The Panorama Steel Band Competition
The World's Premier Steel Drum Contest in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
Jun 23, 2009
During the weekend before Carnival, the largest steel band competition in the world takes place, with twelve 100-piece bands vying for the win. But the preparation for Panorama begins months before the actual contest.
Road March: Soca Compositions
Since the early 1930's, the road march title has been one of the most sought-after honors in Trinidad, with calypsonians such as Lord Kitchener and the Mighty Sparrow dominating the competition over the years. A road march is typically played by a band made up of drums, bass, guitar, keyboard, singers, and of course, the steel drum, and the lyrics are often sexual in nature.
During Carnival, the bands cruise the streets on trucks, and typically a huge crowd of revelers follows them on their route. While winning the road march competition is highly prestigious for the composer, that title is unrelated to the Panorama competition.
Panorama Steel Band Arrangements
In the months leading up to Carnival, the road marches are played everywhere, from the taxis to shops and restaurants. Each steel band chooses one road march, and their arrangers (who are often composers themselves) adapt the tune for the band.
The average road march is 3-5 minutes long, but Panorama arrangements are closer to 10 minutes. Creating a Panorama version of a road march involves composing new music as well. The main melody from the road march is recognizable in the arrangement, but with several key changes and other alterations throughout the chart.
Trinidad Steel Band Rehearsals
The steel bands, which are allowed up to 100 members (but frequently have more, despite the rules), begin rehearsing their arrangements months before Panorama. Most band members work day jobs, so rehearsals generally start late at night and finish in the early hours of the morning.
Written music is rarely involved in a Panorama chart. All music is learned by rote, meaning the band members listen and watch to figure out their part. As Carnival approaches, rehearsals turn into a show themselves, with fans crowding the panyards where the bands practice to check out the tune.
The Panorama Competition: Trinidad's Carnival
The Panorama competition is split into a schedule of preliminary rounds and semi-finals in several zones held over the weeks leading up to Carnival. Panorama is divided into categories based on band size, including large, medium, and small bands, as well as a junior contest.
The competition is fierce, each band with its own loyal followers, and the results of each round are headline news. The contests themselves are notoriously disorganized and surrounded by controversy; often the story isn't so much who won, but rather who didn't win.
Grand Finals are the Saturday before Carnival Tuesday at in Queens Park Savannah, where the final twelve bands line up on the "drag" and wait for their performance. The awards show is directly after the last band, usually early Sunday morning, and marks the beginning of one of the biggest celebrations in the world; Trinidad's Carnival.
More About Panorama
For more information about Trinidad Carnival and the Panorama Competition, visit Go Trinidad & Tobago. If you'd like to more more about the steel drum, read up on the history of the instrument.
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