By JOAN RAMPERSAD Thursday, February 12 2009

THE finalists for this year’s Panorama Championships, announced yesterday following Sunday’s Panorama semis, has left a sour note with many panmen, band captains and even arrangers, with veteran arranger Robbie Greenidge making a call for foreigners to be brought in to judge the premier annual pan competition.

The results showed Phase II Pan Groove placing first in the semis with 452 points, pipping Sagicor Exodus by two points in the Large Bands category. In the Medium Bands category, Clico Sforzata placed first with 460 points, three more than Tobago band NLCB Buccooneers.

Pamberi’s Nestor Sullivan was so outraged by the fact that his side was placed joint 15th with Starlift, that he could not hold back his condemnation of the judging.

“I don’t think what the judges did is right. They are still holding on to big name bands. Judging is not based on music alone, the Panorama competition is one that is based on improvisation and the people on the panel just don’t know how to relate to that, It’s just not right what happened,” he said.

Many panmen expressed shock that Phase II had topped the semis after what even a Phase II panman said was a below par performance on Sunday.

Desperadoes arranger Robbie Greenidge reiterated his call for foreign judges saying: “I think that if they (the judges) don’t hear the melody, sometimes they are wondering where you are and I think if you are a judge, you should know where the melody is. I’m not putting anybody down but the fact that you’re talking music, I’m pretty sure if you bring judges from abroad and they hear the difference in all the bands, they would know what is what and the results would be different.”

Veteran pan arranger Ray Holman said: “Having a qualification in music is not enough to qualify you to be a judge of Panorama music, which is really about variation and improvisation. I think it is also unfair to arrangers and players to have to present music before people who are incapable of understanding what they (the panmen and arrangers) are trying to do.”

Holman said he felt that either because of the direction the judges point bands towards and how they score, steelband music has become very predictable. “In most cases, almost to exception, listening to Panorama music, the way it is presented comes across as formula music. I think pan has lost its way and has lost most of its soul. That is a tragedy and I am not apologising for saying that,” he added. (SEE PAGE 8)



Panorama Semi Final results:

Large Band

Band Name Place Points

Phase II Pan Groove 1st 452

Sagicor Exodus 2nd 450

Witco Desperadoes 3rd 445.5

Silver Stars 4th 443.5

N&M Trinidad All Stars 5th 442

bp Renegades 6th 441.5

RBTT Redemption Soundsetters 7th 440

Siparia Petrotrin Deltones 8th 434



MEDIUM BAND

CLICO Sforzata 1st 460

NLCB Buccooneers 2nd 457

Courts Sound Specialists 3rd 447

Carib Dixieland 4th 445

Valley Harps 5th 441.5

Katzenjammers 6th 439

Arima Angel Harps 7th 439

Couva Joylanders 8th 438.5