‘I’m gonna win’

LACK OF food and an adrenaline rush caused Phase II arranger Len “Boogsie” Sharpe to collapse right after Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove played his winning composition, “Trini Gone Wild” at the National Panorama semi-finals held on Sunday night. However, nothing is going to stop Boogsie from winning the National Panorama this year, as he told Newsday, the year 1988 was the last time Phase II ever came first in a semis. “I’m gonna take it this year— I want it — I’m gonna work hard for it,” said Boogsie. Boogsie collapsed right after the band’s performance at the semi-finals. Despite feeling ill earlier on Sunday, Boogsie kept his illness a secret and proceeded to conduct the band on stage.

Members from the band scurried to quickly place him in a nearby EHS ambulance, which took him to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (POSGH). There he was treated for high blood pressure and was told by doctors that his collapse was a result of heat exhaustion. However, Boogsie refused to stay at the hospital as he felt he would be more comfortable at home, so he was discharged on Sunday night. When Newsday visited Boogsie’s St James home yesterday, young members from the band sat with him in the living room, as he tried to catch up with the other performances he missed that night.

Boogsie told Newsday he began feeling ill while the band was practising on the “Track,” but was too concerned about the band’s performance, than his health. He also blamed his collapse on not eating properly, as Boogsie said all he nibbled on that day was a dinner mint. “I was too busy to stop and eat. I actually lost track of time as the drilling of the band was very important,” said Boogsie. With fatigue on his face, Boogsie remembered feeling a sudden heat engulfing his body. “All I wanted was breeze. The whole excitement of conducting the performance made me so exhausted. I just felt like dropping down at anytime,” said Boogsie.

Last year was the first time Boogsie discovered he suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes blood, which left him bed-ridden during most of the Panorama season. While Boogsie recalled Phase II placing second for nine years, he believed this year would be it. “We have the advantage of a new song. The old tunes are killing the Panorama and I am begging Pan Trinbago to leave the Panorama alone,” said Boogsie. Phase II will resume practice today as Boogsie preferred to give his players a rest, as well as catch up on some sleep himself. “I will be happy when the Carnival season is over,” said Boogsie.

Exodus not threatened by Phase II’s rise

AINSWORTH MOHAMMED, manager of reigning National Panorama champion Sagicor Exodus, considers the winning performance delivered by Petrotrin Phase II Pan Groove at last Sunday’s semi-final round of the competition as “a blessing in disguise,” for his band. In an interview with Newsday, Mohammed said despite the developments at the weekend where his band traded places with Phase II for the top spot, he was not focusing on Phase II as a singular threat. Rather he was monitoring WITCO Desperadoes, Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars and bp Renegades as well. “These are all power bands,” said Mohammed. “They are our threats. However, the present competition shows Phase II and Despers better poised to cause an upset.

Playing Len “Boogsie” Sharpe’s arrangement of “Trini Gone Wild,” Phase II scored 454.8 points to clinch the top spot when Panorama 2005, staged by Pan Trinbago, entered the “Big Yard” Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. Defending “champs” Exodus was pushed into second place for its rendition De Fosto’s “From Beyond,” arranged by Pelham Goddard. The band earned 446 points. Ten-time National Panorama champion Desperadoes was nestled in third place with a score of 445 points for its rendition of “Action,” arranged by Clive Bradley. Coming out of the preliminary round of Panorama 2005 Exodus took the lead with a score of 333 points, followed by Desperadoes with 330 points and Phase II with 326 points.