Renegades & manager Michael Marcano ready for 2007 South Panorama Finals

 Trinidad & Tobago Steelband Panorama 2007

A When Steel Talks Exclusive


A WST Exclusive

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Renegades is into the homestretch, quite excited and ‘very optimistic’ about their upcoming participation in Saturday’s final competition, the band’s manager Michael Marcano told When Steel Talks. They placed seventh in the semi-finals almost two weeks ago, but have since ‘sharpened things up.’ The only steel orchestra (when fielding as many as one hundred and twenty musicians) to have copped the championship three consecutive times in Panorama history, Renegades is looking to score another historic first, by winning the first-ever major Panorama finals to be held in Skinner Park, south Trinidad on Saturday February 17.

Michael Marcano
Michael Marcano

Renegades had four tunes to choose from at the beginning of the season; eventually members opted for Band From Space composed by Amrit Samaroo  and sung by Edwin Ayoung aka Crazy.  The band is no stranger to playing selections composed ‘in house’ meaning, on several prior occasions they have taken music penned by long-time resident arranger Dr. Jit Samaroo and Marcano himself, to the Panorama arena. The difference this time is that Samaroo is arranging music written by his son Amrit, who is a recognized arranger in his own right, and this is a first for him, his famous father and Renegades steel orchestra.

Marcano attributes the choice of Panorama material to the current make-up of Renegades, where many of the musicians have grown up under Amrit himself in his capacity as arranger for Renegades Youth Steel Orchestra. “They are quite excited about playing a piece by Amrit [now as players with the senior orchestra]”.

Michael Marcano’s exclusive 2007 Panorama interview with When Steel Talks

As far Samaroo, Sr. is concerned, Marcano says that he thinks that Dr. Samaroo himself is quite excited about doing something with music composed by his son. He also noted that interestingly, the piece was written in a minor key, and that as Samaroo, Sr. is quite adept at, and enjoys working in minor keys, unlike many other arrangers who shy away from that scenario.

The band which is fully stocked with the competition maximum of one hundred and twenty players is well prepared not only musically, but also logistically as their instruments will be making the southward trek from as early as 6:00 AM Friday morning. Arrangements have been made to accommodate the players, and the band has secured the facilities of one of the schools in the south, so the pan musicians can be at ease during their practice sessions Friday night and Saturday during the day, in preparation for the evening’s competition.

In summing up, Michael Marcano noted that not only the Panorama, but the entire 2007 carnival celebrations have been ‘rocked’ with intricacies, ‘what with so many changes’ he elaborated. The main ‘change’ is the non-availability of the Grand Stand at the Queen’s Park Savannah attributed to impending demolition, forcing the re-location of all major competition, including the Panorama finals, and parade of bands. Despite the changes, the Renegades’ manager believes that it will be a happy carnival. “It will be a fine one; it will be a little different, but change never comes easy,” Marcano ended.



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