Pan Trinbago stands by judge's rule on Exodus song change

Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore today said the organisation will abide by a High Court ruling to allow Republic Bank Exodus steelband to do away with its initial tune of choice, Superblue's (Austin) Lyons') Rag Storm, in favour of Kes Dieffenthaller's Savannah Grass, ahead of Saturday's Panorama Final at Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

"The judge has ruled and so be it," she told Newsday.

"We would abide by the judge's decision to let them Savannah Grass and let the party start."

Ramsey-Moore said, however, the organisation's rules governing steelbands' changing songs would more than likely stick in moving ahead.

Nevertheless, she was adamant the organisation still had a responsibility to its membership to ensure that all voices were heard in the matter.

Ramsey-Moore said there were bands for and against Exodus' decision to change its song.

"The executive represents all bands and while I would have read a part of the judge's decision, which states that Exodus would have done their work in terms of contacting the large bands and they would have provided evidence that they spoke to the majority of large bands which supported them, that we, too, should have done our work by asking the large bands. I mean, I don't have to do that."

She added: "When we make a decision, we make a decision for the whole and not the part. It is not about us communicating with the large bands to find out if they will support or not."

In a late evening judgement at the Hall of Justice, Port of Spain, on Friday, High Court judge Justice Kevin Ramcharan ruled Exodus could, in fact, change its song for Saturday's Panorama final, hours after the band filed an injunction against Pan Trinbago.