‘Sweet 50’

Dexter John Stewart, better known as “Blaxx” was born December 21^st, 1962.

Dexter started his musical journey at the tender age age of thirteen, where his father Jerry Stewart who fielded his own band called “Jerry and New School” molded him into what we see today.

Dexter then joined a very popular band called “Fucceccion” where he became “Blaxx” after a ten-year span. He then went on to join many other bands like “Atlantic”, “Byron Lee and the Dragonaires” and “Blue Ventures”.

In 1999 when the legend himself, Mr. Roy Cape approached “Blaxx” and asked him to join his family of musicians (Roy Cape All Stars). Mr. Blaxx honourably accepted - and the rest is history.

Since 1999 “Blaxx” and Roy Cape have kept “Roy Cape All Stars” in the forefront of the Soca Music industry. To say the least “Blaxx” is one of the most versatile artists in the Soca today.

2015 represents the 16^th year, Mark Loquan is composing for Panorama.  Mark is also the Musical Director of the first steelband in Western Australia, Perth Pandemix which started in early 2013.  He has produced/co-produced works such as Passion for Pan album (2000), and the pioneering products of Pan In Education (2004), and Pan in Education 2 (2011).

Mark has produced several popular songs for Panorama, which have been performed in Trinidad, and across the globe in main pan events as well as in schools and universities.  Starting with songs like Glory, Passion for Pan, Fire and Steel, Identity, Frenzy, Colours Again, he has also collaborated musically with Amrit Samaroo, Edwin Pouchet, Ken “Professor” Philmore, Andy Shaefe—and for 2015 with Seion Gomez—to produce songs like Celebration Time, Hooked, Dangerous, Surrender, Calling Meh, and Vibes. He has also worked with a multitude of singers, writers, and performers and has enjoyed long term collaborations with Denyse Plummer and Destra Garcia over his musical journey.

Mark took a break for 2014 after 15 consecutive years of producing music for pan, but is back with music for the 2015 Panorama season.

Ken “Professor” Philmore has been arranging music for Panorama since 1982. He has had many successes to date, viz 6 first places with Sonatas of New York, 2 with Sound Specialists of Laventille and numerous second places. His closest to victory in the large band category of Trinidad & Tobago Panorama was back in 1990 with Fonclaire and “Pan By Storm” when the band placed second to Renegades’ “Iron Man.”   In addition to arranging, to date he has done several panorama compositions, the latter 5 years being in collaboration with Mark Loquan and Destra.

Ken continues to spread the steelband culture worldwide.  As an ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument he has performed at several international jazz festivals and events worldwide, inclusive of a recent visit to Japan, where he conducted a series of lectures and concerts.

He also visited and performed in South Africa and Nigeria for their respective Carnivals in 2011, and returned to Nigeria in November 2012 along with Sound Specialists of Laventille at the invitation  of the government for the Carnival celebrations in Abuja. 

Ken’s aim is to have the youths embrace the artform. He dares to include hip hop, rap, reggae, funk and anything he believes would attract the youths, without losing the sweetness that would appeal to the pan connoisseurs. Hence his arrangements may be considered “non-traditional” or “outside of the box,” while exuding his rich musical soulful style and “down to earth” personality.