by Stephen Weir

There were no surprises last week when Wendy Jones and Pan Fantasy Steelband won the Panorama (Pan Alive) competition for the 10th time. What sent a shockwave through the audience Friday night was that Earl LaPierre Jr wasn’t on stage leading AfroPan, and the former downtown steel orchestra wasn’t able to give Wendy Jones a run for her money. Seven bands competed in the pan competition: Pan Fantasy placed first, followed by Pan Masters in second place and Silhouettes in third. AfroPan placed fourth, with New Dimension, Panatics, and Forest Creek rounding out the field.

This year, Earl LaPierre Jr is not at the helm of AfroPan—his father, Earl LaPierre Senior, is. They no longer have a Pan Alley close to the Exhibition Grounds; they have moved to Scarborough. Despite the fourth-place finish, AfroPan received a huge ovation from an audience estimated to be a thousand pan fans because of the appearance of the senior LaPierre. Panman Pat (Pat MacNeill) explained it all the day after Pan Alive:

“In 1963 at Caribana’s very first Steelband Competition held at Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Earl LaPierre’s Steelband won, and my Toronto All Stars Steelband was first runner-up,” said Panman Pat.

“Together we brought Steelband music to Toronto, Canada, and Blackhurst.”

Pan Fantasy is no newcomer to the Canadian Pan community either. Over the past 38 years, the band has grown from an intimate group of players to an impressive collective of vibrant musicians. Its focus continues to be the youth in Toronto’s Caribbean community.

Bandleader Wendy Jones, arranger Al ‘Allos’ Foster, and the whole Pan Fantasy orchestra were the last performers at Pan Alive, bringing the audience to its feet for a long ovation as the show ended.

It was a different style of Pan Alive, especially because of the new location. For over two decades, Pan Alive and the King and Queen competition were held at the King Street Lamport Stadium. This year, both shows were moved to the CNE grounds, featuring a ramped stage, a backdrop of large video screens, bleacher seats and a huge set-up area for the bands’ trucks and cars. The old Lamport Stadium when configured for the Pan Shows, could seat close to 5,000 people; this year’s setup appeared to have many fewer seats.

“We have so much room for the setup and for our costumes and kits now,” said one player from Pan Masters. “What takes getting used to is the sound of the pan here; I think it was much fuller at Lamport.”

Nobody is putting away their pans just yet. World Steel Pan Day is on Sunday, August 11th, with several public events spotlighting the pan. The Consulate General of Trinidad and Tobago has released a list of music events around World Steelpan Day, including the Supernovas Steel Orchestra Concert for Sistahs Calling on Saturday, August 10, and the World Steelpan Day celebrations at the Pan Fantasy Panyard on Sunday, August 11,from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. This is a free event featuring an amazing lineup of entertainment, including dance, drumming, and steelband performances.

Editor’s Note: YouTube is carrying videos of all the performances at this year’s Pan Alive competition and King and Queen events, posted by turnrom.

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