Panorama 2009

There are many kick offs for Carnival in Trinidad.  There are fetes (large parties that usually go from 10 or 11 PM until 3 or 4 AM) pretty much every weekend after New Years Day.  Some say that is the beginning of Carnival season.  I never made it to a fete (although I did try but my ticket got stolen) so for me the kick off has been Panorama.

This is an event where steel pan bands from across the country, and Tobago, come to compete to claim top prize as the best pan band.  Steel pan drums are one of Trinidad's claims to fame.  It is the only instrument that has been invented in the last 100 years or so.

There are small bands, which are bands with less than 50 players (called pannists), medium sized, which is 50-100 pannists, large bands, 100+ pannists, and single pan bands, where each pannist only plays one steel pan.  The small, medium and large bands, a lot of the musicians play more than one pan at the same time.  It's really quite impressive seeing all these pan players playing in unison.

Here's a link to a quick history of the steel pan if you are interested.  

The vibe of these steel pan bands is enough to get anyone ready.  Here's a short video that I took of a medium sized band practicing.

For Panorama, most spectators just hang out and watch the bands practice in the fields around the savannah instead of paying to watch them being judged.  I actually got up to the fence by where the judging was happening and the stands were completely empty, but the fields by the bands practicing were packed.

I have had some apprehension for Carnival because it's an event that consists of a lot of drinking and a lot of wining (a dance that is a lot like bumping and grinding on complete strangers).  Neither of these are my cup of tea - not to mention that I'm sure I will look like a complete tool in my Carnival costume.  But after going to see the semi-finals of pan a couple weeks ago, and stopping by the savannah tonight to see some of the finals, I am full on ready for Carnival.