Some of the Caribbean's top and most successful steelband arrangers will be showing off their stuff when the first Caribbean Steelband Panorama Championships takes place in Grenada on December 1st, 2001.

Antigua's ACB Harmonites will have Lingfield "Kodjo" Martin doing their arrangement of Pan Conversation by the Mighty Swallow. Barbados United Steel Orchestra (BUSO) will have ace Trinidadian arranger Jit Samaroo doing one of his own compositions. Samaroo is well known for his musical arrangements with Renegades in Trinidad and is no stranger to winning panorama championships. Outstanding Trinidadian arranger Clive Bradley, winner of many panorama competitions will be with the WITCO Desperadoes when they do Super Blue's Rebecca while another outstanding Trinidadian Pelham Goddard will be doing the music of Roger George's Happy Song for Exodus.

Errol Isaac will be doing Errol "De Man Age" Rose's We Want We Pan for Starlift from St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Gregory Emmanuel will be doing P.C.Brown's Song of Praise for Piton Diamond Steel Orchestra of St. Lucia while Woodman Ellis will be doing Eddy Grant's Give me Hope Gahanna.

Leading the challenge for home country Grenada will be NCB Angel Harps' James Clarkson, well known Caribbean musician and winner of many championships at home in Grenada. He will be doing an arrangement of his own composition Jam It. He will be joined by David "Peck" Edwards of GBC New Dimensions, and Michael Robertson for Grenlec Rainbow City All Stars. Edwards, a young and successful arranger in the Grenada panorama competition who has taken his band GBC New Dimension to several panorama championships, will be doing one of his own compositions Pan is Progress. Michael "Blaize" Robertson, another young Grenadian arranger will be doing Hercules' Steelband in Town for the Rainbow City All Stars.

There's certainly going to be a clash of the musical pan giants come December 1 and it's going to be a musical feast that you cannot afford to miss. Followers of the steelband movement are all too aware of the exploits of some the "bards' coming to Grenada for the Panorama Showdown and could well be in for a surprise from the lesser known arrangers.

So be warned. Be at the National Stadium, St. George's Grenada on December 1 at 8.00 pm and you wont regret it. The Pan Generals wont allow it.

Media Release
Caripan Secretariat, St. George's