THE RENOWNED Trinidad All Stars retained their large-band title while two bands from sister isle Tobago finished in the top two places when the 2012 Carnival Panorama competition came to a grand climax at the Queen’s Park Savannah Saturday night.
Before an audience that packed the 1 500-seater grandstand and left few seats available in the north stand, steel orchestras – some with as many as 100 members and large entourages from supporting districts across the twin-island state – turned out looking and sounding razor-sharp to cover a number of modern soca tunes.
For instance, two songs by Destra Garcia entitled Vibes and Calling Meh, one entitled All Over by Fay-Ann Lyons- Alvarez and another named Play Yourself by Crazy, proved to be favourites among groups.
Crowd buzzing All Stars, the first steel band to win TT$1 million after a prize money increase this season, had the crowd buzzing with its intricate arrangement of Play Yourself by Leon Smooth Edwards.
The song lent itself to exceptional phrasing flexibility, while its final explosive verse released golden pieces of glitter which slowly fell to the floor during the crescendo.
All Stars edged out the Len Boogsie Sharpe-led Phase II Pan Groove, 279 points to 274, into second place, while Silver Stars, who covered Denyse Plumber’s Gih Dem Tempo, finished third of the ten Large Conventional Bands finalists.
The order in that category was All Stars, Pan Groove, Silver Stars, Renegades, Exodus, Harmonites, Invaders, Redemption, Fonclaire and Angel Harps.
In the Medium Conventional Bands category, Katzenjammers pocketed TT$750 000 after placing first for the second straight year with 288 points, followed by Tobagonian rival Buccooneers, who scored 284 in an extremely competitive face-off.
Placing behind them were Sound Specialists of Laventille, Valley Harps, Melodians, Curepe Scherzando, Power Stars, West Side Symphony and Sangre Grande Cordettes.
In the Small Conventional Bands category Arima Golden Symphony finished first, Supernovas second and La Horqueta Pan Groove third.
The Panorama season was dedicated to the memory of Dr Pat Bishop and Ralph MacDonald, who both died last year. Exodus paid tribute to Bishop with the song Auntie Pat penned by their arranger Pelham Goddard. Â
