By SEAN DOUGLAS Sunday, February 22 2009

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The women of La Horquetta Pan Groove enjoy their winning performance. ...

LA HORQUETTA (LH) Pan Groove topped a field of 16 small steelbands to win the Single Pan Bands National Finals hosted by Pan Trinbago at South Quay on Friday night.

Coming second was the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force Band, while Trinidad East Side Symphony of Malick came third, Arima’s Trinidad Nostalgic was fourth and La Creole Pan Groove of La Puerta Avenue in Diego Martin was fifth. Each band typically had less than 50 members.

La Horquetta Pan Groove won playing Super Blue’s 1981 made-for-pan soca hit, “Unknown Band”. Each male player was dressed like Austin “Super Blue” Lyons himself, while the band had the night’s best turned-out women, sporting bright yellow blouses and hats like their male colleagues. LH Pan Groove was led by Kirt Robinson and Michael Phudhomme, tuned by Lenard Leera and arranged by Duvonne Stewart.

The Defence Force impressed with the discipline of their precision-playing. How they managed to combine such delicacy with such power just boggles the mind.

Selecting “Teaser” — the 1991 hit by Vincy bard, Becket, — they played with an unmatched combination of power, speed and melody.

Quite simply, they played at a madly fast tempo. Yet you could hear the front-line of tenors beating very cleanly indeed.

The Defence Force side was led by Junior Stevenson, tuned by Jason Holder and Bertram Thomas, and arranged by Terrence “BJ” Marcelle.

Previously in the semi-finals the Defence Force had tied with LH Pan Groove both on 464 points, but in the finals both bands increased their scores for LH Pan Grove to earn 473 points, narrowly edging out Defence Force on 470 points.

The competition’s only southern band, “Shades in Steel”, was a youthful, energetic band whose masked players beat out Machel Montano’s “Jumbie”.

The night’s most popular composer was Super Blue, chosen by four bands. In addition to LH Pan Groove selecting his “Unknown Band”, Angostura Woodbrook Playboyz played Super Blue’s “Flag Party”, while La Creole Pan Groove played his “Jab Jab” and SWMCOL Pan Family Steel Orchestra played his “Wine on Something”.

The most popular tuner was Herman “Guppy” Brown who tuned the pans of Shades in Steel, Playboyz, La Creole Pan Groove and Trinidad Nostalgic.

It was a well-run show, attended by a medium-sized and appreciative crowd, with results creditably being presented just before 12 midnight.