Katzenjammers, bpTT Renegades top pan semis

COULD last year’s large and medium Panorama winners repeat their wins this year?

Well, it seems the bands are on their way to doing so.

Tobago’s Katzenjammers and bpTT Renegades topped their respective semifinal categories coming out of the Savannah Party at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain on January 28.

Initially, 14 medium bands and 16 large conventional steel bands were scheduled to perform, but that was whittled to 13 and 15 respectively after Valley Harps was disqualified for not having the minimum number of players and Harmonites withdrew from the competition.

However, the competition saw last year’s winners in both categories top the semifinals this year.

Katzenjammers led the medium category, playing Merchant’s Rock It and bpTT Renegades topped the large with its arrangement of Mical Teja’s potential Road March DNA.

Katzenjammers’ uptempo version of the late Merchant’s Rock It got the band 276 points, and Renegades’ arrangement of DNA got the band 282 points.

Medium bands moving on to the finals:

1. Katzenjammers – Rock It –276 points
2. NGC Couva Joylanders – Soca Tatie – 272 points
3. Curepe Scherzando Steel Orchestra – Darling – 270 points
4. Pamberi Steel Orchestra – Carnival Jumbie – 269 points
5. Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille – Moving – 268 points
6. Pan Elders Steel Orchestra – Come Out to Play – 266 points
7. Dixieland Steel Orchestra – This Melody Sweet – 265 points
8. Arima Angel Harps – Is Thunder – 261 points
9. NGC Steel Xplosion – Both Ah Them – 260 points
10. Sangre Grande Cordettes – Soca Baptist – 259 points

Large-band finals:

1. bpTT Renegades – DNA – 282 points
2. Massy Trinidad All Stars – Inventor – 281 points
3. Republic Bank Exodus – Long Time – 279 points
4. T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps – DNA – 275 points
5. Shell Invaders Steel Orchestra – Free Up – 275 points
6. Proman Starlift Steel Orchestra – Pan in A Minor Remastered – 275 points
7. Desperadoes Steel Orchestra – DNA – 275 points
8. HADCO Phase II Pan Groove – Gimme Everything – 274 points
9. NLCB Fonclaire Steel Orchestra – This Party is It – 274 points
10. Nutrien Silver Stars – Inventor – 273 points