NGC Couva 'joy' at last

NGC Couva Joylanders played its way into the history books on Sunday night, winning its first National Panorama title in the medium conventional band category. It was also the first year the competition was held in Tobago.

The central Trinidad outfit, led by Richard Gill, gave an electrifying performance to De Fosto's (Winston Scarborough's) 1993 selection, It's My Turn, before a lively crowd at the Dwight Yorke Stadium parade grounds, Bacolet, Tobago. The band, which scored 285 points, received a tidy sum of $600,000.Potential Symphony, which scored 283 points, placed second with the Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco), All Dem Tobago Gyal while home-town favourite Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra, with 282 points, came in third with Merchant's (Dennis Williams) Caribbean Connection. They received $550,000 and $500,000, respectively.Sforzata and Curepe Scherzando tied for fourth place with 281 points. There was also a tie for sixth place between Pamberi and Siparia Deltones.Tobago bands Carib Dixieland and NGC Steel Xplosion claimed eight and ninth spots, respectively, while Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille came in tenth. President Paula Mae Weeks, Culture Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly and National Carnival Commission chairman Winston "Gypsy" Peters all attended the historic Tobago final.Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore expressed hope the event would become a fixture on the annual Carnival calendar.

FINAL RESULTS

1. NGC Couva Joylanders 2. Potrential Symphony 3. Katzenjammers Steel orchestra 4. Sforzata 4. Curepe Scherzando 6. Siparia Deltones 6. Pamberi 8. Carib Dixieland 9. NGC Steel Xplosion 10. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille