Defence Force win, God's blessing

ACE pan arranger Duvone Stewart thanked God for blessing him with the gift of arranging, hours after he secured victory for the Defence Force in the Panorama Small Conventional Steelbands competition at Skinner Park, San Fernando on Thursday night.

Pan Trinbago dedicated the Panorama to three cultural icons who died last year: Winston "Shadow" Bailey, Winston “De Fosto” Scarborough and Ken “Professor” Philmore.

“As I continue to live my dream, I thank God for blessing me with the gift of being a steelpan arranger,” Stewart told Newsday after dethroning reigning champions Golden Hands, who placed third.

“Winning was awesome. I feel very happy and very thankful for everything that made the performance a winning one. I am also very proud of the Defence Force team, manager, captain and all the players.”

Stewart who has a track record of success, leading BP Renegades and Pan Elders to victory in the large and medium band categories in 2018, hoped to equal that at tonight's finals in Queen's Park Savannah, Port of Spain.

“I never said I was going to win the three categories – but I am going to do my best. It’s all up to God in the moment," he said.

“If it is to be, so shall it be. If not, so be it. But I wish all the arrangers all the best.”

The small audience witnessing the pan spectacle loudly applauded the Defence Force, playing a Leston Paul composition, Maxi Dub, sung by Errol “Bally” Ballantyne and arranged by Stewart, as the band entered and left the stage.

Stewart touched the hands of each frontline player and touched the stage, before making the sign of the cross and cueing them in to deliver a strong performance. The players, dressed in school uniforms, did not fail to deliver.

Although San Fernando’s favourite, Golden Hands also captured the audience with their performance of the gifted Vanessa Alexandra Headley arrangement of High (On D’Music), which she also composed and sang, Defence Force got the judges nod with a tally of 286 points.

Playing in position number six, Golden Hands amassed 280 points, placing third, three points behind second-place winner T&TEC New East Side Dimension, one of five bands from Tobago. East Side secured 283 points for its version of Kees Dieffenthaller’s Hello, arranged by Kersah Ramsey.

Laventille Serenaders placed fourth with Stranger, dedicated to composer and singer Winston “Shadow” Bailey. Serenaders earned 279 points, one less than Golden Hands.

Golden Hands leader Franka Headley said while the band was “in it to win it,” the players were the stars. “Their execution was flawless, their team spirit just kicked in. What more you want than that?”

She shared a message one of her members posted in the group chat: “I don’t business about no first place. We are first on holy and spiritual grounds. And I am proud and glad for everything because the music is what have me jolly and glad for today and the purpose for which we are doing it for. Our mission was accomplished.”

Arima Golden Symphony was the only band to play Philmore’s memorable composition Pan By Storm, sung by Keith “Designer” Prescott and arranged by Terrence “BJ” Marcell. The band decked in glittering gold ensemble, had six maps of Trinidad on top of each float, with photographs of the icons fixed to the middle of each.

Golden Symphony amazed the audience with a Philmore “mini-me” conducting along with BJ and executing some of Philmore's signature moves. A moment's silence was observed for Philmore before their performance and a presentation was made to his son, Keston. The performance secured fifth place for Golden Symphony, with 278 points.

Crossover chutney/soca artiste Rikki Jai and Housing Minister and MP for Point Fortin Edmund Dillon both appeared onstage to support Tornadoes, which performed Jai’s Pumpin. It was not enough, however, to topple the others, and the Point Fortin band had to settle for 11th place.

Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore also paid tribute to late pan arranger Steve Achaiba, and to former executive member of the South/Central zone Withfield Weekes, who served as treasurer, education officer and chairman of the region. Weekes said he was grateful for the award.

Pan Trinbago secretary Denise Richards, speaking on behalf of Ramsey-Moore, who had lost her voice, said she found the quality of the music of a high standard.