Exodus rehearsing Savannah Grass

Steelband Republic Bank Exodus is rehearsing Savannah Grass as its final song for Panorama despite Pan Trinbago having said the band had been debarred from making a song change.

The band, as was reported in the Newsday on Thursday, dropped the SuperBlue and 3Canal's Rag Storm for the Kes' Savannah Grass.

But when the band wrote to Pan Trinbago signalling its intent to change its song, the pan body held an emergency meeting and decided that the band was barred from making the change.

The band’s management then said it would take the matter to the court.

When asked, on Thursday via WhatsApp, if the matter had been taken to court, Ainsworth Mohammed, the band’s manager told Newsday that documents were being prepared. Asked when it would be filed, Mohammed said it would be filed on the same day.

Newsday also asked Mohammed if mediation would be considered to resolve the matter. He then said, “Always we would consider anything to this issue.”

Asked if mediation was an option on the table or if the matter was definitely going to court, Mohammed said the band’s attorney would determine as it was now in their hands and that he would not be communicating any further.

Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore, as the time of calling, told Newsday that she had not received any legal documents and she was not hoping to receive any.

“I believe that this is our business internally and I don’t think we should be going to court. We can sit, we can talk and I will reach out to the management. Let’s talk. This is a matter we can sit easily and resolve,” Ramsey–Moore said.

Ramsey-Moore said the Panorama rules and regulations were adjusted yearly, before Panorama.

She added at the back of the rules, each band is asked to make a declaration stating “I (name given) for and on behalf of the steel orchestra do hereby declare and confirm that I have read and fully understand the forgoing rules and regulations of Panorama 2019.

“And as the authorised representative of the (said band) do hereby agree to observe and abide by the said rules and regulations.”

She added that this declaration was signed by Exodus’ captain. She said, when asked what penalty, if any, the band would face if it played Savannah Grass instead of Rag Storm, that she did not expect the band to play another song other than Rag Storm.

“The rules would have also stated that bands are to select a song that is to adjudicated at the preliminary, semi-final and final stage. Once you qualify. Exodus would have selected their song and we have their registration and we have the form where they told us that their tune of choice for Panorama 2019 is Rag Storm.”

She said at this time the pan body was not prepared to do the change as it was “too close to the end of the competition and they had already been adjudicated upon.”

“And judges will give their comments. It is now for the creativity and the imaginative ways of your arranger to go and fix your song to suit.

“I am hoping good sense will prevail,” Ramsey-Moore said.