Stars, has competed in the New York Panorama on several occasions. Celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2024, band members together with founder Rondell Pompey had even more to be happy about at the end of the night, notching their highest spot to date in the competition, third place. The band’s arranger was Roger Greenidge, who is also a veteran educator and performing artist in his own right. It was his first time arranging in the New York Panorama arena, and collaborating with Philadelphia Pan Stars. He is also the younger brother of champion arranger Robert Greenidge.

The halfway point in the Panorama came when band number five, four-time champs D’Radoes Steel Orchestra got going at 11:10 p.m. Carlton “Zanda” Alexander returned to arrange Olatunji’s Inventor for D’Radoes, one of three bands playing the song for Panorama. Title defender Metro Steel Orchestra followed in the wake of D’Radoes with an oldie but ‘goldie’ as tune of choice - Lorraine, by late legendary calypsonian “Explainer.” On the topic of legends, Rawlston Charles of Charlie’s Records and soca superstar Austin “Superblue” Lyons were also beckoned on stage by driller Dane Gulston during Metro’s performance.

One of the more captivating visuals was that of a very young panist who was so diminutive as to be barely visible behind a tenor, so small in stature was the budding musician, featuring in Harmony Music Makers. The smallest band of the night was managed by Michael Joseph who was also its arranger this year. Harmony always comes out highlighting several of the youngest players in pan, and was the penultimate band in the line-up, before what would turn out to be Pan Evolution’s championship performance.

In besting the seven other steel orchestras, the champions dethroned Metro Steel Orchestra. Results were ready around 1:37 a.m., less than half hour after Pan Evolution had closed off the competition having played in position eight. The jubilant steelpan musicians, some performing with the band since 2015, raced on stage to celebrate their first-ever New York Panorama triumph with that band, even as Pan Trinbago’s president Beverley Ramsey-Moore was presenting the trophy to the band’s management.

Promoter/organizer of this annual event, W.I.A.D.C.A. (West Indian American Day Carnival Association) once again was graced with the services of longtime emcee Jemma Jordan, who co-hosted along with veteran panist Sheldon Hoyte, one of the well-known members of New York’s steelband fraternity. It was Jordan who would announce that the 2023 champions, Metro Steel Orchestra, did not bring back the Pan Trinbago Challenge Trophy, which was theirs to keep for only one year. As a result, at the end of the competition, it could not be presented to Pan Evolution; however the 2024 champions did receive and go home with, their replica.

As is generally the norm at a New York Panorama, the prize monies won were not announced - but presumably the competing bands knew beforehand what prizes were at stake - in addition to the title and trophy.

The pool of players participating in the New York Panorama scene is shrinking, with a number playing in more than one band - a phenomenon also seen and experienced in the Trinidad and Tobago Panorama. The music still won out, with the players performing exuberantly whenever they took the stage.

The grounds of the Brooklyn Museum hosted all the steelband music lovers and supporters present, who came to life periodically for respective bands. They had their fill of live performances, enjoying the sweet steelband music of all the orchestras.

However such was not the case for those taking in the show online on YouTube or Facebook via the W.I.A.D.C.A. stream. ‘Delete,’ ‘erase’ and ‘vanish’ are all great descriptions for the remnants of that W.I.A.D.C.A./TTT Live Online New York 2024 Panorama stream, sourced apparently from the venue itself. For those people whose only access to the competition was via that specific streaming option, it was an epic embarrassing audio failure on every level. It was simply awful. The stream was deleted within minutes after results were announced. Luckily for steelband music fans, acceptable versions of the performances are now accessible courtesy CehTV (Caribbean Entertainment Hub TV), including one of Pan Evolution’s championship rendition - vastly superior to what was live streamed.

Following are the full results:

**  Order of Appearance in competition

• Click for New York Pan Yard locations
• Click for New York Panorama Results through the years

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