Nine Caribbean Steelbands go head to head on Saturday:

Nine of the top steel orchestras in the Caribbean will on Saturday night compete for the first ever Caribbean Panorama Champions Title at the National Stadium in Queens Park, Grenada.

Ten bands were originally expected to compete but financial difficulties in getting to Grenada ruled out the Guyana entrant, North American Steel Orchestra leaving a field of nine bands, Desperadoes & Exodus of Trinidad & Tobago, Angel Harps, New Dimension and Rainbow City All Stars from Grenada, Starlift from St. Vincent, Harmonites from Antigua, Semi Quavered from Barbados and Diamond Steel of St. Lucia.

The competition has drawn a lot of interest both locally, regionally and internationally. Practice Sessions of the bands at Pan Village in Tanteen has attracted many Grenadians and on Friday there was a good crowd on hand to listen to the Desperadoes practice at 1.00 am (Saturday morning). The finals will be broadcast live on radio in Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, Antigua and on WLIB New York.

Saturday night is expected to be the brightest spot on a competition that is unsponsored and has been dogged by financial difficulties from the start, resulting in the program having to be re-adjusted at least on two occasions. ABC Harmonites will fire the first salvo and the competition will be completed when Wito Desperadoes, playing at position number 9, finish their performance

Media Release
Caripan Secretariat, St. George's