PANMOTION
On the heels of a historic and successful PanoGrama which took place April 24 - May 3, 2020, many people were left wanting more. However, creator and founder of PanoGrama Entertainment, Nevin Roach, knew it would be too much to pull off another huge undertaking of the same level or higher in quick succession, and there were many things he wanted to improve on first. He also wanted PanoGrama to be a platform that was more than just an entertaining competition.
Thus, PanMotion was born; A virtual online steelpan concert series, where pannists perform a variety of musical selections live on Facebook.
The concert series joined the likes of BP Renegades Steel Orchestra's "Beat the Pandemic" during the height of covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, to keep the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago in the public's consciousness during the pandemic.
With the tagline "Bringing the motion in the steelpan ocean", Amarni Gomes of Antigua and Barbuda was the first to sail through PanMotion on June 11, 2020, much to the delight of over 3,000 viewers. Hashim Durant (Barbados), Leeandro Noray (T&T), PanoGrama champion Earl Brooks Jr. (T&T), Darius Austin (Guyana), Keishaun Julien (T&T), Zahra Lake (Antigua & Barbuda) and Mark Forde (Barbados) also graced the virtual stage, before Trinidad and Tobago pan ambassador Natasha Joseph brought the curtains down on August 27, 2020.
Steelpan enthusiasts got more than they bargained for with the likes of popular jazz singer Sharon Phillips of Tobago, Guyana's Nekeita and talented saxophonist Ricardo Seales also from Tobago, all featuring throughout the concert series, adding variety.
NB: some extracts were taken from an article titled "PanMotion concerts to keep pannists online" which was written by Melissa Doughty and published by the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday on June 9, 2020.
