By Charminae George
Melodious pan music and excitement was in the air on Saturday night as seven bands took to the stage at Carnival City.
While six of them were intent on dethroning the reigning pan royalty, the Caribbean Union Bank Hells Gate Steel Orchestra, the victors retained their title in the 2023 State Insurance Ltd Panorama competition, bumping their winning streak to four consecutive wins.
Their song of choice, arranged by Khan Cordice, was Tian Winter’s ‘No Weapon’, which also featured an onstage appearance by the artist himself.
The Original Steel Orchestra copped first runner-up position with their rendition of Claudette CP Peter’s ‘Nat U’ arranged by Derel Jarvis, while Panache Steel Orchestra was adjudged second runner-up after executing the Burning Flames ‘Benna Benna’, which was arranged by Malik Smith.
After the announcement of the results, Hells Gate’s captain Keithley Athill Jr told Observer about one of the challenges leading up to the competition.
“At the beginning of the season there were challenges from the rest of the pan fraternity in terms of the steelband association. We weren’t really in agreement with reducing the cap from 110 to 75,” he said.
Athill added that the song choice was inspired by the difficult situation.
“We were back and forth with the executive of the steelband association and they did not accept or wanted to remove it, or put back the cap to where it was, so the tune of choice was really what is our expression of our anger at what they did to us,” he stated
He explained how the cap on pan players affected the orchestra.
“Over the years we would’ve done a lot of work in developing our players, increasing our membership and for us to walk back to meet them, is just not what is required,” Athill added.
Meanwhile, the newest addition to the winners’ circle of Panorama history, the Original Steel Orchestra, is delighted at their achievement. Captain Elvis-Kenya Weatherell told Observer of the upbeat atmosphere of the orchestra’s members.
“We’re feeling real, real good. [It’s] the first time we’re getting such a high position, and the spirit around the band house—the players, the arrangers, everyone who took part in it— real high,” he said.
The captain indicated that Original hopes that their recent win will aid in efforts to find a sponsor,.
“We do all of this without a sponsor. I hope that we can attract some sponsors now…because the pans these days; they are really, really expensive, to get good pans,” Weatherell stated.
He also mentioned the three main goals of the organisation which they hope will come to fruition within five years, with the first year beginning in 2022.
“Within five years, we hope to win the Panorama, we hope to build our own pan house and to firm up our school of pan,” he added.
Additionally, the captain of Panache Steel Orchestra, Maurisha Potter, commended her players for their hard work.
“I am actually really excited. I am so happy, no matter the placement. I am so proud of Panache. There were a lot of beginners and they put their all into it,” she said.
In July, the Public Relations Officer of the Pan Association, Robin Margetson announced the reduction of 50-110 pan players per band, to 50-75 pan players per band. This limit, he said, was imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in the cancellation of many festivities— including the Panorama competition— until this year.
The Hells Gate Steel Orchestra was founded in 1945 as the Housecoat Band, and was officially renamed ‘Hells Gate’ in 1947. The Original and Panache steel orchestras began in 2009 with approximately 15 players, and nine players, respectively.