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Trinidad
& Tobago Panorama 2017 - HOME
‘Pan Kingdom’
sung by Anslem Douglas
music by Mark Loquan
lyrics by Gregory “GB” Ballantyne
pan by Mia Gormandy
produced by Junior “IBO” Joseph
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“Pan Kingdom”
Anslem Douglas
Provided with the expressed permission of the composer(s)
Visit When Steel Talks
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“Pan Kingdom”
Anslem Douglas
Provided with the expressed permission of the composer(s)
click here for lead sheet
LYRICSVerse 1
There is a
magnet in the Steelpan
Resonates in all lands
But when it holds
On to yuh soul
Then you will understand
De hammer that tunes a drum
Does inject a special rhythm
And when a panist plays
De vibration does raise
Leaving players and listeners
amazed.
Chorus - (Part A)
Steelband
does call them together
From every region and culture
The sound of the oil drum, is the
magical key
From Australia and New Zealand
U.S.A., London and Japan
Dey syncopating
Dey orchestrating
With speed and innovation
The sheer magnet of this thing
called Pan
(Part B)
Is sweet pan
dey come to feel
To answer the call of steel
Their passion they can’t conceal
Panorama seals the deal
Win or lose………….they come
Why dey choose…………….oil drum ?
(Dey) can’t resist de pan kingdom.
Verse 2
Other
instruments their notes run
Left-to-right and straight on
Piano
Or Piccolo
Even Accordion
Only instrument in the World
Have the notes arranged in a swirl
It is our special pan
Dat circular pattern
Like a flower, is magnetism
Chorus - (Part A)
Steelband
does call them together
From every region and culture
The sound of the oil drum, is the
magical key
Trinidad, France and Jamaica
Brazil, Finland and St. Lucia
Dey syncopating
Dey orchestrating
With speed and innovation
The sheer magnet of this thing
called Pan
(Part B)
Is sweet pan
dey come to feel
To answer the call of steel
Their passion they can’t conceal
Panorama seals the deal
Win or lose………….they come
Why dey choose…………….oil drum ?
(Dey) can’t resist de pan kingdom
(Bridge)
[Pan does
make dem high
No-one can deny
When pan music plays, yuh in a daze
Yuh so amazed, yuh feel yuh want to
fly
When de
Grand Stand roar
And de crowd want more
Ya could puff yuh chest, ya did yuh
best
Ya pass de test, (in) winners row
for sure] REPEAT
Verse 3
In a World
full of enmity
Border wars, Refugees
Our pan
Leads the stand
For global unity
From tenor-player to bass
We accept any creed and race
Come one and come all
When sticks and rubber fall
Like United Nations protocol.
Chorus - (Part A)
Steelband
does call them together
From every region and culture
The sound of the oil drum, is the
magical key
Cayman Islands and Nigeria
And de virtual pan player
Dey syncopating
Dey orchestrating
With speed and innovation
The sheer magnet of this thing
called Pan
(Part B)
Is sweet pan
dey come to feel
To answer the call of steel
Their passion they can’t conceal
Panorama seals the deal
Win or lose………….they come
Why dey choose…………….oil drum ?
(Dey) can’t resist de pan kingdom
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Anslem Douglas
By Mia Gormandy - birdsong Arranger, Panorama 2017
“We at birdsong have a long history of steelpan excellence and a special interest in steelpan education over the years. Every Panorama we host an international program where steel panists from around the world not only get an opportunity to perform on the Panorama stage, but also learn more about the steelpan and Trinidad and Tobago through master classes and clinics produced by birdsong.
“As the new Panorama arranger, Pan Kingdom was my first choice because it perfectly describes the unique culture birdsong provides for locals and internationals alike. birdsong has indeed become an environment to foster the strong magnetism of the steelpan and generate global unity... In a world full of enmity, border wars, and refugees. Pan Kingdom brilliantly merges the global concept of the Virtual Steelband with our local, yet internationally-driven, Panorama competition.”
By Mark Loquan
(l-r): Mark Loquan, Junior “Ibo” Joseph, Anslem Douglas in studio
“The song was written to demonstrate the spread of pan all over the world, with the pan being the magnet to unify people through music. More and more we witness players from all over the world, participating in Panorama every year. The International Conference and Panorama held in August 2015 in Trinidad also highlighted bands from the Caribbean, USA, Canada, Japan, and France performing in the Mecca of pan, and we also remember bands from all over the world participating in the World Steelband Festival in Trinidad in the year 2000. How many of us personally know people involved in pan not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but in the kingdom of pan.
“My own travels have exposed me to people from North America, Europe to Australia & New Zealand and from the Middle East to Asia, appreciating this wondrous instrument. Early in 2016, Mia Gormandy, a graduate of Northern Illinois University (NIU), pursuing her PhD thesis in steelband history in Japan, and who was part of the 1st Virtual Steelband Project approached me to compose the music for the 2nd Virtual Steelband Project to be launched in 2017. The idea was that (a) music would be launched as normal for the National Panorama in 2017 and (b) the piece is arranged by Amrit Samaroo and scored with all the parts to be made available to bands and individuals all over the globe to play the same arrangement and be unified through the music for the pan. The formal premiere of the project is planned for October 2017. Included in the Virtual Project team is Yuko Asada, and Scott McConnell, both also graduates from NIU, where Liam Teague serves as the Head of Steelpan Studies and Associate Professor of Music. Liam composed the music for the 1st Virtual Steelband Project called “Bella Vista.”
“The lyrics were written by Gregory “GB” Ballantyne, who articulated the magnetism of pan, which knows no boundaries, attracting people from the world over. He writes “We accept any creed and race, come one and come all, when sticks and rubber fall, like United Nations music protocol”. Anslem Douglas delivers the vocals with his usual energy and clarity. The team have previously worked together on “Dr.Samaroo” in 2015, Soca Have Dem So in 2016, and now Pan Kingdom in 2017. Douglas himself has already worked on We Are Conquerors for this season.
“To add an international dimension and a symbol of pan unity, the live pan track was performed by Mia Gormandy, while she was in Japan which was then mixed into the track in Trinidad. A pan version of the song is also submitted which is new for Panorama submissions. What was good about producing the song, was that Mia, Amrit and Mark worked closely from the early stages to the finished product.
“To all the pan players (including all those participating in the 2nd Virtual Steelband Project) all over the world, this song is dedicated to you at a time when the world has so much division and chaos, to bring each of us closer and united in some small way.”
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