Once again the Savannah was on fire with Pan in Yuh Pwefen! Sweet pan as Trinidadians like to say and it was one that was full of the usual 'ole talk and bacchanalia' that is the norm for barrel lovers. The judges never know what they are doing but are always right when "my band" makes it to the big stage. This will never change. However, most people don't realize or simply don't want to accept the fact that the people judging the steel band music have always been right with the final results. Simply because we "find that the music sounded sweet" does not mean that the band scored well in the judging categories that the judges are marking on the score sheets. Indeed, the judges decisions are final (so be it) but the fact remains that every Trinidadian feels that he/she knows better resulting in a barrage of reasons to scratch our heads. We need to understand that the judges really respect the art form and will always do their best to give a fair assessment of the performance. Indeed we all have our biases but I believe that the professionalism of these people supersedes their prejudices ensuring just results.
Here are the results of the semi finals that took place on Sunday.
Ten (10) steel orchestras in each category will move to the next round in two separate Finals (bands in blue move on to the finals)
Ten (10) steel orchestras in each category will move to the next round in two separate Finals (bands in blue move on to the finals)
Large Bands:
1 Petrotrin Phase 11 Pan Groove Pan Army 277
2 PCS Silver Stars Battle Zone 273
3 TCL Group Skiffle Bunch Pan On Fire 272
4 Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars Large Is Large 266
5 Solo Harmonites Smooth Sailing 260
5 WITCO Desperadoes Musical Magnum 260
5 Caribbean Airlines Invaders Tell Dem 260
8 NLCB Fonclair Rewind 259 9 rbtt Redemption Sound Setters Pan On Fire 258
10 bp Renegades Battle Zone 257
11 T&TEC Tropical Angel Harps Battle Zone 256
12 Sagicor Exodus Pan in the Mas 255
13 Starlift Pandemic 254
14 Pamberi Sweetness 242
14 Our Boys Something Special 242
16 Petrotrin Siparia Deltones Pavement 238
17 Birdsong Vibes of a Mad Man 235
Medium Bands:
1 Steel Xplosion Radica 270
2 Valley Harps Battle Zone 269.5
3 NLCB Buccooneers Surrender 267
4 Courts Sound Specialists of Laventille Surrender 266
5 Katzenjammers Lightning Strikes Twice 263
5 Curepe Scherzando Battle Zone 263
7 Carib Dixieland Somewhere In Tobago 260
8 Couva Joylanders Smooth Sailing 257
9 CLICO Sforzata Wild & Free 254
9 West Side Symphony Somewhere In Tobago 254
11 Alutrint La Brea Nightingales Surrender 250.5
12 Tokyo Vibes of a Mad Man 249
13 Pan Elders I Come Out To Play 248
14 Arima Angel Harps Smooth Sailing 247.5
Small Bands:
1 Laventille Serenaders This Melody Sweet 267
2 Merrytones Pan War 260
3 Crescendoes Musicale Pan War 255
4 Golden Hands Dingolay 253
4 Arima Golden Symphony Smooth Sailing 253
6 Tamana Pioneers Pan On Fire 250
7 Tornadoes Battle Zone 248
8 Panosonic Connection Pan On Fire 241
9 Fascinators Pan Symphony I Music 239
9 Codrington Pan Family Pandemic 239
11 Flamingoes Battle Zone 232
12 Antillean All Stars Musical Fire 229
13 Longdenville Claytones Battle Zone 226
14 TIPICA Spreading Hands 225