Temperature takes Brass Bacchanal title

Temperature The Band was crowned the champions of the second edition of Brass Bacchanal at Queen’s Park Savannah on Monday night.

First-time entrants Temperature got the nod ahead of the 11 other bands including Brass 2 The World and the police band which tied for second. Finishing in fourth position was crowd favourite the prison service band. Defending champions, the regiment band, was not among the top finishers.

Temperature, played in fourth position and delivered a commanding performance of Ravi B and Superblue’s Omalay and Scrunter’s Woman on the Bass during their seven-minute production. The band was led by musical director Justin Phillip and arranger Daniel Ryan.

Phillip, 25, speaking to Newsday after the victory, said, “The tune was arranged by Daniel Ryan. He is currently working on the Carnival cruise ship and we basically combine together with him sending arrangements and just covering the ground work for the band.”

Phillip said his team had great work ethic.

“We basically work hard together, we have been rehearsing at midnight, one in the morning, two in the morning and just making it happen (and) just drilling the music.”

On the choice of music Temperature played, Phillips said, “The music was actually selected by the manager. We decided that we wanted to merge the cultures together and just create one unity, one peace that was initially started by Ras Shorty I when he did Indrani and those (other songs). We just decided that we wanted to become one unity and one family…decided that we will be doing Omalay and then we decided that we will be doing Woman on the Bass.”

Phillip said the band is looking ahead to next year.

“I think we just have to do what we did this year which is coming out and work hard and just work towards a common vision which is coming first by practising hard, and doing what we have to do.”

Brass 2 The World, closing the night’s entertainment just before 2.30 am, had a strong performance of Swappi and Ultimate Reject’s Feeling It and Skinny Banton’s Wrong Again. Police, which had some sound system issues at the start of their presentation, chose to play Wrong Name from TC and maintained that theme as the band played Wrong Again. Prisons, despite finishing in fourth place, received the loudest cheer as their performance included Superblue’s Signal to Lara and Trinidad Killa’s Power in Soca.

All the bands received cash awards with the winning band collecting $100,000 and a $10,000 appearance fee.

The judges ranked the bands based on texture of harmony, thematic development, dynamics, F jam, articulation, appropriate coordinated band attire, movement (dance return and show) and applied technology (delay and other digital effects).

The event also included performances from Nailah Blackman, Swappi and Superblue, who had the crowd jumping to a number of his hits including Signal to Lara, Fantastic Friday and Soca Kingdom.