peter.christopher@guardian.co.tt
Less than hour after the first medium band hit the stage at the Queen’s park Savannah in Port-of-Spain, it was clear that crowds were coming for yesterday’s National Panorama Semi-Finals.
After a two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic, pan lovers were eager to enjoy the show.
By 3 pm, the North Stand was almost completely filled, long before the Large Band category started.
There, several corporate crews had gathered with food and beverages being served aplenty while rhythm sections quickly picked where bands left off following the presentations.
The Grand Stand did have its share of patrons, with legendary musician Roy Cape among those who opted to take in the show from that vantage point.
Pan Trinbago President Beverly Ramsey-Moore said she was surprised by how early the crowds turned out.
“I think at this hour, I am like shocked to know that the North Stand is already filled and the Grand Stand is filling up nicely. You know, normally, the larger crowds will come in for the large bands but people are so hungry for happy music that they are here and I am really, really pleased and very happy about this,” Ramsey-Moore told Guardian media at the event.
Along the Drag to the Savannah, there was a constant stream of people, as patrons admitted they were happy to once again enjoy the “Trini picnic.”
“I feel great being here today. I feel so good being out of the house, after how much years, two years?” said Theodora Andrews, who said she expected even more people to come to the Savannah later in the evening.
This sentiment was shared by Eckles Alphonse, who said it was wonderful to be back in Savannah to hear pan.
“We lay low for a little while, but we finally get it back and we are liking it,” said Alphonse.
Over in the Greens, however, there was little to no activity, as only a handful of people had entered the area in the early afternoon.
However, it was evident that many of those present were prepping for a large-scale party zone later in the day, as stages were in place and bars were still being outfitted at the various crew zones.
Pan Trinbago president Ramsey-Moore explained that she had asked for the crews on the Greens to start their events later.
“Normally, the Greens go a little later, that’s when you have the big artistes coming in,” she said while being interviewed at 3 pm.
“I don’t want the Greens to start now at all. I have asked the NCC to have the action in the Greens a little later because we do not want anything interfering with the performance of the bands. So, a little later, we will all have a grand time in the greens.”
D’ Greens, as it was stylised, was slated to have a number of performances from soca artistes, including Superblue, David Rudder, Destra, Voice and many others.
Those performances were set to start from 4 pm.