Big bands stay away

PAN TRINBAGO’S decision to stage the orchestra final of this year’s World Steelband Music Festival outside of Trinidad and Tobago has failed to attract participation from some of the country’s most established steelbands. The final of the festival is advertised to take place in England, during the month of October.

According to Pan Trinbago’s Festival register, steelband heavy rollers Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars, bp Renegades, WITCO Desperadoes and Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove, have all once again opted not to participate in the festival, in that category. However, Trinidad All Stars will be represented at the event in the ensemble category. Registration for participants in the major (orchestra) and minor categories (soloists, duets, quartets, ensembles and single pan bands) of the festival officially closed on Friday, June 11. On that day, Laventille-based Witco Desperadoes Steel Orchestra had indicated a return to the biennial festival — which it won on three consecutive occasions between 1986 and 1992 — when it signed up to compete.

But last week personnel at the festival secretariat, located at Pan Trinbago’s Park Street head office, announced that Desperadoes had bowed out of the competition, as did another entrant, San Juan-based Pamberi Steel Orchestra. Efforts to contact the leaders of Desperadoes and Pamberi on the weekend were to no avail. Beresford Hunte, leader of Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra said after his band was thrown out in the preliminary round of the 1998 Steelband Music Festival its management took a decision to withdraw from the competition, until further notice. He said: “We were on course to achieving a hat-trick that year, but were thrown out in the prelims. “That devastated the band. Since the festival was revived All Stars has always competed and had always been among the top three in the finals.”  

A count of steelbands likely to take part in the festival, as of last Friday (July 23) totalled 13. Each will be required to perform a two-song repertoire comprising the test piece, Lord Kitchener’s “Pan In A Minor,” and a tune-of-choice. They are scheduled to do musical battle during a two-part local qualifying round of competition on August 24-25 at the Jean Pierre Complex, Fitzblackman Drive, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain. Eight bands will advance to the final rostered for August 28 at the same venue. From that crop of participants, the top three will represent this country at the world final, which is expected to take place, two months later, in England. When contacted by Newsday, Richard Forteau, secretary of Pan Trinbago said the standard of this year’s festival should not be determined by the names of the bands taking part. “These bands (Desperadoes, Renegades, All Stars and Phase II) did not take part in the last two festivals and are not taking part this year.

We believe that we have bands that can rise to the occasion. “Tropical Angel Harps has been in the festival since the eighties providing good music. We also have bands as Skiffle Bunch, Exodus, Invaders, Defence Force, Solo Pan Knights, NCLB Buccooneers, Courts Sound Specialists and Gary Strakers taking part,” said Forteau. He made the point that these bands have been taking part in the festival and performing at a high standard. Forteau noted that unlike the National Panorama competition, the  Steelband Music Festival is for highly dedicated and disciplined pan musicians. “It is different from going in a pan- yard and learning an eight-minute Panorama tune. “The Music Festival is more educational. The arranger has to explain the concept of the pieces being played to the pannists, which allows for a better interpretation and performance,” said the Pan Trinbago official. Forteau stated that once Desperadoes returns to the Festival, fans know they would be in for treat based on the band’s history at the event, likewise Phase II. “All the bands in this year’s festival are seeing England as the top prize above the actual cash prizes. The festival is going to be of a high standard. The bands are in the festival for the ultimate prize — to reach England,” said Forteau.