Tobago on stream for historic pan show

Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore says plans are well on stream to host the national finals of the medium conventional steelband Panorama competition in Tobago.

The event is expected to be held on February 22 at the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, from 7pm. Speaking to Newsday Tobago, an excited Ramsey-Moore reiterated the competition will create history on the island.

“It is the first major national finals of any kind of event to be held in Tobago and we are hoping it comes off satisfactorily,” she said.

Ramsey-Moore added the Tobago House of Assembly has already agreed to support the initiative. “So, we are working together.”

Ramsey-Moore, who is also manager of the Black Rock-based Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra, claimed she knew of several people who purchased airline tickets to come to Tobago for the competition.

The Pan Trinbago president said she was extremely pleased with the calibre of the performances in the single-pan competition and the recently concluded preliminary round of the small-band competition.

She said eight Tobago bands have qualified for the semi-finals of the competition, which is being held on January 11 at Victoria Square, Port of Spain.

These include Uptown Fascinators, Tobago Pan-Thers, C&B Crown Cordaans, Our Boys and Plymouth/Bethesda Steel Orchestra.

Ramsey-Moore said: “I am excited about the Panorama competitions. We closed off with a bang with the single pan bands. We would have separated the categories so the single pan bands were of a really high standard.

“And we are now moving into the small bands and even that category is going to be another exciting category based on the performances thus far, extremely high standard and we look forward to having a bang for the finals at the Queen’s Park Savannah (Port of Spain).”

Ramsey-Moore said pan enthusiasts should not miss the medium conventional steelband competition as it promises to be both exciting and keenly-contested.

By Corey Connelly

Trinidad and Tobago Newsday