Angostura Newtown Playboys hammers them

GARY CARDINEZ

Angostura Newtown Playboys Steel Symphony retained its National Panorama Single Pan title last Sunday at the Basketball Court, Princess Royal Park, Arima. The band from Woodford Street, Newtown, gave a passionate and energetic performance of Carlan Harewood’s arrangement of David Rudder’s The Hammer.

In a very keen competition Playboys, dressed in the national colours, amassed 286 points, 18 more than their preliminary score of 270, to beat Pan Jammers into second place by one point. Pan Jammers improved its first-round score by eight points with Robert Tobitt’s arrangement of SuperBlue’s Signal to Lara. Pan Jammers’ players were dressed in the West Indies’ cricket team colours and even wore pads made of foam. They too gave a very sterling performance.

Talking about Playboys’ improvement from the first round, arranger Harewood said it was hard work and dedication from the players throughout the last few days that brought the results. “We practised past midnight for several days.”

Arima Marsicans placed joint third with 282 points for its rendition of Marlon White’s arrangement of Bally’s Party Time.

During the performance two people representing the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition came in front of the band and greeted each other. TT Fire Service also came in third with 282 points with BJ Marcelle’s arrangement of Sparrow’s Du Du Yemi, dropping one place from the preliminary after placing second with 277 points.

In front of what was termed the largest crowd at a single-pan finals by Pan Trinbago president Keith Diaz, Trinidad Nostalgic players performed Amrit Samaroo’s arrangement of Machel Montano’s By All Means to place fifth.

They were about the music, without any frills, and sounded very clean.

Woodbrook Playboyz went into the final as leaders, having amassed 278 points in the first round, but their performance missed the knock-out punch, and without gaining any more points, they tied with San Juan East Side Symphony in sixth place with 278 points.

Diaz told Newsday, “Despite what people say, we still produced a final without any incidents. We started on time and the show flowed smoothly throughout and the people are very happy with the results.”