Hell's Gate Still Panorama Champs

Details

Carnival

Friday, 03 August 2012 09:13

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John's - Shouts of jubilation rang out at Carnival City and dozens of players rushed onto the stage in the wee hours of this morning as LIME Hell's Gate Steel Orchestra was declared Panorama winner for yet another year.

Playing in fifth spot, the band wowed the crowd and judges with its rendition of Sir McLean "King Short Shirt" Emmanuel's J'ouvert Rhythm arranged by Khan Cordice.

Digicel Halcyon - declared earlier this year as the joint 2011 Panorama winner with Hell's Gate -  had to settle for the first runner-up spot with King Short Shirt's We are the Ones arranged by Victor "Babu" Samuel.

Second runner-up went to Caribseas Harmonites which performed the Aubrey "Lacu" Samuel arranged piece Kangaroo Jam - another song by King Short Shirt.

The winning arranger said he wants to "arrange and help to inspire young musicians to arrange for steel bands."

"I also want to help develop the steel pan art form in Antigua," Cordice said in an interview following the announcement of the results.

A new judging system was utilised for the Antigua Commercial Bank-sponsored competition to avoid repeating last year's controversy over the selection of the winner.  That matter remains unresolved, based on reports.

The winning bands were chosen by five judges; the highest and lowest scores were removed and the remaining figures were tabulated to determine the points standing.

Former president of the steel band association, Leon "Kuma" Rodney , who was part of the team that helped reorganise the judging system, said it worked.

"I think it was a good Panorama. At the end of the night pan was the winner," he said.

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