Panorama semis to honour Patrick Arnold

Pan Trinbago is dedicating this year’s Savannah Party – the Panorama medium and large band semifinals – to its former president Patrick Arnold, who passed away on May 10.

All 16 large bands that participated in the preliminaries will play in the semifinals on Sunday. The event is set for the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, from 1 pm.

At the draw for positions on Wednesday, Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore said the organisation’s executive decided to dedicate the semis to Arnold and, in his honour, allow all 16 bands to move forward to the semifinals.

Ten bands will compete for the titles in both in medium and large band finals.

Arnold was the president who began this system in 2009, an arrangement which continued consecutively for eight years, she said.

Ramsey-Moore said the band in 16th position would play first and the band in 15th position coming out of the preliminaries would play second on semifinal day. The medium band preliminaries took place from January 15-19 and large band preliminaries from January 20-23.

Ramsey-Moore is expecting large crowds at Sunday’s event, given the turnout for the preliminaries.

After the draw, speaking to the media, she said all preparations were going smoothly and the organisation planned to roll out one of the greatest shows that TT had ever seen in the pan world.“The tickets are being eaten up, especially in the North Stand,” she said.

Corporate TT was buying tickets by the hundreds and Pan Trinbago expected it to be sold out.

The North Stand has a capacity of 7,000 and the Grand Stand has a capacity of 2,000. On the Drag, Pan Trinbago was expecting 15,000 and more. Overall, Ramsey-Moore believes about 40,000 people could be at Sunday’s event.

“The feeling in the air re pan is amazing.

"I don’t know if the media took note of what happened on Sunday night. On Sunday night there were thousands – over 40,000 people – up and down the streets in TT, in Port of Spain,” she said, speaking of the large band preliminaries held in the northern region. Large crowds also attended the preliminaries in Tobago.

“No one thought anything about crime. Crime-free, people walking up George Street, Charlotte Street late in the night….

“That in itself is a signal to the country that pan can be used in a positive way to transform the lives of our young people, and we are hoping that Government and also corporate TT can take note of what happened on Sunday and embrace Pan Trinbago as an organisation to assist in governance of this country.”

She said one of the first things the body hopes to achieve in 2024 – working with Government and corporate TT – was the upgrade of panyards where the youth gather.

“As long as you develop these spaces, you have the right environment where our young people can then live meaningful lives. We have a number of panyards that definitely need to be upgraded,” she said.

Discussions had been held with Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell and there is a plan in place to start immediately after Carnival, she said.

Ramsey-Moore said, however, more support was needed from TT and the wider community.

Order of appearance for medium and large bands on Sunday:

Medium bands

1. NGC Steel Xplosion
2. Arima Angel Harps
3. Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra
4. Sangre Grande Cordettes
5. NGC Couva Joylanders
6. Pamberi Steel Orchestra
7. Pan Elders Steel Orchestra
8. Dixieland Steel Orchestra
9. Valley Harps
10. Tunapuna TIPICA Steel Orchestra
11. NGC La Brea Nightingales
12. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille
13. Curepe Scherzando Steel Orchestra
14. Tornadoes

Large bands

1. Harmonites
2. RBC Redemption Sound Setters
3. Heritage Petroleum Skiffle
4. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps
5. Shell Invaders
6. Republic Bank Exodus
7. Siparia Deltones
8. HADCO Phase II Pan Groove
9. Massy Trinidad All Stars
10. Nutrien Silver Stars
11. NLCB Buccooneers
12. BP Renegades
13. NLCB Fonclaire
14. First Citizens Supernovas Steel Orchestra
15. Proman Starlift
16. Desperadoes