Scott WadeTwo more days until Panorama 2026!
Here's a clip from last year's performance by the All Stars. Looking forward to more wild steelband action!
I’m going to host a watch party at my house. If you want to check it out live yourself, it costs about $4.50 in USD for the official livestream here:
https://pantrinbago.carnivaltv.cloud/
I’m always rooting for Phase II Pan Groove. They’re playing a tune called “Trouble” this year, in collaboration with Freetown Collective
https://youtube.com/watch?v=bHHnQRbx0G8
Freetown Collective is a pretty great group! I saw them live (over Zoom) a few years back
Len Boogsie Sharpe x Freetown Collective x XplicitMevon - Trouble (Official Audio)
The Renegades just opened their piece with a weird little skit where someone through a stuffed lizard at a school teacher that scurried across the stage
Now there’s a guy with a lizard mask walking around, leading the band - this is amazing
Haha there’s a giant lizard statue on top of one of the drum cages
And DRONE LIZARD CONSTELLATION in the sky!
Hell yeah, Starlift is playing a tune called “Last Train” and now there’s a colorful train moving on stage
Starlift had the best theatrical performance so far, with some kind of romance story where the couple boarded the train and rode across the stage at the end
I feel bad for The Tropical Angel Harps, who will be playing the same “Last Train” song later. How will they top that?
I was wondering where the name “Katzenjammers Steel Orchestra” comes from so I looked it up and found this on Merriam Webster:
“Have you ever heard a cat wailing and felt that you could relate? Apparently some hungover German speakers once did.”
Desperadoes up now, and there are two singers to start things
I think this is just considered part of the intro skit, because I don’t singing is allowed as part of the performance…
But the previous band had train horns going off so hey
Going to go to bed soon but I think any one of these three bands are in contention for first place
We’ll see how this prediction PANS out 🤪
And the winner is... Exodus! That's two Panorama wins in a row!
I was getting ready for bed, so admittedly I didn't pay as much attention to this one as I should have, but here's the performance:
Republic Bank Exodus Cyah Behave National Large Band Panorama Finals 2026 Trinidad Carnival
It's a neat visual effect they have going, where there aren't covered stages in the middle so you can see the massive amount of players present on stage
16 years ago, I saw Exodus practicing for their 2010 Panorama performance while in Trinidad and I had the same thought of "what a massive amount of steel and players"
This performance didn't place well in the final rankings, but for the ridiculous Train-theme, you've got to see it:
Starlift - "Last Train"
https://youtu.be/2SuU96MhvBE?t=62
Starlift Steel Orchestra Last Train - National Large Band Panorama Finals 2026 Trinidad Carnival
... but THE LIZARD was a fantastic performance overall and ALSO had a wacky theme that they ran with:
Renegades - "The Lizard"
https://youtu.be/SfIzJVvU0zI?t=97
Bp Renegades Steel Orchestra The Lizard - National Large Band Panorama Finals 2026 Trinidad Carnival
Phase II (my beloved) are always a sight to see, and as compared to the livestream, I can actually heard the mid and low end in this video
No big decorations, always-complex ideas executed well, not a very exciting ending though
Phase II - "Trouble"
https://youtu.be/AKWZtn3gMfg?t=56
Phase II Pan Groove - Trouble - National Large Band Panorama Finals 2026 Trinidad Carnival 2026
Probably my favorite performance of the night was The Silver Stars - "Respectfully Yours". The arrangement was just pure hype throughout, the ending specifically
And the players are clearly having a great time - reminded me of how fun it was to play in a steelband back in college!
They also had this funny little skit at the beginning where the bandleader almost gets whisked away by a beautiful woman and the band has to reel him back to start the song
Nutrien Silver Stars Respectfully Yours National Large Band Panorama Finals 2026 - 3rd Place Winner
Shaula Walko@swade
I should’ve taken a pic of that giant pink puppet
I should’ve taken a pic of that giant pink puppet
@shaulawalko Yeah that was wild!
And the announcers just said, directly, “share this with people so more people do the pay-per-view to tune in live!”, so I’m glad I did!
And the announcers just said, directly, “share this with people so more people do the pay-per-view to tune in live!”, so I’m glad I did!
Tropical Angel Harps on now
They started with a fake train station announcement- “Last train for Port-of-Spain” and incorporated a train whistle into the start of the song
So that’s cool! But no big decorations or props
The screen wipe effects going on here are out of control
@swade
The ones with stories really stood out. I thought “the teacher leading her class onto the stage” was really cute
The ones with stories really stood out. I thought “the teacher leading her class onto the stage” was really cute
@swade
I saw it! 😄
I saw it! 😄
@swade
I liked the opening dances too. Thanks for sharing the livestream link.
I liked the opening dances too. Thanks for sharing the livestream link.
@shaulawalko Glad you could tune in! The audio quality doesn’t seem as good as previous years so I’ll be interested in hearing some of these songs after-the-fact
@swade
Me too. All the reruns I’ve seen had good sound.
Me too. All the reruns I’ve seen had good sound.