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Panorama 2020 Results - Couva Joylanders and Stefon West Triumph In Medium Category

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Ten steel orchestras in the Medium band finals of Trinidad & Tobago’s annual National Panorama had their musical say on the night of Sunday February 16, 2020. They faced judges Joanna Ragbir, Lennox London, Roger Sardinha, Stephanie Power, Corinne Soo Ping Chow and Joslynne Sealey, as well as a crowd of pan music and culture lovers, and the community overall.

And per the judges, when results were announced not too long after 12:35 a.m., it was the “turn” of Couva Joylanders which triumphed with their delivery of Stefon West’s arrangement of De Fosto’s “Is My Turn.” It is the medium band’s first championship, and the top prize of TT$600,000.00 is also theirs. Potential Symphony and Katzenjammers rounded out the top three; TT$550,000.00 and TT$500,000.00 are those bands’ respective prize purses.

After a round of rain and a delay, Sound Specialists of Laventille made history, when, at 8:24 p.m. local time, the orchestra’s ‘count’ opened up its performance in Bacolet, Tobago. There, the parade grounds of the Dwight Yorke Stadium served as the venue for the medium category of the National Panorama, a first in the annual competition’s history, that a national finals was being proudly held in Trinidad’s sister isle. Sound Specialists dressed in white were first up, one of seven steel orchestras journeying across from Trinidad for the competition.

Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra, managed by the Pan Trinbago president herself Beverley Ramsey-Moore, took the stage next performing Merchant’s ‘Caribbean Connection’ arranged by Terrance “BJ” Marcelle. Their presentation included images of Caribbean luminaries such as playwright Derek Walcott and more, indeed illustrating that Caribbean “connection.”

Dressed in red and white, Curepe, Trinidad-based Sforzata Steel Orchestra had its run at the title from position three. For those familiar with the classic TV show ‘Gilligan’s Island,’ the opening notes of the show’s theme would have resonated as the first notes of Sforzata’s arrangement and presentation of De Mighty Trini’s “Sailing,” the band’s tune of choice as arranged by Arddin Herbert.

Bands four and five, Pamberi and Couva Joylanders, respectively, took the event to the half-way point, with the latter finishing up at 10:00 p.m. The second of three orchestras representing Tobago, Dixieland Steel Orchestra, led musically by arranger O’Jay Richards, got going in what was the second half of the show in position six at 10:22. The penultimate band, South Trinidad’s only representative in this category, began at 11:39 p.m. with Akinola Sennon’s arrangement of Ella Andall’s “Festival Song.” Potential Symphony hailing from Malick, Barataria closed off, sounding the competition’s final notes at 12:16 a.m. after delivering Amrit Samaroo’s arrangement of, fittingly, “Tobago Gals.”

Many VIPs, including Her Excellency, Paula-Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad and Tobago, were in attendance of the history-making event which was broadcast live on Radio Tambrin, Tobago’s radio station. The treasurer of event organizer Pan Trinbago, Gerard Mendez, called the first-time event “a resounding success.”

Click to see how the bands scored coming out of the semi-finals.

Following are full results for the Finals competition of the Medium conventional steel orchestras.

Color Key

East Zone Region

North Zone Region

South/Central
Zone Region

Tobago Region