Savannah awaits Panorama drama

2026-02-01 - 02:50

Wesley Gibbings Freelance Correspondent It will be a case of the last appearing first when both the Large and Medium Conventional Bands take to the Queen’s Park Savannah (QPS) stage at today’s semi-final rounds of the annual Panorama competition. Harmonites Steel Orchestra, which placed 17th in the 17-band preliminaries, will open the second half of today’s proceedings for the Large Bands. Correspondingly, cellar-placed Medium Band Trinidad Valley Harps will play the first notes when the 16 Medium Band semi-finalists open the day’s contests. Meanwhile, Panorama Medium Conventional Band front-runners, Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille and their arranger, Duvone Stewart, will have to wait for their turn playing sixth when the semi-final of the competition kicks off at 1 pm at the QPS. Stewart, who also holds the baton as arranger for Bp Renegades among the Large Bands, will play seventh in the lineup in a bid to maintain the lead earned from an emphatic win at the preliminary stage. He is the only arranger in Panorama history to have won the Single-pan, Small Band, Medium Band, and Large Band categories over the years and will be fancying his chances at lifting the trophies in two categories this year, especially with leading performances at the preliminary stages by Renegades and Sound Specialists. But not so quick. There is every indication that the momentum can shift. Point differentials have been narrow, and arrangers have been busy polishing their acts. With 33 bands making an appearance, it is expected to be a long, intriguing day of steelpan music. Most bands have chosen vibrant and elaborate arrangements, and the points tables in both categories suggest such a preference by the judges. The Medium Bands – comprising between 70 and 90 players – will have to await their rendezvous with destiny in Tobago next Saturday, while the Large Bands (100-125 players) face off in the finals at the QPS on February 14. It has so far been no easy ride for current Medium Band contenders, even in the absence of longstanding, hat-trick winning champions (2023, 2024, 2025), Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra, now campaigning in the Large Band category. The five-time victorious Tobago outfit, led by Pan Trinbago President Beverley Ramsey-Moore, scored 271 points at the prelims to earn joint 12th place with First Citizens Supernovas. Among the Medium Bands, count on consistency from last year’s runners-up and two-time winners, Pan Elders Steel Orchestra, which sounded a loud warning in the preliminaries, just 3 points behind Sound Specialists. Arima Angel Harps, playing Band From Space under the baton of top arranger, Terrance “BJ” Marcelle, will also be in the fray, having earned third place at the preliminaries by a margin of two points. Marcelle’s arranging skills return to the stage later for Exodus among the Large Bands. As appears to be the recurring case, the Medium Bands are all playing different selections – some released more than 10 years ago. Meanwhile, song selection among the Large Bands features a wide variety of longstanding music and more contemporary fare. For example, while both Exodus – which came hard in the prelims – and Skiffle have opted for Aaron “Voice” St Louis’ 2026 release of Cyah Behave, bP Renegades will reprise The Mighty Sparrow’s 1969 calypso classic, The Lizard. Massy Trinidad All Stars have also brought Scrunter’s The Will back to the Panorama stage. The song has some history. Pan Elders actually won among the Medium Bands with it in 2019, and Exodus had presented the song in 1982 when it was first released. Of more recent vintage will be the preliminary fourth place band, Phase II Pan Groove, playing Trouble, which was composed by multiple-winning arranger Len “Boogsie” Sharpe and performed by Freetown Collective this year. Tobago’s NLCB Bucconeers has chosen the popular 2026 release of Carnival Birthday, which was composed by Kernel Roberts and sung by Road March regulars Machel Montano and Super Blue. As has been the case in years past, Panorama’s semi-final rounds offer some of the prime moments of steelband action. This year’s Panorama theme Legacy – Ours to Love, Ours to Cherish is certain to resonate with all concerned when the bands assemble this afternoon. ORDER OF APPEARANCE LARGE BANDS 1. Harmonites Steel Orchestra 2. Siparia Deltones 3. RBC Redemption Sound Setters 4. Republic Bank Exodus 5. Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra 6. Proman Starlift 7. bP Renegades 8. Massy Trinidad All Stars 9. Phase II Pan Groove 10. Skiffle Steel Orchestra 11. Shell Invaders 12. NLCB Buccooners 13. NLCB Fonclaire 14. Nutrien Silver Stars 15. First Citizens Supernovas 16. Desperadoes Steel Orchestra 17. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps MEDIUM BANDS 1. Trinidad Valley Harps 2. ↓Matthew’s Steel Orchestra Music Academy 3. Sforzata Steel Orchestra 4. Curepe Scherzando 5. Sangre Grande Cordettes 6. ↓Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille 7. Moods Steel Orchestra 8. Dixieland Steel Orchestra 9. La Brea Nightingales 10. Arima Angel Harps 11. Valley Harps 12. San City Steel Orchestra 13. Pan Elders 14. Steel Xplosion 15. Pamberi Steel Orchestra 16. Couva Joylanders