Exodus maintains lead heading into Panorama final

Four-time PanTrinbago National Panorama champions Republic Bank Exodus are maintaining a slim lead over the chasing pack heading into the Large Conventional Band final at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, on Carnival Saturday (March 1).

The St Augustine-based band, playing a Terrance “BJ” Marcelle arrangement of Aaron “Voice” St Louis’ Too Own Way, stayed ahead of their competitors after Sunday’s semifinal but only just, after amassing 277 points.

Nipping at Exodus’ tail are BP Renegades Steel Orchestra, who were one point behind with their rendition of Machel Montano’s Bet Meh arranged by Duvonne Stewart.

Stewart will now be hoping he can make an adjustment for the final, as his Port-of-Spain-based Renegades are chasing a hat-trick of wins and a 14th overall title.

But this will be no easy feat, as First Citizens Supernovas Steel Orchestra are also in the hunt, after securing third spot with their rendition of Kes Dieffenthaller’s Cocoa Tea. They earned 275.5 points with Amrit Samaroo’s arrangement and the mere one-and-a-half-point gap between them and Exodus will give them hope they too can play their way to the coveted title.

However, when news broke yesterday that perennial multiple finalists and winners Desperadoes had not made it to the final, having tied for 11th place with Proman Starlift, both on 267 points, there were equally resounding convulsions within the fraternity.

Desperadoes had trailed the field at the preliminaries and only improved its stead by a single point with its rendition of Dieffenthaller’s Cocoa Tea arranged by Carlton “Zander” Alexander.

In the medium category, Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra with 276 points after playing the Mighty Sparrow’s 1987 hit Lying Excuses, led among the bands with a four-point advantage over second-placed Pan Elders, who opted for Lord Nelson’s 43-year-old offering, Mih Lover.

They lead a field of ten bands heading into Sunday’s final in Tobago.

Earlier on Sunday, a packed Savannah stands and a crowded “Drag” area leading up to the stage had greeted most of the country’s top 31 bands.

An initially slow trickle of patrons eventually grew into a fast-growing torrent as the show proceeded.

The first note was struck at 1.15 pm under bright and breezy conditions, and the final at 1.31 am on Monday—shortly after a 4.5 earthquake recorded by the Seismic Research Centre at 1.27 am.

For the most part throughout the proceedings, there was a largely efficient turnover of bands —seamless among the medium bands but with ebbs and flows in the procession of large bands.

Days before the event, the North Stand had been fully, and controversially, booked by a combination of corporate entities and regular attendees.

In addressing complaints about corporate bookings, which absorbed substantial space and raised anxieties about the availability of tickets, PanTrinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore explained that half of the accommodation had been allotted for such use.

For the most part, the customary North Stand revelry did not hamper the proceedings, though the stage announcer often had to request silence from the various rhythm sections. Neither were there any significant interruptions from the nearby “Greens” party activities.

Days before sales for Grand Stand seats had lagged behind but, in a final surge, there was little space eventually left to witness the 12-hour plus spectacle.

With e-ticket sales taken offline in the approaching hours, Grand Stand tickets were obtainable only through an official mobile outlet and from “scalpers” who ran a brisk trade around the perimeter of the venue.

Competition going into the event had been keen, with several ties and generally close going among the bands in both categories.

The semifinals proved no different, with some bands adjusting their arrangements to compensate for shortcomings during the preliminary round. This, however, proved ineffective among the cellar-placed outfits emerging from the preliminary rounds of both the large and medium band contests.

Attention now turns to final encounters between two tightly packed fields.

Semi-final Results

Medium Bands

1. Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra (Lying Excuses) 276 points

2. Pan Elders Steel Orchestra (Mih Lover) 272 pts

3. NGC Couva Joylanders Steel Orchestra (Cut the Bush) 271 pts

4. Pamberi Steel Orchestra (Too Own Way) 269 pts

5. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille (Jump and Wave) 268 pts

6. Dixieland Steel Orchestra (Long Time) 267 pts

7. NGC La Brea Nightingales (Flag Woman) 267 pts.

8. Arima Angel Harps (Fiery) 263 pts

9. Sforzata Steel Orchestra (Somebody) 262 pts

9. Curepe Scherzando Steel Orchestra (Come With It) 262 pts.

Large Bands

1. Republic Bank Exodus (Too Own Way) 277 points.

2. BP Renegades Steel Orchestra (Bet Meh) 276 pts

3. First Citizens Supernovas (Cocoa Tea) 275.5 pts

4. Heritage Petroleum Skiffle (Retro) 273 pts

4. Phase II Pan Groove (Pan and Soca) 273 pts

6. Nutrien Silver Stars (Too Own Way) 272.5 points.

7. Massy Trinidad All Stars (Bet Meh) 270 pts

8. Shell Invaders Steel Orchestra (Blessing) 269.5 pts

9. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps Steel Orchestra (Cocoa Tea) 268 pts

9. RBC Redemption Sound Setters (Flag Woman) 268 pts.