Short notice for single pan bands

Judging for the first four of eleven South and Central bands began on Friday evening, with judges going around to each panyard.

Garvin Williams, leader of the single pan band Super Vibes, of La Romaine, said, “We were practising five songs, but then members boycott me for not being paid from last year.

But after the payment came, Panorama was back on, but we only got notice on Monday, so we had to finish the tune in four days.

We finish the tune in four days with the goodness and the strength of all the people in the community that love the band and love the pan.” Super Vibes is competing this year with the popular 2017 hit, Full Extreme, by Ultimate Rejects.

The song was arranged by Hudson Henry.

The short notice was felt by the three other competing bands, including Vistabella- based Shades in Steel playing Burning Flames’ “Showdown”, Gasparillo’s Highlighters Orchestra playing “Fete” by Super Blue, and Jah Roots from Point Fortin playing “Sixty Seven” by Kitchener.

Leader of Highlighters Orchestra, Federico Gay, said the band was not able to put in all the elements of Jason Farrell’s arrangement of “Fete” as they would have liked, but they pressed on for the love of the instrument.

Sixty-seven single pan bands have registered to participate in this year’s competition which spans several days in Trinidad and Tobago.

Preliminary judging for the East will be today and tomorrow followed by judging for the North from Tuesday until Thursday.

Finals for the single pan category will be on January 29.