Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago - This year's steelband music panorama competition was dedicated to the late great Trinidadian musician Clive Bradley.  Mr. Bradley's arranging genius and musical accomplishments in the area of steelband music composition have been recognized and lauded all over the world for years.  He was the best of the best.  His ability to use the music of the Caribbean - particularly the calypso genre as his musical voice, while liberally incorporating popular funk, jazz and rhythm and blues motifs to tell musical stories, is legendary.  Mr. Bradley has left behind a body of work that has and will continue to endear him to a wide cross-section of the global music audience.

Noted arranger, steelpan artist extraordinaire and composer,  Len "Boogsie" Sharpe honored Mr. Bradley in a very deeply personal and special manner.  He and his steel orchestra won the 2006 panorama with his arrangement and their performance of "This One's For U, Bradley", a song he wrote as a tribute to the master.  Mr. Sharpe's band Phase II Pan Groove took to the stage last night as the defending champions of the National Panorama.

This triumph of Phase II is significant in the historical timeline, thereby locking the Master's name in the history books with the last Panorama held in the Queen's Park Savannah.  This is the venue in which Master arranger Clive Bradley accomplished and showcased much of his legendary deeds.  After this season, the Grand Stand, North Stand and stage in the savannah will be torn down to make way for what is scheduled to be a more modern facility.  After running second in the semi-finals, Phase II's come-from-behind win made the feat all the sweeter. 

Boogsie, who calls Bradley the greatest... sent the 'greatest' message of all by rising to the occasion and delivering when it counts...  And Boogsie delivered big time.