Duvone delivers Renegades to the top

GARY CARDINEZ

It took a well orchestrated, dramatic and theatrical performance by bp Renegades Steel Orchestra to restore the band to Panorama glory at the Queen’s Park Savannah on Saturday evening for the National Panorama final.

Renegades won their tenth National Panorama title with their performance of Voice’s Year for Love, arranged by Duvone Stewart.

The much-anticipated win ended a 21-year drought at the top for the Charlotte Street band, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.

It was also the second time Renegades played in position one and won the Panorama.

They also swept the preliminary and semi-final rounds this year, placing first each time.

It was 10.40 pm when Renegades came on stage to kick off the large band category and as the announcer introduced the band, the Grand Stand went up in a roar.

After greeting his front-line players with a “bounce,” Stewart gave them the count and for seven minutes and 20 seconds, the savannah was transformed into a massive theatre.

Fireworks rose from within the band, while, down in front, pyrotechnics shot fire into the air, all to the beat of the music drawing the audience into the performance. Stewart was a man possessed with music and brought an energy not seen before; this translated to the players who, in turn, interpreted and executed his music on point.

Stewart brought a different musical concept to the National Panorama finals which was appreciated by all present and awarded by the judges. They added five points to their semifinal score.

Coming in second was San Fernando-based Caribbean Airlines Skiffle Bunch with their performance of Kes’ Hello as arranged by Kendall Williams, Ode Gonzales and Marc Brooks. Conductor Ben Jackson was also a man on fire he had the players of Skiffle eating out of his hands, producing sweet music.

Jackson engaged the audience in the performance by having them sing the chorus from Superblue’s Hello, just about halfway through the seven minutes and twenty seconds performance.

CAL’s Skiffle Bunch added eight points to their semifinal score.

A cold breeze ushered in Desperadoes on the stage at 2.00 am; a line of fire eaters leading the on the band. Desperadoes and arranger Carlton Zanda Alexander gave a musical performance beyond compare but was only able to improve their semi-final score by one point.

Shell Invaders made the biggest jump from semi-final by adding 11 points to their score with their performance of Arddin Herbert’s arrangement of the Ultimate Rejects’ Inside the Festival.

The two bands which played UR’s Lightning Flash tied for fifth; Prof Liam Teague and his Nutrien Silver Stars added eight points to their semi-final score with a very good performance, while defending champions Massy Trinidad All Stars and arranger Leon Smooth Edwards improved by five points.

Len Boogsie Sharpe and Phase 11 Pan Groove improved from the semi-final by two points placing seventh.

Except for the seven points which separated Renegades from Skiffle, one point separated positions two from three, four, five, six and seven with three points between position nine and ten. In all seventeen points separated position one from position ten.

This certainly showed the level of competition on a night when music and the national instrument the steel pan was a clear winner.

Following are the results of the 2018 National Panorama Final in the Large Bands category:

Position - Band – Arranger - Points

1. Bp Renegades - Duvone Stewart - 287

2. Caribbean Airlines Skiffle Bunch - Kendall Williams, Marc Brooks and Odie Franklin - 280

3. Witco Desperadoes - Carlton ‘Zanda’ Alexander - 279

4. Shell Invaders - Arddin Herbert - 278

5. TIED - Nutrien Silver Stars - Liam Teague - 277

Massy Trinidad All Stars - Leon ‘Smooth’ Edwards - 277

7. Phase 11 Pan Groove - Len ‘Boogsie’ Sharpe - 276

8. FCB Supernovas - Amrit Samaroo - 275

9. Republic Bank Exodus - Pelham Goddard and Terrance “BJ” Marcelle - 273

10. MHTL Starlift -Robert Greenidge - 270