A pilgrimage to beauty

HOWARD DOTTIN

IT’S FINALS night and the air around the Big Yard is thick with anticipation and a touch of nerves. Patrons settle into their seats, drinks in hand, and the first large steelband is setting up. The Grand Stand is full, the crowd buzzing – waiting for that first striking note to slice through the night. And then it happens.

The opening bars ring out, and a wave of rhythm rolls over the crowd, pulsing through your chest. The deep hum of the bass pans vibrates under your feet, while the tenors cut sharp and sweet, carving their own space in the cool night air. The guitars and cellos knit it all together, wrapping the Savannah in a warm, hypnotic blanket of sound. For the pan lovers, it’s clear why we are here – because:

“It have a rhythm deep down inside meh

And if yuh looking fuh meh

Yuh go find meh, right dey (right dey).”

Just like last year, Phase II opened the night, firing a musical warning shot with Pan and Soca, blazing hotter than a jet plane. Their double seconds eased into smooth, rolling chords, guiding the melody into the landing with perfect balance and flair, with the motif always seemingly present.

Supernovas answered the call, their version of Cocoa Tea settling warm and steady — like a well tuned cello pan, rich and soothing, wrapping the crowd in its embrace.

Then Invaders took us straight to church with Blessings, weaving in When the Saints Go Marching In and even a piece of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus. Their conductor, dressed in full bishop’s regalia, mitre and all, led the way – and when they slipped in a sweet sampling of I Am Blessed by Blaxx, the crowd knew, no matter what the results said, they were already winning with pure, top-class entertainment.

But Panorama isn’t just about music any more – it’s evolving into full theatrical storytelling. Silver Stars, with their delivery of Too Own Way, gave us a whole drama with a stormer running from the police around the band, all while slipping in a sample of Sinatra’s My Way.

The arrangement meandered like a river that refused to be tamed – bending notes, stretching phrases, always on its own terms – but in the end, what they found was sweeter than if they had stuck to the tried and tested. They were Out and Bad and causing trouble.

By the time All Stars hit the stage with Bet Meh, they didn’t just play – they posed a question: “Yuh think ah is ah jus’ come?” And when they broke into a sample of Like Ah Boss, the crowd’s hearts were left pounding, hands in the air, fully caught in the grip of the music.

Past the halfway mark, Exodus delivered a performance with such clarity and boldness, it felt like a double second weaving its own harmony – drifting just beyond the expected chords, not out of defiance, but discovery. Too Own Way took on new beauty, proving that sometimes the sweetest notes live just outside the lines.

When the final note rang into the night, there was a pause – the kind where nobody even breathes – and then the explosion of applause, cheers, and pure, unfiltered appreciation.

Redemption Sound Setters surprisingly merged old with new, blending Kitchener’s 1976 Flag Woman with what seemed like strains of one of this year’s Carnival favourites, The Greatest Bend Over.

Skiffle had the Grand Stand believing the trophy might be heading south, delivering Retro with power and finesse – even working in Bring Back the Old Time Days. And when Voice and SuperBlue themselves appeared on stage, chipping through the sweet music, the energy shot through the roof.

Angel Harps gave us a perfectly brewed cup of Cocoa Tea, steeped in tradition and played straight to the heart – every note wrapping around the crowd like a familiar hug, sweetened just enough to make the soul sway. And just when we thought it couldn’t get any sweeter, they slipped in a taste of Sugar Bum Bum, adding that extra touch of indulgence to an already rich and flavourful performance.

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for – Renegades, the final band, with a potential three-peat on the line. Bets were flying, excitement peaking. As the band prepared to play, behind a set of borrokeets, the arranger rode onto the stage on horseback.

From the first note, Renegades took off like a band willing to risk it all – playing in unfamiliar grooves, stepping into the unknown – but with every daring note, the rhythm deepened, and somehow, beauty blossomed from chance.

And when the results dropped – with just 11 points separating first from last – it was a mix of joy, heartbreak, and surprises. But above all, the steelpan played its role – not to silence the cries of the afflicted, but to remind us all that even in sorrow, we remain human. To be human is to crave beauty, to seek meaning, and to believe that after the darkest night, the dawn must come.

Panorama isn’t a flight from reality. It’s a pilgrimage to beauty – so that when we return, we do not return empty-handed, but with the fragrance of distant flowers, the echo of a sweet melody, and the quiet knowing that even in the shadows, light still dwells.