Results - Medium Conventional Steel Orchestra Finals: Three-peat Complete for Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra & Arranger Kersh Ramsey as Champions - Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama 2025

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Trinidad & Tobago, W.I. - The Dwight Yorke Stadium in Bacolet, Tobago—Trinidad’s stunning sister isle—came alive with the sounds of steelband music on the evening of Sunday February 23. The venue hosted the fourth edition of the annual final night competition for Medium steel orchestras. A significant component of the 2025 Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama, it was the culmination of yet another steelband Panorama season in this category which fields between seventy and ninety steelpan musicians per band.

The musical quest was a resounding success for Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra with arranger Kersh Ramsey, as 2025 marks their third consecutive win in the medium category. Earlier in the season, they let it be known that the band is looking at entering the large band category for Panorama 2026. The music organization appears to be a hub of fruitful family coordination, managed by Beverley Ramsey-Moore (who as president of Pan Trinbago, was absent on this evening). Working along with Kersh Ramsey was band captain/driller Maxson Ramsey, while Reshon Ramsey held it down as drummer.

Arima Angel Harps’ performance got the musical competition underway shortly after 7:45 p.m. AST (Atlantic Standard Time). The finalists’ journey to this point had begun with months of preparation and practice, leading to panyard preliminary judging from February 4–8 for twenty-one bands representing the North, East, South/Central and Tobago regions. Sixteen moved on to the semi-finals, ten of which made the final cut for the 2025 finals.

One after another the steel orchestras ‘pulled out all the stops,’ musically speaking, and unveiled what would be their best performances of the season. Several included skits that wowed the audience, and were also designed to add context to their overall presentation to connect with the judges. A couple even featured dialogue gamely referencing final-night rivals by respective Panorama tunes being played.

By 9:20 p.m. finalist number five La Brea Nightingales began its selection, on stage with earnest support from Kernal Roberts - son of the late legendary calypsonian Grandmaster Lord Kitchener, Aldwyn Roberts. A sterling calypsonian, composer, producer and performing artist in his own right, Roberts’ attire and mannerisms on this night evoked flashbacks of his iconic father - and that was the aim. The band hailing from the south region played Flag Woman as their 2025 tune of choice - composed and performed by Kitchener in 1976, also becoming the ‘road march’ for that year. And arranger Vanessa Headley-Brewster—who already had a successful season by way of her joint championship in the small steel orchestra category—danced across the stage with flag in hand. The band’s performance marked the half-way point in the competition when they ended at 9:28 p.m.

All appeared to move along as expected until the turn of penultimate band Curepe Scherzando. Officials from event organizer Pan Trinbago were seen on stage within the band, prompting some to assume they might have been ensuring the presence of only the maximum allowed ninety players for the competition. The band did get started around 11:11 p.m.

With Tobago’s own Dixieland Steel Orchestra sounding its closing notes by 11:47 p.m., this final night ran pretty close to the time frame of 2024’s event. Results were once again ready by 12:20 a.m., same as in 2024. The first result announced was that Pamberi Steel Orchestra won the Andre Franco Challenge Trophy, as the Best Dressed Band. The steel orchestra also tied for third place with La Brea Nightingales.

Coming out on top once more meant that Katzenjammers copped the prize purse of TT $600,000.00 - circa US $88,749.00, along with the championship trophy. Where there are ties in the results, the prizes are to be combined and divided between respective bands. One such tie was between Curepe Scherzando and Sforzata steel orchestras for ninth place; interestingly, that was the same tied position for both bands coming out of the semi-finals. Included below is the full set of prizes set aside in the Medium category for final night competitors, per the Panorama rules publicized by Pan Trinbago.

1^st - TT $600,000.00 - circa US $88,749.00
2^nd - TT $550,000.00 - circa US $81,353.00
3^rd - TT $500,000.00 - circa US $73,957.00
4^th - TT $450,000.00 - circa US $66,562.00
5^th - TT $425,000.00 - circa US $62,864.00
6^th - TT $400,000.00 - circa US $59,166.00
7^th - TT $325,000.00 - circa US $48,072.00
8^th - TT $300,000.00 - circa US $44,374.00
9^th - TT $300,000.00 - circa US $44,374.00
10^th - TT $300,000.00 - circa US $44,374.00