Written by Harry Best, Contributing Writer
After listening to the Panorama performances, I have to concede that All-Stars won given the usual ‘criteria’. But regrettably, it seems the general music is morphing into an athletic mishmash of clichés and gimmicks that now relegates the melodies of the tunes to a second class status that is almost dispensable.
Some will say that’s what happens when music is presented in a format of competition; and by deduction Panorama should be a music festival and not a competition. I disagree. We could go into a list of pros and cons on that subject but the desire to “win” is one of the most motivating reasons in any movement. But is this stifling creativity and the progressive evolution of pan music and Panorama? Maybe, but it doesn’t have to be.
While we might blame Judges, musical literacy and sometimes PanTrinbago for the shortcomings of the competition that leaves seemingly more deserving groups out of the finals, the fact is all these things can be addressed positively in a way that will acceptably move Panorama forward. How? The Criteria!
The values and direction of this musical culture is preset in the ‘criteria’ imposed on the judges. That is where you can manipulate outcomes. The ‘criteria’ for judging a Panorama competition and how much weight is given to each category determines the direction and quality of the music.
Having said that, I don’t know what part of the criteria and the judges’ interpretation of it supports the proliferation of gimmicks and clichés but it might be time to take a closer look.
