Pan lovers prepare for Savannah Party
Newsday, by Joan Rampersad
Friday, January 29 2010

EXCITEMENT was high among pan lovers this week as they rushed from one pan yard to another to see how their favourite bands were faring in the countdown to the highly anticipated National Panorama semi-finals, popularly known as the Savannah Party, which takes place at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Sunday.

The event will get going at 9 am with 14 small conventional steel orchestras facing the judges, followed by the 14 medium bands and culminating with 17 large steelbands. Each category will be judged by separate panels of five adjudicators. On Wednesday, judges Lambert Phillip, Jocelyn Carr-Sealy and Bernadette Roberts were at the pan yards of the north big bands. They were followed around by hundreds of enthusiastic pan lovers who were comparing the sweet music coming from the pans.

Most agreed that PCS Silver Stars, Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars and BP Renegades were well rehearsed and ready for the big stage, while Witco Desperadoes and Phase II Pan Groove are always a threat on the day of competition. Reigning large band champs, PCS Silver Stars will be playing in position 13. Their tune of choice, “Battle Zone” was composed by their arranger Edwin Pouchet and Alvin Daniell and is sung by Anslem Douglas.

Playing first on Sunday will be small conventional band Flamingoes. They will also be playing “Battle Zone”, while the first medium band, Pan Elders, has opted for a calypso classic, Shadow’s “I come Out To Play”.

Petrotrin Siparia Deltones from south Trinidad will lead off the large band category with “Pavement” by Farmer Nappy and Kerwin Dubois.

During Sunday’s competition, patrons will hear 28 different songs, including five from previous years from the 45 bands in the semi- finals. The most popular tune of choice is “Battle Zone” which will be played eight times.

The full order of appearance for Sunday’s Savannah Party is as follows:
 
SMALL BANDS
1. Flamingoes - Battle Zone - Edwin Pouchet/Alvin Daniell
2. Tamana Pioneers - Pan On Fire - Winston Scarborough
3. Antillean All Stars - Musical Fire - Daniell/Atiba Sherwood
4. Arima Golden Symphony - Smooth Sailing - Winston Scarborough
5. Panasonic Connection - Pan On Fire - Winston Scarborough
6. Crescendoes Musicale - Pan War - Curtis Edwards
7. Codrington Pan Family - Pandemic - Cary Codrington
8. Tornadoes - Battle Zone - Edwin Pouchet/Alvin Daniell
9. Longdenville Claytones - Battle Zone - Edwin Pouchet/Alvin Daniell
10. Fascinators Pan Symphony - I Music - Joe Tempo Caesar
11. Merrytones - Pan War - Curtis Edwards
12. Golden Hands - Dingolay - Winston Bailey
13. Tipica - Spreading Hands - Oscar Benjamin
14. Laventille Serenaders - This Melody Sweet - Winsford DeVine

MEDIUM BANDS
1. Pan Elders - I Come Out To Play - Winston Bailey
2. Couva Joylanders - Smooth Sailing - Winston Scarborough
3. Steel Xplosion - Radica -Kenneth Salick
4. Carib Dixieland - Somewhere In Tobago - Amrit Samaroo/Avis Bruce
5. West Side Symphony - Somewhere In Tobago - Amrit Samaroo/Avis Bruce
6. CLICO Sforzata - Wild and Free - Andre White
7. Tokyo - Mad Man Vibes - Jason Isaac
8. Valley Harps - Battle Zone - Winston Scarborough
9. La Brea Nightingales - Surrender - Mark Loquan/Ken Philmore
10. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille - Surrender - Mark Loquan/Ken Philmore/Destra
11. Katzenjammers - Lightning Strikes Twice - Edwin Pouchet/Alvin Daniell
12. Curepe Scherzando - Battle Zone - Edwin Pouchet/Alvin Daniell
13. Arima Angel Harps - Smooth Sailing - Winston Scarborough
14. NLCB Buccooneers - Surrender - Mark Loquan/Ken Philmore/Destra

LARGE BANDS
1. Petrotrin Siparia Deltones - Pavement - Farmer Nappy/Kerwin Dubois
2. Sagicor Exodus - Pan In the Mas - Pelham Goddard
3. bp Renegades - Battle Zone - Edwin Pouchet/Alvin Daniell
4. Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars - Large Is Large - Leon Smooth Edwards
5. Our Boys - Free Up - Chris Tambu Herbert
6. NLCB Fonclaire - Rewind - Ken Philmore/Mark Loquan
7. Caribbean Airlines Invaders - Tell Dem - Arddin Herbert/Ricardo Jones
8. Solo Harmonites - Smooth Sailing - Winston Scarborough
9. Birdsong - Vibes - Jason Peanuts Isaacs
10. Pamberi - Sweetness - Winston Bailey
11. WITCO Desperadoes - Musical Magnum - Robert Greenidge
12. Rbtt Redemption Sound Setters - Pan On Fire - Winston Scarborough
13. PCS Silver Stars - Battle Zone - Edwin Pouchet/Alvin Daniell
14. Starlift - Pandemic - Cary Codrington
15. TCL Group Skiffle Bunch - Pan On Fire - Winston Scarborough
16. Petrotrin Phase 11 Pan Groove - Pan Army - Len Sharpe/Kernel Roberts
17. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps - Battle Zone - Edwin Pouchet/Alvin Daniell