ADJUDICATOR - OJAY RICHARDS

Ojay Richards is a pannist, arranger and composer, who had an early introduction to steelpan at the age of 5. His journey started with the Our Boys Steel Orchestra in Tobago, with whom he made his Panorama debut. It was the experience of Panorama that made Ojay fall in love with the steelpan with hopes to win all titles at the Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama.

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He is currently wrapping up his studies in Fine Arts at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, where he has composed numerous pieces, all performed by members of the University's ensemble. As a cultural ambassador, Ojay represented Trinidad and Tobago in several countries around the world such as Brazil, Canada, United Kingdom, Barbados and Antigua, to name a few. With his passion for the instrument, he entered the World Championship of the Performing Arts competition in Hollywood, where he was crowned Champion of the World instrument category.

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In 2017, Ojay began arranging for Uptown Fascinators and Hope Pan Groovers, and was able to qualify for the finals with the Uptown in the small conventional category. 

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He was determined to prove himself as a versatile arranger and in 2019, his arrangement of Maximus Dan's Champions Again won him the UTT Panorama title, performed by Heavy Hitters. He subsequently captured his very first National Panorama title as an arranger with Uptown Fascinators in the small conventional category in 2020, and also made his debut in the medium conventional category with Carib Dixieland. Dixieland qualified for the finals and placed 8th in that same year.