Golden Hands won without mercy

GARY CARDINEZ

VANESSA Alexandra Headley created history as the only person to compose, sing and arrange a winning Panorama song.

On Thursday, Golden Hands hit the top spot in the Small Band category of Panorama after trying for nine years.

In a year when all top arrangers chose to go to Panorama with popular soca songs Headley chose to stay on a course she started four years ago playing her own compositions.

Golden Hands’ performance of Headley’s Trouble - Sans Humanite at Skinner Park, San Fernando was excellent. From the first bar, the band sounded like they had no mercy for the competition.

Throughout the well-executed arrangement, Headley used “fire go bun dem” – a line from Voice’s hit song Year for Love and Kitchener’s Trouble in Arima. The song lends to a driving bass line and this was easily heard on the bass pans.

Two former champions tied for second place, semi-final leaders Laventille Serenaders with an Arddin Herbert arrangement of Shadow’s Music (Dinglolay) and La Horquetta Pan Groove with Kion Robinson’s arrangement of Len “Boogsie” Sharpe’s Magic Drum. Both bands produced performances worthy of winners row but were edged out by Golden Hands.

Arima Golden Symphony was fourth with their performance of BJ Marcelle’s arrangement of The Mighty Sparrow’s Du Du Yemi. They included African drums in their performance.

Uptown Fascinators played in the last position and had the audience singing with their performance of Ojay Richards’ arrangement of Christopher “Tambu” Herbert’s Free Up.

Tobago was well represented with five bands out of the 14 making the finals.

It was a fantastic night of music and the competition was very keen as the results showed several ties, two bands for second, two for sixth, three for eight and two bands for 11th.

These were the full results:

1. Golden Hands - Trouble - 279.0

2. Laventille Serenaders - Dingolay - 278.0

2. La Horquetta Pan Groove - Magic Drum - 278.0

4. Arima Golden Symphony - 275.0

5. Uptown Fascinators - Free Up - 274.0

6. Fascinators Pan Symphony - 270.0

6. Revelation Institute of Performing Education - Birthday Party - 270.0

8. Fusion Steel Ensemble - Outta De Box - 267.0

8. Our Boys - Big Girl Now - 267.0

8. Harvard Harps - Buss Head - 267.0

11. Tobago Pan-Thers - Far From Finish - 266.0

11. Old Tech - Doh Tell Ah Soul - 266.0

13. T&TEC New East Side Dimension - Big Girl Now - 264.0

14. Alpha Pan Pioneers - Prophet of Pan - 262.0