Exodus declares war

The St Augustine night air was pregnant with expectancy and confidence.

The cacophony of sounds were a mixture of sweet, light pounding notes of the steelpan, clinking beer bottles and just plain chatter, with sporadic peals of joyous laughter and friendly shouting. Such was the atmosphere at the Exodus panyard Saturday night as the reigning Panorama champion was getting ready for its performance before the judges for the 2004 edition of the competition. The crowd began assembling even before the sun had set and by the time the judges arrived shortly after 10 o’clock, it had swelled to hundreds.

Exodus, playing de Fosto’s “War 2004,” went through its paces, slowly at first, akin to a war room strategy, and then faster and faster, as though building up for that final musical assault on the judges. But before the attack came de Fosto himself, who worked up the crowd into a frenzy by going into the middle and singing his composition, with pan beaters in the background lightly touching the relevant notes on their instruments. A handsome applause and things simmered down again, until the word came, “The judges had arrived at the Birdsong panyard” just a few blocks away and as the word made the rounds, the hum of excitement grew, and the band, to the delight of the crowd, did it one more time with Drillmaster Pat Bishop walking through the band ensuring that everything was in place, while arranger Pelham Goddard tried to remain as calm as ever.

Finally the moment arrived and the judges filed into the panyard and took their seats smack in the middle of the descending green patch that is the Exodus “amphitheatre.” Then a great hush descended on the place and expectation grew so thick, you could have sliced it with a knife. All was now ready for the signal to begin the “war.” The familiar get ready tick..tick.tick bored through the silence and within seconds the assault began. Halfway into the performance the silence broke as whispers, rising to shouts of jubilation and ecstasy culminating into one thunderous whelp of appreciation as the final note sounded.

All Pat Bishop would say afterwards is, “It was clean.” Former Exodus arranger Desmond Waithe said it was “unbeatable. Pelham really went overboard this time,” he added. Manager Ainsworth Mohammed was pleased with the performance. And just as they had come in earlier that evening, full of hope that Exodus would live up to its reputation of “sweet pan,” the followers started filing out slowly but in animated conversations in small groups all over the yard, everyone was singing the praises of the “Pearl of the East.” And the consensus — a back to back championship. I am not a gambling man, but I think it is a good wager.