Pan on fire in blazing fire fete

Considered the best of both worlds, the marriage between soca and pan music at this year’s Panorama Championships/ Fire Fete is being hailed as the first of its kind.{{more}}

Warren Knights, president of the steel pan’s governing body the Youlou Pan Movement indicated last week that his organization has endorsed the initiative taken by the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) to join forces with the organizers of the Fire Fete as it tries to increase the ever growing popularity of the steel pan.

“Youlou Pan Movement is fully behind the CDC in its efforts to improve the content and quality of shows while retaining the culture of its pertinent art forms.”

“We are of the view that this show is an excellent package and that both parties involved will benefit tremendously from you, the public.”

The show, which takes place on Thursday, July 2nd, will feature six pan sides (Elite Steel Orchestra, National Lotteries Authority Sion Hill, Potential, Digicel Rhythmix, Dynamic Stars and South East Steel Orchestra) vying for the top spot left vacant by Sea Operations Starlift Steel Orchestra, which will not be competing this year.

The competition is expected to commence at 7pm and end at 10pm, and will be followed by the Fire Fete, which will, apart from from local acts, feature Trinidad and Tobago soca stars Bunji Garlin and Fay Ann Lyons and their band The Asylum Band.

According to Louise Mitchell- Joseph, speaking on behalf of the Fire Fete promoters, the event promises to be as entertaining as the initiative will be successful and encouraged patrons to support both shows.

“What you will be coming to is not simply a concert, it will be an experience of vibrancy and heat; you are guaranteed a fantastic time. You can expect the best of pan and soca on this night.”

“I invite all the persons who would normally come to Fire Fete and who would not necessarily come to panorama to come into the (Victoria) Park early and experience panorama because it is a part of our culture.”

Also adding their voices in support of the initiative on Wednesday were Minister of Culture Rene Baptiste and Chairman of the CDC Dennis Ambrose, who regarded the venture as a move in the right direction.

“We have to create new things. We cannot be doing the same things the same old way all the time. We have to create new avenues,” Baptiste noted, while Ambrose summed up his address by saying “This is not business as usual. These reforms demonstrate changes which are brought about as a result of the CDC’s innovation and its response to the call for ‘something more, something different’, which is in keeping with the Vincy Mas theme: The Hottest Carnival in the Caribbean.” (JJ)