Arrangers ready for big Savannah PartyBy Joan Rampersad Sunday, January 31 2010
A number of arrangers of steel bands appearing at today’s National Panorama Semi-Finals, popularly called the “Savannah Party” have expressed intentions of delivering “good and sweet music”, and with the spirit of Carnival.
Edwin Pouchet, arranger for the reigning champs, PCS Silver Stars, told Newsday, “We coming for battle in the Battle Zone. Everybody coming to beat us...well they will just have to beat us! We are not taking it lightly, nor do we go into any competition to make up numbers. We take it seriously because people pay their money to hear something good and that is what we plan to deliver.” Pouchet will also be arranging for top Tobago medium band Katzenjammers that will be playing another Pouchet composition “Lightning Strikes Twice”.
Ken “Professor” Philmore, arranger for both south band NLCB Fonclaire in the large band category and medium north band Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille said there will be a change in his arrangements to more cutting edge and a modern feel. “It will be urban style but a lot of the spirit of Carnival in my music. So expect a lot of excitement,” said Philmore.
Both steel bands will be playing Philmore/Mark Loquan compositions, sung by Destra. The Sound Specialists will be doing “Surrender” while Fonclaire will play “Rewind”, both aptly suited pan songs. Winston Gordon, arranger for RBTT Redemption Sound Setters out of Tobago stated, “We have selected De Fosto’s “Pan On Fire”. It’s a beautiful piece of music and it is our intention to portray the beauty of fire while maintaining the melody and chord structure. Our performance will surpass what we have done in previous years so we expect to deliver a great performance.”
Top East band Sagicor Exodus will be playing a composition of its arranger, Pelham Goddard, “Pan In De Mas”, with lyrics and vocals by David Rudder. Goddard said, “Carnival is it. I feel good about the song we are doing and we are going to play good music.”
Andre White, arranger for the reigning medium band champions, CLICO Sforzata, told Newsday “You can definitely expect the band to defend their title. But all it boils down to is giving a good performance and a good show.” The band will be playing White’s “Wild & Free”. Fourteen Small steel orchestras will be the first category to be judged at the National Panorama Semi-Finals from 9 am, followed by the 14 Medium bands, then the 17 big steel bands. Kicking off the Savannah Party today in the Small Band Category is Flamingoes that will be playing “Battle Zone”, then in the Medium Band Category Pan Elders will do Shadow’s yesteryear hit “I come Out To Play”, and leading off the Large Band Category will be Petrotrin Siparia Deltones with Farmer Nappy and Kerwin Dubois’ “Pavement”.
Here is the order of appearance for today’s Savannah Party:-
Band Tune of Choice Arranger
SMALL BANDS
1. Flamingoes Battle Zone Selby Wilson
2. Tamana Pioneers Pan On Fire Jessie Walcott/Cherese Benoit
3. Antillean All Stars Musical Fire Atiba Sherwood/Kevin Navarro
4 Arima Golden Symphony Smooth Sailing Terrence “BJ” Marcelle
5. Panasonic Connection Pan On Fire Darren Sheppard
6. Crescendoes Musicale Pan War Curtis Edwards
7. Codrington Pan Family Pandemic Keisha Codrington
8. Tornadoes Battle Zone Shervon Edwards
9. Longdenville Claytones Battle Zone Keith Salcedo
10. Fascinators Pan Symphony I Music Nigel Diaz/Daryl Reid
11. Merrytones Pan War Seion Gomez
12. Golden Hands Dingolay Vanessa Alexandra Headley
13. Tipica Spreading Hands. . . . . .Kenneth, Harold & Kenrick Headley
14. Laventille Serenaders This Melody Sweet Arddin Herbert
MEDIUM BANDS
1. Pan Elders I Come Out To Play Alvin Gittens
2. Couva Joylanders Smooth Sailing Kenrick Frederick
3. Steel Xplosion Radica Carlton Alexander
4. Carib Dixieland Somewhere In Tobago Len “Boogsie” Sharpe
5. West Side Symphony Somewhere In Tobago Kareem Brown
6. CLICO Sforzata Wild & Free Andre White
7. Tokyo Mad Man Vibes Beverly Griffith
8. Valley Harps Battle Zone Dr Michelle Huggins-Watts
9. La Brea Nightingales Surrender Terrence “BJ” Marcelle
10. Courts Sound Specialists of L’tille Surrender Ken “Professor” Philmore
11. Katzenjammers Lightning Strikes Twice Edwin Pouchet
12. Curepe Scherzando Battle Zone Yohan Popwell
13. Arima Angel Harps Smooth Sailing Godwin Bowen
14. NLCB Buccooneers Surrender Seion Gomez
LARGE BANDS
1. Petrotrin Siparia Deltones Pavement Carlton Alexander
2. Sagicor Exodus Pan In the Mas Pelham Goddard
3. bp Renegades Battle Zone Kenneth Guppy
4. Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars Large Is Large Leon “Smooth” Edwards
5. Our Boys Free Up Brian “Bean” Griffith
6. NLCB Fonclaire Rewind Ken “Professor” Philmore
7. Caribbean Airlines Invaders Tell Dem Arddin Herbert
8. Solo Harmonites Smooth Sailing Yohan Popwell
9. Birdsong Vibes Rudy “Two Left” Smith
10. Pamberi Sweetness Brian Villafana
11. WITCO Desperadoes Musical Magnum Robert Greenidge
12. RBTT Redemption Sound Setters Pan On Fire Winston Gordon
13. PCS Silver Stars Battle Zone Edwin Pouchet
14. Starlift Pandemic Cary Codrington
15. TCL Group Skiffle Bunch Pan On Fire Keith Salcedo
16. Petrotrin Phase 11 Pan Groove Pan Army Len “Boogsie” Sharpe
17. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps Battle Zone Clarence Morris
