From a total of 24 pannists in the preliminaries, PanoGrama 2022 has been reduced to just 10 pannists representing five countries – USA, France, Belize, T&T and Grenada – for the grand finale on June 12. The stage is now set with Emmanuel Joseph (T&T) opening the night and Shaquille ‘Flogo’ Forbes (T&T) bringing the curtains down on the virtual competition.
The top 3 positions were held by the same names for each round of the immensely growing competition thus far but pannists will leave no stone unturned in attempting to disrupt the order. David Yundi (USA) topped the preliminary round with Mathieu Borgne (France) and Shaquille ‘Flogo’ Forbes tied in 3rd position, before Forbes emerged on top at the end of the semifinals, relegating Yundi to 3rd with Borgne separating the two.
PanoGrama fans can look forward to a spectacular show on finals night, as performances usually hit a new level for the fierce musical battle. Inaugural champion Earl Brooks Jr. (T&T) delivered a mesmerizing ghoul-themed performance to win with Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” in 2020, while reigning champion Keishaun Julien (T&T) hit PanoGrama 2021 with a devastating storm to eliminate his competition. Both winning performances were accompanied by custom tracks, additional sound effects and very innovative props and presentations.
This year’s winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Bahamas courtesy the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture – Bahamas, a Perfect Steel tenor pan and case, $1,000 USD and a private session with a world-renowned steelpannist. The finals will take place on June 12 and persons interested can join the mailing list on pano-grama.com to receive links to watch the show or subscribe to www.youtube.com/panograma.
Order of appearance and song selections for the finals:
1. Emmanuel Joseph (T&T): Posion – Bell Biv DeVoe
2. Jaron Woodsley (T&T): Pan in D Galaxy – Vanessa Headley
3. Mathieu Borgne (France): Donna Lee – Charlie Parker
4. Aquila Pereira (T&T): Portrait of Trinidad – Mighty Sniper
5. Hanif Goodridge (T&T): Fiery – Maestro
6. Alexander Evans (Belize): Through the Fire – Chaka Khan
7. Mikiel Smith (Grenada): I will survive – Gloria Gaynor
8. Tevin ‘Sparky’ Shockness (T&T): Trouble in the Morning – V’ghn
9. David Yundi (USA): Festival Song- Ella Andall
10. Shaquille Forbes (T&T): Caribe – Michel Camilo
