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The semifinal round of the three-year and immensely-growing online steelpan competition, PanoGrama, was held on May 29, from 8 to 10 pm, where 20 pannists representing eight countries participated. Ten advanced to the finals. To set the tone as an opening act, was Canada’s Gabriel Chartrand.
Winner of the preliminary round, USA’s David Yundi and fourth semifinal act was plummeted to 3rd place with 87.7 points (p) with his rendition of DJ Private Ryan x Freetown Collective’s reggae hit, Feel the Love. Behind France’s Mathieu Borne, 2nd with 93.7 points with a Lord Kitchener’s, Sour Apple, a cool calypso genre.
Borne caused the presenters and online audience to remark, while the apple may have been sour, the rendition was sweet.
Emerging winner with his interpretation of a Chick Corea jazz-fusion, Spain was T&T’s Shaquille “Flogo” Forbes with 94 points, who didn’t only wear Corea on his T-shirt, but used him as a still prop.
Completing the top five were T&T’s Aquila Pereira in full Hawaiian attire, complementing set, dance moves and sun-bursting smiles—4th with 86.7 points, with the salsa song, Vivir Mi Vida. Hanif Goodridge, 5th with 84.3 points for his interpretation of the smooth jazz hit, The Masquerade, by George Benson. Goodridge presented the masquerade in its entirety from attire including red rose on tux lapel to gold full-face masquerade mask to the set.
First-time participant who sounded an early warning from prelims, that “Belize is here,” Alexander Evans, made it to the finals.
T&T’s Aquila Pereira placed fourth in the semifinal round of PanoGrama 2022 with Vivir Mi Vida.
Also, making it to the finals are T&T’s Tevin Shockness—6th with 84 points, Jaron Woodley, 7th with 83 points and Emmanuel Joseph, 8th with 82.3 points. Belize’s Alexander Evans placed 9th with 81.3 points and Grenada’s Michel Smith, 10th with 81 points.
Presenters: founder and CEO of PanoGrama Entertainment, Nevin Roach, and Aundrea Roach, opened the curtain with the PanoGrama anthem, followed by opening remarks by the Secretary of The Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities and Transportation, Tobago, Councillor Tashia Burris.
Apart from impressive sentiments on the event, Burris extended an invitation to Roach to bring PanoGrama to Tobago next year, 2023.
Roach explained that PanoGrama goes very deep. “The idea is not that the pannists simply participate in PanoGrama, but to grow through PanoGrama. It’s an all-inclusive experience. We are not just about entertainment.”
Countries represented for semis were Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Canada, France, Grenada, St Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago, and USA, and countries advancing to finals are France, USA, Belize, Grenada and T&T.
Judges were Dr Mia Gormandy-Benjamin, Adj. Professor Victor Provost, and Prof Liam Teague with substitutes having been Andy Chichester and Ojay Richards.
The prizes for the overall winner are an all-expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas, 1 brand-new Perfect Steel tenor pan and case, US$1,000, and a private session with a world-renowned steelpannist, while each 2022 participant receives a pair of exquisitely-made pan sticks (mallets).
There is also a Best Dressed and People’s Choice category.
PanoGrama grand finals—The World Cup of Pan—is carded for June 12, 2022 at 8 pm.
