PanTrinbago blanks Exodus

Less than 24 hours after Republic Bank Exodus wrote to PanTrinbago, producers of the National Panorama Competition, informing the body in a change of their Panorama song, PanTrinbago held an emergency meeting, out of which came word that the band has been debarred from making the change.

Asked to comment on the situation, PanTrinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore said: “All bands were asked to register one song for this year’s Panorama. Exodus selected ‘Rag Storm’ then informed us they were changing the song to ‘Savannah Grass’ for the finals.”

She added while nothing in the rules allow or prevent them from changing their song, in rule 18.2 of the Panorama 2019 rules, it states:”Where Rules are Silent--On any matter in relation to the competition in respect to which these are silent, the central executive committee shall have the power to make decisions thereon and any decision of the central executive committee made in those circumstances shall be final and binding on all parties.”

Ramsey-Moore said at this stage of adjudication they could not allow it to happen. “They are saying that precedence has been set, but we are going by the 2019 rules.”

Back in the early 70s Harmonites steelband changed its song and emerged third in the finals.

Ramsey-Moore said it was a unanimous decision of the management, the Panorama management committee, and the chairmen and executive of each region.

However, manager of Exodus, Ainsworth Mohammed was fuming. He said : “They haven’t given us anything in writing, but notwithstanding that we gave them in writing, even on the basis of their oral notification to the band’s captain Julie Williams, we started to take legal action.” He said PanTrinbago can expect a pre-action protocol letter tomorrow from Elton Prescott, SC, the advocate, instructed by Ferai Hove Masaisai.

Mohammed said: “We are fighting on the grounds that the rules do not preclude any band from changing their song at any time. And on the basis, just as important, of precedence. We are going to court with this.”