Starting the parade was the inimitable Jah Roots ‘Pan ’round the Neck’ steelband. Honoured at the Naparima Bowl during the Pan is Beautiful IX music festival for ...“19 years of participation in all steelband festivals without missing a show”. True to form, Jah Roots and his 22 piece band, Jamaican flag, dreadlocks a-sway, shuffled onto the ‘Coffee’ playing that calypso classic The Road.
The only other ‘Pan ’round the Neck’ ensemble ‘on the road’ this day were the Self Help Marines [18] who followed on next, beating a reminiscent Miss Tourist. All the other bands that appeared were either on a lorry or being pulled on a trailer by a tractor.
Rumours aside, the following band, always when able willing to participate, were none other than Exodus [?] showing some exciting panmanship with their Pan is Beautiful piece Um Ba Yu Ya Oh. After them came an added bonus Carib Tokyo [?], in competitive form, on two lorries; but their basses were in a high sided vehicle so that sound got somewhat squashed.
Having by now lost track of who was playing what; luckily it really did not matter for the next paraders as they were the San Juan Rhythm Section [18]. Percussive in the extreme, and setting the ears ringing, this troupe were ‘giving it some!’ and rocking the truck. One tenor and 2 du-dup pans, 1 double chac-chac, 2 scrapers, 1 snare, a pair of congas and an African Shango drum, a drowned out saxophone, 1 cow-bell, and 7 (yes seven) Iron players.
Rolling on came Hill Side Symphony [16] out of the woodwork with 3 beautifully costumed Red Indian Chiefs in tow. A supporting spectator added in, going like the clappers, with ...wooden ‘clappers’.
Then it was Petrotrin Deltones [20] and Panosonic Connection [22]. San City [20] carried the support of 12 Moco-Jumbies on enormously tall stilts, all trousered and whooshing about in blue and yellow stripes.
Moods [16] an addition from Curepe were followed buy another stand-in, Electro Sound Steel [16] from Cipero Street, San Fernando. Electro who were nothing but solid steel pan, were struggling in decibels to compete for a while with a near rear guard Lee Chung’s Pan Glow [17] who were bristling with electronic adornments.
Absent for the 1998 carnival season, LC’s Pan Glow re-emerged sporting a truck with a bellowing back board of tweety speakers and heavy bass, showing how they could lead a ‘Mas’ band on the 1999 carnival road. With 12 assorted pan instruments, 3 rhythm players, a mixing desk, 2 synthesisers - one of which it is guessed also carried a nicely melodic base line - LC’s-PG had ‘plenty’ power and enough to make U-P.
Looking a little lost on an enormous truck was Super Vibes Pan Movement [10], who were showing ‘plenty’ spirit but trying to lag behind in the face of the PG monster onslaught.
Rounding off the procession now starting close on 7:45pm, were a weary and truly indomitable group of supporters to the fraternity of pan, the Southern Marines Steelband Foundation [26]. They had on Wednesday in the week lost one of their keenest members, Keith ‘Femme’ Kerr, to an unfortunate industrial accident and had played in ‘wake’ the night before.
Our sympathies to the Southern Marines Steelband Foundation, exemplary in their support to the name ‘the family of pan’ in more ways than one; and out thanks to PanTrinbago and the City of San Fernando, for providing and presenting such a pleasant evenings event.
