RESULTS
Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - Title defender Chord Masters Steel Orchestra maintains its lead after its delivery of champion arranger André White’s ‘Doctor Cassandra,’ at the end of the ’level playing field’ that was the (2023) 2024 Single Pan semi-finals. The event was held at the Arima Velodrome in east Trinidad on Saturday November 25.
San Juan East Side Symphony (arranger Duvone Stewart), and a tie between Newtown Playboys Steel Symphony (arranger Carlon Harewood) and Nostrand Symphony (arranger Sheldon Peters) round out the top three positions going into the final competition. And so these top spots now feature three previous champions in this specific category, vying once more to retake the championship with their respective bands: White, Stewart and Harewood.
Steelpan lovers who took in all the music, got the chance to support their favorites. Each of the thirty bands making it this far in competition, turned out the musical performance they hoped would find favor with the judges and take them into the December 3 finals coming up next weekend at Carnival City (Queen’s Park Savannah) in Port-of-Spain.
Though event organizers Pan Trinbago were apparently ready to go at 4:00 p.m. AST (Atlantic Standard Time), it was around 5:00 when band number one East Phonics Steel Orchestra, put forward their interpretation of ‘Volcano’ arranged by Akil Browne. Time management was very good throughout, and bands flowed on and off stage quickly, with band number fifteen, Trinidad East Side Symphony, wrapping up a couple minutes after 8:00 p.m., closing off the first half and making way for a short intermission.
Circa 11:08 p.m. Arddin Herbert gave the count for the last band on stage, La Famille United, which sounded off with a lively version of his arrangement of Machel Montano’s ‘On De Road.’
The talented Vanessa Headley-Brewster - a champion steelband arranger in the small conventional steel orchestra category, composer and vocalist - has herself judged steelband competitions. On this evening in her capacity as radio presenter, Vanessa hosted on camera the live stream made available online by WACK.TV, complete with unapologetically blunt commentary, based on her years of experience in the artform.
And the expected twenty single pan bands, not all thirty - will have a shot at the championship. Last year, inclement weather postponed, then led to the outright cancellation of, the semi-finals. It resulted in thirty finalists ostensibly having a shot at the title.
Results labeled '’Unofficial‘ were posted by Pan Trinbago a few minutes after midnight. There were several leaps in positioning, and ‘ties’ in point totals throughout.
These semi-finals results follow, and will be updated, if necessary, and/or the label ‘Unofficial’ removed when presented as official.
Update: ‘Unofficial’ status removed; results unchanged, now re-posted by Pan Trinbago as ‘official’ (11/27/2023)
(2023) 2024 Single Pan Bands Semi-finals Results |
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| Place | Single Pan Band | Tune | Points |
| 1st | Chord Masters | ‘Doctor Cassandra’ | 274 |
| 2nd | San Juan East Side Symphony | ‘Big Belly Man’ | 271 |
| 3rd | Newtown Playboys Steel Symphony | ‘Pan In ‘A’ Minor’ | 270 |
| 3rd | Nostrand Symphony | ‘Doh Back Back’ | 270 |
| 5th | Metro Stars Steel Orchestra | ‘If Ah Rude Ah Rude’ | 268 |
| 5th | Trinidad & Tobago Police Service Steel Orchestra | ‘Bacchanal Time’ | 268 |
| 7th | Trinidad Nostalgic Steel Orchestra | ‘Volcano’ | 266 |
| 8th | Arima All Stars | ‘Pan In Danger’ | 265 |
| 8th | D’Brimblers | ‘Shaking It’ | 265 |
| 8th | Trinidad East Side Symphony | ‘Woman Is Boss’ | 265 |
| 8th | Woodbrook Playboyz Steel Orchestra | ‘Fire Coming Down’ | 265 |
| 12th | Marsicans Steel Orchestra | ‘Suck Meh Soucouyant’ | 262 |
| 13th | La Famille United | ‘On De Road’ | 261 |
| 13th | Platinum Steel Orchestra | ‘My Dulahin’ | 261 |
| 13th | Trinidad & Tobago Fire Service Steel Orchestra | ‘Volcano’ | 261 |
| 16th | New Age Trendsetters | ‘Band From Space’ | 260 |
| 17th | Uni Stars | ‘All Aboard’ | 259 |
| 18th | San Juan All Stars Steel Orchestra | ‘Display’ | 257 |
| 18th | Trinidad & Tobago Prison Service Steel Orchestra | ‘Chutney Bacchanal’ | 257 |
| 20th | Ice Water Pan Ensemble | ‘Barbara’ | 254 |
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The following bands did not move forward... |
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| 21st | East Phonics Steel Orchestra | ‘Doh Back Back’ | 251 |
| 21st | Stardust Steel Orchestra | ‘Bee’s Melody’ | 251 |
| 23rd | Gonzales Sheikers | ‘Doh Back Back’ | 250 |
| 24th | D' Original Woodbrook Modernaires | ‘The Islands’ | 246 |
| 24th | Pan Stereonettes | ‘Ethel’ | 246 |
| 26th | Curepe Polyphonics | ‘Woman Is Boss’ | 245 |
| 26th | Pan Elites Steel Orchestra | ‘Jump And Wave’ | 245 |
| 28th | Edinburgh 500 Steel Ensemble | ‘Roti And Talkarie’ | 243 |
| 29th | Nu Pioneers Pan Groove | ‘Fire Coming Down’ | 238 |
| 30th | St. Thomas Silver Stars Steel Orchestra | ‘Dead Or Alive’ | 235 |
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