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Panorama 2020 Results - Desperadoes Steel Orchestra Takes 12^th Championship With Arranger Carlton “Zanda” Alexander

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Desperadoes Steel Orchestra is the Panorama 2020 champion, copping the orchestra’s twelfth title, along with the bp Challenge Trophy and TT$1,000,000.00 first prize. With arranger Carlton “Zanda” Alexander’s musical image of “More Sokah” Desperadoes left its ten challengers in the proverbial dust. With this title, Desperadoes once again takes the lead with the most national Panorama championships. Renegades Steel Orchestra which was going for a three-peat having won in 2019, was relegated to a tie for second with Trinidad All Stars.

Eleven steel orchestras competed before a packed crowd in both the Grand Stand and “Pan City.” The latter is situated where the North Stand had been erected annually for decades. It was the first time in years that the large steel orchestras competed on a night of their own, their medium counterparts having had their own historic staging just one week prior on February 16 in Tobago.

Getting underway not long after the scheduled start of 7:00 p.m. local time, after brief opening addresses, Supernovas Steel Orchestra took aim at the title with “Dear Promoter” as arranged by Amrit Samaroo. The musical parade of bands appeared to flow effortlessly and pan lovers cheered on their favorites and others.

Exodus Steel Orchestra which had delivered a fiery performance in their preliminary pan yard judging appearance, took the Savannah stage with a “compromise” of sorts, whereby, they housed their basses under traditional canopies, while the mid and frontline instruments appeared without. In recent years, the band has been the only one going to Panorama without the traditional “coverings.” It was also the first time since 1989 that Exodus went to Panorama without its legendary, champion arranger, Pelham Goddard.

Desperadoes Steel Orchestra appearing in position seven, swept on stage after Exodus with throngs of their supporters in tow, to deliver what would turn out to be a winning performance. It was the first of the three final-night bands going with More Sokah by Nailah Blackman as tune of choice. Blackman herself was the band’s flag woman, and was “called” on stage by a portrayal of her late grandfather, the ‘father of Soca,’ Ras Shorty I.

Closing off the competition was Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra with its customary rousing performance, playing its final notes just around midnight. Interestingly, looking at the outcome of the night’s performances, it turned out that the Northern region steel orchestras - all five - locked down the top five spots in the competition. Key figures in the steelband culture and art form including—Ursula Tudor, Daisy James McClean, Roland Harrigin and Mark Loquan—were then recognized and received awards, just prior to the results which were delivered immediately after.

The competitors were judged by Lambert Phillip, Michele Dowrich, Richard Pierre, Roger Sardinha, Bernadette Roberts and Tommy Crichlow.

Pan lovers have generally been pleased with Pan Trinbago’s decision to have the large band finals on its own night sans the medium bands, thereby allowing the “big bands” to take the stage in ‘Prime time.’ It was back in 2013 when champion arranger Ray Holman spoke out against the circa twenty bands for Panorama finals, which meant the large bands made their appearance following the medium category, usually after what is considered Prime viewing time. It had resulted in the later bands performing when much (and sometimes all) of the audience had departed.

Click to see the order in which the bands took the stage.

Following are the full results, for the final night competition for Large conventional steel orchestras in Trinidad & Tobago’s 2020 Panorama season.

Large Steel Orchestras - Panorama 2020 Finals Video