Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago

Placing third in the 2006 finals of the National Panorama competition, Starlift Steel Orchestra is a testimony to the tenacity and patience mainly of its present arranger Ray Holman, and also to his dedication to the orchestra which he called 'home' for many years.  It was his grounding here that contributed in part to his rise to prominence as a musician and performer of international repute.  For Starlift, from last place in the 2005 panorama preliminaries, to third position in the 2006 championship rounds, is almost like the rising of the proverbial Phoenix from the ashes.

Starlift Steel Orchestra is one of the true steelband legends in the birthplace of the steelpan.  The music organization has participated in every panorama since the inception of the competition in 1963.  And more than that, Starlift is perhaps the only orchestra that can truly boast of demonstrated popularity.  In its bygone glory days, the orchestra was in such high demand that they would split into as many as three sections, to cater to overwhelming demand for their music services.  But times changed and so did the organization. 

By 2005, the year of their 49th year anniversary, just one year shy of the 50th anniversary mark, Starlift Steel Orchestra was in a dismal position, in actuality and psychologically.  Nineteen steel orchestras in the large conventional category from around the country had competed in the preliminary rounds of panorama competition in 2005.  Bluntly, as their 2006 arranger Ray Holman put it "Starlift came in dead last."

For this season, Holman was recruited by the organization that is his alma mater.  In a pre-panorama interview with When Steel Talks, Holman described briefly how he put another key project on hold to respond to the 'SOS' from Starlift.  This world-renowned performer, composer and arranger in his own right, took on not only the musical challenge before him, but also the task to raise the morale of the orchestra's remaining musicians, attract additional personnel, deal with the issues of changing the 'sound' of the band via instruments, etc.

Holman also stuck to his own composition called If We Really Want as the choice for Starlift's participation in the 2006 panorama arena.  He is credited with setting the stage many years ago, for arrangers to pen their own music for their orchestras competing in panorama.  This trend has been maintained mainly by Len 'Boogsie' Sharpe of Phase II Pan Groove, Selwyn 'Parry' Paul of Parry's Pan School, and to some extent by Dr. Jit Samaroo and Renegades steel orchestra. 

Derek Seales vocalised Holman's 2006 composition in place of Keith 'Designer' Prescott who was unavailable at the time.  Plans are still in place to have a version released with Prescott.

Ironically, If We Really Want turned out to be not only a clarion call for the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, who Holman had in mind when he wrote the piece, but also a blueprint for success for his own alma mater, Starlift Steel Orchestra. 

Congratulations.