‘Fast food’ pan arrangements lack taste

Panatics could argue that only three radio stations play a drip of pan music, and modern-day Panorama arrangements are not banged in your ears incessantly like soca, but it is more than that. Some arrangers are drifting from their moorings and experimenting, thereby cooking a tasteless musical pelau served only to their tribe — with no sweetness.

The memorable arrangements I refer to are the ones that hold you captive like an ISIS prisoner, and you are so enthralled that the music sticks in your mind and no matter how hard you try to forget, it grips you like a bad tabanca — it won’t go away.

Now I have been a pan enthusiast since a boy and have heard many decades of Panorama arrangements. I am no longer loyal to a band but just a supporter of great pan music, especially memorable Panorama arrangements.

The last great memorable Panorama arrangement I’ve heard is Leon “Smooth” Edwards’ It’s Showtime. Since that time I am confused, because a memorable Panorama arrangement must be enjoyed like an ice cream cone. It must have multi layers of sweetness from top to bottom which, after eating, the taste must linger in the mind, not mouth.

It sounds weird, but it is true.

Without trying too hard, I can recall several great Panorama arrangements, some not winning arrangements but all the same memorable.

They all have one thing in common — sweetness: Ken “Professor” Philmore’s Pan By Storm; Earl “Barney” Rodney’s The Wrecker and St Thomas Girl; Lennox “Bobby” Mohammed’s 67; Herschel Puckerin’s Du Du Yemi (Natasha); Ray Holman’s Pan On the Run and Pan Woman; Rudy Wells’ Rainorama; Leon “Smooth” Edwards’ Woman On the Bass and Curry Tabanca; Jit Samaroo’s Four Lara Four; Anthony “Muffman” Williams’ Dan Is the Man; Len “Boogsie” Sharpe’s Pan Rising, 79 Is Mine, Woman Is Boss; Robbie “Sugar Hand” Greenidge’s Musical Volcano and Pan Redemption; Beverly Griffith’s Melda; Carlton “Zanda” Alexander’s Ah Home; Clive Bradley’s Pan In Harmony, Hasely Crawford, Rebecca, High Mas and a slew of others.

Let’s be realistic, it will take a whole page to name all the great memorable Panorama arrangements, so these are just a few.

As we drift towards the finals of Panorama 2017, sweetness must be the weakness of the pan judges, and they won’t go wrong.

Keith Anderson via e-mail