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12th July 2012
ANYTHING SWEETER THAN THAT?
Merissa Stephen

(Photo) Panorama 2012 participants

With less than one day to go, spirits flare and practices intensify as steelbands prepare to let music do the talking come this Friday, July 13th, at the Beausejour Cricket Grounds at 8pm.

History was made at last year’s event as the long time exchange of title between Leverage North Stars Steel Orchestra and LIME Diamond Steel was severed by the emergence of Courts Babonneau as the 2011 winner of St. Lucia’s Panorama Competition.

With new bands coming into the competition this year, a prominent steelband reappearing after a three year boycott and the recently added dimension of the small band category, this year’s steelband competition promises to be explosive.

The eleven bands to perform will each have 30 minutes on stage to present their piece. This year’s competition does not include a “warm up” tune as time constraints have made it so, officials stated.

A meeting held last Tuesday, by the Steelbands’ Association, amongst other things, introduced the event sponsors to band leaders as well as representatives. The bands also received their government subventions and dipped to decide their order of appearance at the show this Friday.

The appearance of the steelbands falling under the small band category is as follows:

Steelband - Position

New Generation - 1
St. Lucy’s - 2
Harmonites - 3
Pan Ambassadors - 4
Pan Exodus - 5

Each band, on Tuesday afternoon received their part of an assigned $42,000 government subvention. The five small bands received $3000 each, whilst each of the six participating large bands received $4000.
 
 

The large bands are to appear as follows:

Steelband - Position

Busta Emerald Steel - 1
Caribbean Metals Pantime - 2
Leverage North Stars - 3
AKYIA - 4
Courts Babonneau - 5
LIME Diamond Steel - 6

Panorama 2012 is presented by the Government of St. Lucia with Title Sponsor, LIME; Gold Sponsor, ECFH and Silver Sponsor, St. Lucia Insurances. Also on board to support the event is Du Boulay’s Bottling.

The Chairman on the Steelbands’ Association, Julian ‘Bull’ Calderon, has indicated that at this Friday night’s 8pm affair, the public is to expect “a night of pan, solid pan”. “There might be one or two little side attractions,” he stated, but the focus he expressed will be on the pan men and pan women and their musical renditions.

In a comment on the late distribution of the government subventions, Calderon said, “The issue of subventions; it affected the bands. Right now, I know it is not too late, it is late, but it is not too late for the bands. At least (they) can (make) some preparations. But it is a bit late.’

Calderon has mentioned that finance is always a factor when preparing to make an appearance for the competition, stating that some bands are currently without sponsorship and so progress is hampered. “It is finances that keep the bands down and without sponsors they can’t really participate,” stated the chairman.

“Bands remain in the small band category, because without sponsors, they cannot grow.

I’m pleading now, look, look at the youth out there because the bands are actually made out of the youth,…and support the youth in one way or the other, (whether) by sponsoring the bands. The band leaders will take care of the rest,” added Calderon.

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