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Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra, Khan Cordice, return to Win 2011 Antigua-Barbuda National Panorama

“The Panorama was fantastic. All the bands played exceptionally well... I thought they did very well indeed.  And it demonstrates that Panorama is regaining its prominence in Carnival once again. So as far as I’m concerned, Steelband music won tonight....” The Honourable Baldwin Spencer - Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda

 Another When Steel Talks Exclusive     © 2011 When Steel Talks - All Rights Reserved

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Antigua & Barbuda - Antigua & Barbuda is the only country in the world where a sitting Prime Minster can be seen pulling or pushing a pan rack filled with steelpan instruments onto and off the stage during a national panorama contest.  This was again the circumstance during this year’s event.  This Prime Minister - the Honourable Winston Baldwin Spencer - knows Pan!

As he himself so aptly put it - “....Steelband music won tonight;” that about says it all on the 2011 Antigua and Barbuda National Panorama held last Tuesday.  And with that, it is implicit that at least on this night there was a clear understanding of the need, value and uprightness of meeting the challenge of elevating and supporting the steelpan music genre immediately, and in the years going forward.

Hell's Gate
Hell’s Gate

The world-renowned Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra took the much sought-after 2011 Antigua and Barbuda national panorama crown with their rendition of calypso great Rupert Mighty Swallow Philo’s “Satan Coming Down.”  The song was arranged by the young steelpan music standout Khan Cordice.  Swallow, who is celebrating his 50th year as a performing artist in the music business, also took the stage with Hell’s Gate as they performed to an engaged crowd at the Antigua Recreation Grounds in the country’s capital, St. John’s.  Swallow would also return later when the 2010 champions, Halcyon, took the stage, also playing another of his greatest all-time hits “Don’t Stop The Party.”

Dressed in a red zoot suit, Swallow seemed quite pleased with the arrangement of his music on pan, and the attention he was receiving as he pranced around the stage during Hell’s Gate presentation.  Band members were clad in all black, the color interestingly synonymous - on this particular night - with both the subject matter of their tune of choice (Satan Coming Down) and part of the orchestra’s own name, Hell’s Gate.


video of Hell’s Gate winning performance

Using a three-judge system (all were from Trinidad), six of the country’s steel orchestras participated in this very well-attended 2011 national panorama competition; Ebonites, Hell’s Gate, East Vibes, Halcyon, Gemonites and Harmonites, in that order.

The stands were filled with steelband lovers.  In addition, there were those die-hard pan fans who anchored themselves firmly and directly in front the stage, cheering wildly as their favorite bands played their hearts out in a bid to snatch the 2011 championship title and bragging rights.

For the overall event, not even conditions described as “swamp-like,” and “a virtual mud hole” - with both people, and racks laden with steelpan instruments weighing several hundred pounds, sinking deeply into mud due to the ongoing rain earlier during the day - could stop the 2011 National Panorama.  Practically superhuman efforts on the part of almost all the bands were needed to literally lift stands and instruments on their way to the stage, instead of rolling them up and on as is customarily the case.  The average time lapse amid band performances increased dramatically to between thirty-five and forty-five minutes, as band members and supporters struggled to get instruments and racks on and off stage.  It is not a stretch to imagine how exhausted musicians probably were, just before they began to perform after such unanticipated and challenging exertion.

Guest artist Panache Steel Orchestra entertained the crowd before the competition began, through 8:20 p.m., and ten minutes later saw the end of the delivery of the country’s national anthem.  In terms of time, the impact of the racks and pans having to be negotiated along the way to playing positions was being felt.  It was already 9:12 p.m. before ninety-five players of the 1977 Panorama champs, Ebonites, struck their first chords of Aubrey “Lacu” Samuel’s arrangement of Short Shirt’s “Nobody Go Run Me.”  The band faced several challenges along their way to the 2011 panorama, including that of their regular tuner not making it to Antigua.

Forty-seven minutes later at 9:59 p.m. it was the turn of the band established in 1945 - and the eventual 2011 champs – Hell’s Gate, to stake their musical claim, with one hundred players sounding off.  Newcomer to the Panorama competition, East Vibes Steel Orchestra delivered “Panorama Night,” an original composition of their arranger Curtis “CC” Cochrane, at 10:42 p.m., to be followed by Halcyon, celebrating their fortieth year of existence as a music organization.

Halcyon
Halcyon

Naturally the steel orchestra had looked forward to the Panorama title to be their crowning glory for 2011.  With a track record of twenty-two Panorama championships between 1972 and 2010, four of those consecutive wins (1992-1995) - they were more than up to the task, and entitled to the aspiration.  Arranger Victor “Babu” Samuel’s vision of “Don’t Stop The Party” and UK-based tuner Dudley Dickson’s handiwork came through clearly in the steelpan instruments commanded by the band’s one hundred and three musicians, right through to their final notes at 11:39 p.m.

Competing in position five with their resident arranger, Patrick “Stone” Johnson, was Gemonites Steel Orchestra, which last took the Panorama championship back in 2005 (which, incidentally, was also held July 28).   With Johnson’s arrangement of  “Frenzy” the band gave it their best shot, beginning 12:25 a.m., fielding between sixty-five and seventy-five steelband musicians - the normal complement for the band (they won with seventy-six players in 2005).  The difference with the band this time around was a larger number of young people; this according to Joseph “Jowato” Henry, a senior management member of Gemonites.

East Vibes
East Vibes

The band which had the luxury of being the one to make the ‘lasting impression’ on the audience and judges, was Harmonites with seventy players.  This was also the second time the arranging talents of Aubrey “Lacu” Samuel were heard for the night, the first time being with the first band up.  He arranged Harmonites’ tune of choice “Tribute to Swallow: 50 Years” sung by Carl “De Panman” Richards.

With respect to the performances, all was said, done - and played - by 1:27 a.m.  After a well-received, three-song appearance by Antigua & Barbuda soca favorite “Drastic,” it was 2:08 a.m. when the results were announced, and by then the rain had returned.  The weather had held up well for the duration of the competition, much to the relief of the steel orchestras, audience and event organizers. 

Certificates of Appreciation were first bestowed upon each of the six participating bands, for making the 2011 national Panorama what it was.  Then came the moment all had been waiting for:  results.  Harmonites were deemed second runners-up, defending champions Halcyon had to be content with the first runner-up position, and Hell’s Gate triumphed in the 2011 Antigua & Barbuda National Panorama; both Hell’s Gate and Halcyon received their trophies from Prime Minister Spencer.

Editor’s note:

Months later in March 2012, HALCYON Steel Orchestra was eventually declared JOINT 2011 Panorama champion with Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra following a protracted protest by the former, relative to the points tally during for the 2011 competition. Back and forth persisted as late as August 2012.

Click for more on Panorama in Antigua & Barbuda

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