North Ruimveldt Steel Orchestra won the first prize in the School Band Category of the Republic Bank Mashramani Pan-o-rama Steel Band Competition held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Sunday evening.
The Bank which sponsored the event for the fifth consecutive year as part of its ‘Power to Make a Difference’ initiative, said it noted an increase in the number of competitors in the School Band Category. It attributes this increase to the output from the Republic RightStart Pan Minors Music Literacy Workshop, another similar annual initiative which started in 2010, targeting youths across the country. According to a press release, the Bishops’ High School placed second in the School Band grouping, Queen’s College Steel Orchestra, third and Pan Wave Academy, fourth.
In the Junior Solo Category Detroy Dey placed first, Michael Smith Jr, second and Akeem Mohamed, third. In the Senior Solo, Ray Sparman placed first, Michael Smith Jr second and Omari Austin and Clayton Daniels tied in third place. In the Duet Category, Daniels and Sparman placed first, Javier Marks and Jamal Johnson, second and Mohamed and Don Johnson, third.
The St Andrews Kirk Steel Orchestra and Central Assembly of God Steel Orchestra placed first and second respectively in the Church Band grouping. Also, the Guyana Police Force Band, Parkside Steel Orchestra and Ministry of Youth, Culture and Sport Steel Orchestra placed first, second and third respectively in the Large Band category.
According to the release, organizers held a preliminary contest at the National Cultural Centre on Friday as part of the Children’s Mashramani Competition to expose a wider cross-section of children to the Steel Pan art form to foster an appreciation for a style of music that forms an important part of Guyana’s cultural heritage.