After an electrifying night in Tobago, the Panorama Single Pan Qualifying Round is wrapping up with the Northern Region.
On Tuesday, several bands entertained the judges and supporters on Night One of three.
Arranger for Stardust Steel Orchestra, Simeon Superville, said one of the band’s main focuses is developing young people.
“Basically, the band itself is based off the youths from the community and a few help from outside, just to help them go forward, but basically is me still trying to empower the community to have something of their own rather than trying to pull players from all over.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Arranger for Ice Water Pan Ensemble, Jamal ‘Mek Mek’ Gibbs, whose band is comprised mostly of players between the ages of 14 to 30. He explained that this arrangement was done in tribute to his late mother.
“I went to my dad and I asked him, ‘Dad I need a song for single pan,’ he was like ‘Pan in A Minor’ and my mom, my deceased mom always wanted me to do this song, so it kind of click, so my father told me so I kind of go with it.”
Night One ended at Nuttin Big Pan Groove, where Arranger Lesedi Felix emphasised the importance of community service, something he said the band has been doing at their Petit Valley base since the 1980s.
“Working with a set of young children, some of them touching the instrument for the first time, and in a few months’ time we have them on a Panorama Preliminary night, you know, so again we were wondering should we expose them and I say yes we should give them that experience because some of these players here can be the pannists of the future, will be the pannists of the future.”
Also performing were Scrunters Pan Groove and Nayal Hill School of Music Steel Orchestra.
The remaining thirteen bands will perform on Wednesday and Thursday nights.