Pan Ramajay is back after 16 years
IT’S time to Ramajay again. The folk word which means to let go or break away is particularly true for members of the pan fraternity as the Pan Ramajay competition has returned after a 16 year hiatus.
When the competition began in 1989 it was done to create a competition outside of Panorama and the Steelpan Music Festival. Fernandes Vat19 Fonclaire and the Samaroo Jets jointly won the first Pan Ramajay. The competition stopped in 2004 because there was insufficient funding to host it properly, Republic Bank Exodus’ manager Ainsworth Mohammed said on June 10 in a phone interview with Newsday.
Initially, “the alternative competition would allow small ensembles of up to ten members to show their talent in the art of improvisation coupled with their virtuoso performance on the pans,” mypanyard.co.uk said.
It added, “In 1993 the soloist competition was introduced to Pan Ramajay. As soloists they are accompanied by an in-house band and take centre stage to display their skills. The winner of the first soloist competition was Dennis ‘Smithy’ Smith from Saint Madeleine Village, South Trinidad. In 1994 Natasha Joseph became the first female to enter the competition, playing the double tenor, and was placed as runner up.”
The management of exodus always considered hosting the competition again. The growth of online events in the wake of the covid19 pandemic encouraged the management to do so. It will take place from June 13-27. Originally, the competition was only open to TT pannists.
But this virtual Pan Ramajay “is open to steelpan musicians internationally, regardless of time zone/country and is designed to feature soloists, duos and quartets using any instrument in the steelpan family,” a media release said. Pannists were required to register via e-mail by June 3. Registration was free and they could enter any or all categories. The preliminary list posted on the band’s Facebook page showed pannists from TT, the US, St Maarten, Barbados, Japan, Denmark, Puerto Rico, Guyana, St Thomas, Antigua and Barbuda competing.
By Melissa Doughty
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
