San Juan’s Chord Masters Steel Orchestra has clinched the first official title for Carnival 2023 – the Panorama Single Pan title. The band won $250,000, with a total of 282 points.

The final of the Single Pan Panorama was held on Wednesday at the Queen’s Park Savannah.

Owing to bad weather on November 26, the semifinal of the competition was cancelled and all bands moved to Wednesday’s final.

[caption id="attachment_990127" align="alignnone" width="1024"] 2023 Panorama Single Pan third place winners, Newtown Playboys during their performance at the Queen's Park Savannah on Wednesday. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]

Pan Trinbago’s president Beverley Ramsey-Moore said the event was a magnificent start to the annual competition’s diamond jubilee.

“All 30 single-pan bands came out and they put on a grand show. From the start we had the TT Defence Force Pan-Around-the-Neck band with our old-time characters, as we tried to depict single-pan bands of yesteryear.”

[caption id="attachment_990128" align="alignnone" width="1024"] This man brought the fire at Wednesday's final of the 2023 Panorama Single Pan competition at the Queen's Park Savannah. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]

These bands are the foundation on which the modern pan movement stands, she added.

“The single-pan bands were the bands responsible for producing the music for the street parades in the early days.”

[caption id="attachment_990126" align="alignnone" width="683"] Chord Masters Steel Orchestra leader Richard DeCoteau holds the trophy after his band was announced winner of the 2023 Panorama Single Pan final at the Queen's Park Savannah on Wednesday. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]

Ramsey-Moore said the bands were on fire from the word go.

“As president I am extremely pleased by what took place at the Queen’s Park Savannah, and it is a signal event to our Diamond Jubilee celebration of our 60th anniversary of Panorama.”

[caption id="attachment_990129" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Second-place winners in the 2023 Panorama Single Pan category San Juan East Side Symphony. - Photo by Roger Jacob[/caption]

San Juan East Side Symphony, one of the 2019 winners, grabbed second place with 279 points and won $200,000.

Tragarete Road’s Newtown Playboys came third with 278 points and won $150,000.

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