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2023 Panorama Info Complete

Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Chord Masters Steel Orchestra playing K.M.C.’s ‘First Experience’ as arranged by champion arranger André White swept away the competition on finals night, scoring 282 and placing first. This was the Single Pan competition of Trinidad & Tobago’s annual National Panorama and the first category up in the 2023 season.

San Juan East Side Symphony the defending co-champion garnered 279 points, followed by Newtown Playboys in third place.

[Editor’s note: within eighteen hours, event organizer Pan Trinbago revised a few results/scores subsequent to official announcements after competition at the Queen's Park Savannah. Data and content have been revised to reflect these new scores/changes.]

This certainly was not André White’s first time as a winning arranger. His initial championship arrangement was as a then-fresh-faced, eighteen-year old back in 2008, the first of three titles to date in New York Panorama. And he has had four additional Panorama triumphs in the UK, the last clinched in 2021.

But like the name of Chord Master’s tune of choice, it was White’s ‘first experience’ working with a single pan band. “I wanted to try it, see what it was like, see what the obstacles would be,” he told Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) presenter Ruskin Mark in a brief interview after the orchestra’s performance. White shared that he actually asked band management to ‘do’ [work with] the band, not the other way around. “He [Richard “Powers” De Coteau] didn’t ask me…I wanted to try something different. I’ve never done it [arranged for single pan]. I’ve done large, I’ve done medium, I’ve done small.” White very much liked K.M.C.’s ‘First Experience’, which was ‘a pretty big song’ for him when growing up in 2005. Moreover, it happened to be an apt description of his involvement in this category, with Chord Masters. “‘First Experience’; I felt it was fitting for me to give my interpretation, of my first chance in the single pan arena, and I hope it went across well to the judges.”

It did – and Chord Masters Steel Orchestra would take home the first prize of TT $250,000.00 [circa USD $36,873.00] – after the total scores from the judging system utilized by event organizer Pan Trinbago were tallied. Co-presenter and Pan Trinbago Education Officer Marcus Ash provided insight, explaining that there were six judges - (on this night, Bernadette Roberts, Damion Philip, Lambert Phillip, Richard Pierre, Roger Sardinah and Stephanie Power) - who would draw numbers AFTER all the performances were complete, with one pulling the designation ‘alternate.’ That specific ‘alternate’ judge’s scores would be set aside. Then, the highest and lowest scores from the remaining five judges with respect to each band would also be discarded. This left in consideration points from only three judges, with three hundred the maximum possible number awarded. Arrangement and general performance counted for forty points each with ten going to rhythm and ten to tone, totaling one hundred.

Finals night had started at the Queen’s Park Savannah shortly after six in the evening local time; the national anthem and a prayer invocation preceded brief addresses including one from Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore. The audience then got a taste of what was to come courtesy the world-renowned Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Steel Orchestra (TTDFSO) and carnival characters, setting the stage for what would be a night of single pan performances from thirty bands – ten more than the customary twenty finalists.

This unique scenario unfolded when the November 26 semi-final was postponed then cancelled due to adverse weather on a national scale. All semi-finalists instead got an opportunity to compete for the championship. A ‘win’ for this category in the art form, some might even say. Ms. Ramsey-Moore took a few moments in her address to establish the role of single pan bands in history. “We celebrate our single pan bands; they are the bedrock upon which we stand. They were the ones who would have driven the carnival of yesteryear; that was the only music that [mas] bands had to parade behind. And - we must never forget our roots, we must never forget our foundation. And so we celebrate our heritage, we celebrate our pan.”

So one after the other, band after band flowed on and off the stage, each making the most of their appearances. Giving a good account of themselves were the young people from Coconut Drive in Morvant, east Trinidad, who, though ending up with the lowest score, delivered a spirited performance with Kenneth Guppy’s arrangement of Ella Andall’s ‘Festival Song.’ Royal Stars Pan Symphony sported shirts the color associated with the word ‘royal’ in their name – purple. Their opening featured one banner bearer’s noteworthy vocalizing of the opening notes of ‘Festival Song’ while four folk dancers rounded out the band’s overall musical messaging and presentation.

Metro Stars Steel Orchestra, the sole finalist from sister isle Tobago threw down the musical gauntlet from fourteenth in the line-up with its vibrant, practically high-stepping declaration of ‘De Band Coming.’ In front the band, arranger Kersh Ramsey marshaled his smartly clad musical troops while himself showing out in drum major attire. Next was Trinidad Nostalgic Steel Orchestra taking on and delivering with the iconic ‘Curry Tabanca;’ arranger Amrit Samaroo was more than up to the task of putting his signature on the beloved tune. Then it was 9:30 p.m. and time for a short break.

The competition resumed with band number sixteen, Arima All Stars. It was from position twenty-five that defending co-champion San Juan East Side Symphony with arranger Carlon Harewood shook the musical rafters while serving up a fiery showcase of Lord Kitchener’s ‘Earthquake.’ The last band up sounded its final notes around 12:55 a.m. One of the several crowd favorites, Newtown Playboys was led musically by champion arranger Duvone Stewart; he had returned to the single pan category after an absence of several years. Results were unveiled in the presence of Pan Trinbago executives on stage, just around 1:15 a.m.

House announcers Shawndel George and David McIntyre handled public address duties live at the venue, while online viewers had a live-stream from TTT (Trinidad and Tobago Television) as one of their options.

Results follow:

Upcoming Panorama 2023 steelband events - SCHEDULE

** Complete Summary of all competition Results

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