The horses are at the gates for Panorama 2009. The red light is flashing, and pretty soon the biggest festival in the Carnival mix will be on its way. My spy network, better than the CIA, Mossad, MI5, and KGB, has been fully activated. Reports are filtering back to base at an alarming rate. Veteran arranger Earl Brooks will be at Casablanca and South pannist Darren Shepherd goes to Gonzales Sheikers. I've already said Leon "Smooth" Edwards will add his magic touch to Solo Pan Knights (I hope they don't sound like Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars). Brian "Bean" Griffith will handle arranging duties at Hilarks and Our Boys in Tobago.
Pan Trinbago shows spunk....again!
I like when Pan Trinbago shows some spunk and innovation. They showed it last year with the pantastic Creme de la Creme Concert which replaced the sleeping pill Champs In Concert. Now Pan Trinbago has again freed up the final night of the Panorama in the Conventional Orch category. Only eight finalists will appear on the night of February 21 at the Big Yard. What a relief! Pan Trinbago can now put on at least two guest artistes singing pan songs before the results are announced, adding a next dimension to the show. Today I am calling on panmen to embrace change, which adds growth and dynamision, or be dragged into the future screaming. Take your choice!
Alvin Daniell,'The Father of Pan Songs'
Pan songs are rolling out faster than the speed of sound. Leon "Smooth" Edwards has jumped in the fray with Pan Rivalry. He has gone for the best with Sir Leston Paul and the songwriting genius of Larry Harewood. Word is that Roderick "Chucky" Gordon, who shook up Panorama2K8 with Thunder Coming (voted Pan Song of the Year by Cott), is coming with Pace, and Panmen Getting Sorf, arranged by Roger Israel. Curtis Edwards' Play Dis One is also in the mix and is a tribute to Witco Desperadoes deceased bassman Frank "Crawl" Findlay. Alvin Daniel, 'the Father of Pan Songs' (nice title eh?), has just released his compilation, and boy it's delightful. I always feel that Alvin should now look at his production as a double album. Too many pan songs get leave out. Nevertheless, he deserves praise for keeping pan songs alive. Talking about pan songs, I am not hearing Lennox "Bobby" Mohammed's Spreading Mas on the airwaves. Radio deejays, please give pan songs their just due please. Play them!
Boogsie' to unleash his 'Magic'
My spies penetrated the wall of secrecy surrounding the Panorama 2K9 collaboration between Len "Boogsie" Sharpe and Machel Montano. Word is that the song is Magic Drums, written by Gregory "GB" Ballantine, one of calypso's most prolific composers. Meanwhile, Boogsie's former lyrical sidekick, Anthony "Lexo" Alexis, is on the sidelines for Panorama 2009. He had planned to release a song called Party but had a serious accident that laid him up. Lexo and Boogsie formed an unbeatable combination for seven years. My spies also tell me that Brother Valentino has another classic pan song in the oven, while True, True Story, done by the unlikely duo of Boogsie and Bro Superior is said to be one of the most ingenious compositions produced this year.
Of City Kids and Pan folklore
Space did not permit me to send condolences to the Toussaint family and City Kids (local and international) on the death of veteran panman Mackie. I know of the band City Kids as a little boy. Associated with the band is the famed Carlie Byer. I remember these City Kids converting flour bag into a fine art. They played sailor as well as prisoners, and reportedly was the only band that took a "short cut" through the Queen's Park Savannah to attend competition, or to win a case of rum sponsored by the then Carnival Development Committee (CDC). Pan folklore has it that the City Kids were steelband's original quick change artistes. Is not me who say so! Okay.
Until next week keep loving up the pan.