Caribbean Metal Pantime Steel Orchestra is two-time winner of Junior Panorama
By Samuel Sukhnandan, SNO reporter St. Lucia News
The Caribbean Metal Pantime Steel Orchestra did not let a rainy Junior Panorama Competition last Sunday (Mar. 30) dampen their spirits on their road to a double victory of the event.
The Caribbean Metal Pantime Steel Orchestra won the Cultural Development Foundation (CDF)-organised pan competition, among a field of six steel bands on the grounds of the National Cultural Centre. This is the steel band’s second win in a row.
Senior Events and Production Officer of the CDF Tyrone Harris told St Lucia News Online (SNO) that they had a successful staging of the event. The event brought six steel bands, including Diamond Steel Junior Orchestra, Caribbean Metal Pantime Steel Orchestra, St Lucy Steel Orchestra, Pantastic Music Orchestra and Harmonised Steel Orchestra, from across the island.
Coming in third place was St. Lucy Steel Orchestra and second place went to the Diamond Junior Steel Orchestra.
“We were not too pleased with the turn out of the general public, but that will take us back to the drawing board and see of a way of getting the public to come out to such important and rich events,” Harris said.
The event was also affected by continuous downpours. Harris lauded those who came in support of the youth, adding that it will give them an extra push to continue with the art form. Nonetheless, he rated the individual and collective performances of the bands as fantastic.
The judges, who included President of PanTribago Keith Dias, said the judging panel was impressed with the bands’ performances. The judges also praised the CDF for helping to organise, “unique junior arrangements.”
The aim of the panorama, Harris said, is to draw an increased participation of young people in playing pan. “We want to use pan as something that youth can get more involved in.”
The CDF currently runs a training programme for youth with an interest in steel pan music. Senior pan players have also formed groups to teach the youth how to play and tune steel pans. “We want to see more of this happening,” Harris added.
Junior Panorama was first introduced by the CDF in 2004, with the participation of five bands. Over the years, CDF has provided opportunities for training young people in the art form from communities, including Laborie, Vieux Fort, Micoud, Babonneau and Castries.
PHOTOS: Caribbean Pan Orchestra also won the 2013 Junior Panamora Competition. File photo from www.panonthenet.com.
Diamond Steel Junior Orchestra placed second in the competition.
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