Panorama 2023 Results - Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra Takes Title with Arranger Kersh Ramsey as Medium Band Champions

Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra on stage commemorating their 2023 championship

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra with winning arranger Kersh Ramsey led from the preliminaries, then made it clear coming out of the semi-finals, and finally cemented the title with a resounding performance on stage in the finals of the 2023 Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama. The steel orchestra delivered a big band performance on home turf at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in sister isle Tobago. Their championship keeps the title in the medium steel orchestra category in Tobago, and gives the band the top prize of TT $600,000.00 (circa US $88,000.00). Their score of 286 was two points ahead of the 2020 winners, Couva Joylanders Steel Orchestra, with Pamberi Steel Orchestra rounding out the top three with 277 points. Couva Joylanders and Pamberi also picked up TT $550,000.00 and TT $500,000.00, respectively. Full prize data here.

By 7:50 p.m. on Sunday February 12 Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore was delivering her remarks to the crowd on hand, gathered in anticipation of steelband music to come from what were arguably the best bands in the medium category of conventional steel orchestras, each fielding between seventy and ninety musicians. The musical path to this night had begun less than a month earlier on January 24 in the panyards of the South/Central region. That preliminary phase would cover twenty-three panyard appearances before a panel of judges over five nights in all four areas including those of Tobago, the North and East.

Those making the cut at the February 5 semi-final round had been further whittled down to these twelve, all which pulled out the musical stops in final night competition. It was the second time the medium band finals were held in Tobago - separately from and ahead of the large band showcase. The latter featuring thirteen competitors comes off February 18 at the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

Sound Specialists of Laventille began their count at 8:16 p.m. to throw down with Superblue’s “Barbara.” The bands and their music flowed; there were slight pauses for rain, but the energy remained high throughout, with Pamberi Steel Orchestra giving the final performance for the judges’ consideration by 1:16 a.m.; results were announced half hour later. The event was accessible online via Talk City 91.1 FM and TTT (Trinidad and Tobago Television).

Following are the full results for the finals competition for Medium steel orchestras.

Color Key

East Zone Region

North Zone Region

South/Central
Zone Region

Tobago Region