Sforzata Steelband
Encyclopedia
The Sforzata Steel Orchestra was created on 29 July 1975 by arranger Merlin "Mutt" Gill, who had left the nearby Scherzando Steel Orchestra.
$8,000.00. For this assistance, the band adopted the name Mackeson Sforzata for a short period of time. Sforzata also became quite popular in the community but failed to gain the mammoth following which Scherzando had once commanded. Part of the reason for this had to do with its location and composition. The panyard site was at the corner of Warren Street and the Eastern Main Road
, Saint Augustine
. However, the band drew the majority of its membership and strength of its support from outside the area - as far as Arouca
, Arima
and Santa Cruz
. For this reason, it was decided to remove the city name "Curepe" from the band's title, in contrast to its predecessor, which is still known as Curepe Scherzando. In 1984 Sforzata was evicted from its panyard and forced to take up residence on a vacant lot near the Priority Bus Route. New support from the area at this time was encouraged not only by the band's success at national competitions, but also by the negative stigma attached to the Scherzando due to the high incidence of drugs within the band and panyard site.
, Sforzata placed third in the Eastern Zonal Finals and made it as far as the National Semi-Finals. In the same year, sixteen members of the band toured to Miami
and played at the bicentennial celebration
of American Independence. The band managed to make it to the finals in 1978 but placed last with their rendition of Lord Kitchener
's Pan in the 21st Century. Surrounded by a variety of musical styles, the band won the Bomb competition with the folk song Mango and continued to be in winner’s row for the next three years.
Sforzata’s track record at Panorama prompted it being labelled by pan aficionados as the Sunshine Band. The orchestra was continuously plagued by failure on the final night of the Panorama Competition despite performing well in preliminary rounds. This affected the band’s players, and the band gradually shrunk. In an attempt to reverse this trend, the band's arranger Merlin "Mutt" Gill sponsored the band in 1985, but even this had little effect. The waning of the orchestra’s support indicated the fickle nature of its fans, demonstrating the way in which bands are valued on their competitive successes.
With the establishment of the medium band category in 2004, Sforzata quickly reinvented itself as one of the giants in the steelpan world. In 2005, the band took a risk on an up and coming arranger, Yohan Popwell. With a fresh arranger, the band swept the preliminary, semifinal, and final rounds in 2005 for their first ever Panorama victory with Shadow's tune, Dingolay. They successfully defended their title in 2006 playing Baron's This Melody Sweet. In 2007 and 2008 the band placed 3rd in the Panorama finals.
competition:
Early years
Early on, Sforzata gained financial support from the National Brewery in the sum of TTDTrinidad and Tobago dollar
The dollar is the currency of Trinidad and Tobago. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively TT$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies. It is subdivided into 100 cents...
$8,000.00. For this assistance, the band adopted the name Mackeson Sforzata for a short period of time. Sforzata also became quite popular in the community but failed to gain the mammoth following which Scherzando had once commanded. Part of the reason for this had to do with its location and composition. The panyard site was at the corner of Warren Street and the Eastern Main Road
Eastern Main Road
The Eastern Main Road is a major road in Trinidad and Tobago running from Port of Spain in the west to Sangre Grande in the east. The towns of the East-West Corridor are strung along its route. Until the construction of the Churchill-Roosevelt Highway and the Beetham Highway the Eastern Main...
, Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
St. Augustine, a town on the East-West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago, is the site of one of the four campuses of the University of the West Indies. It is located east of Curepe and west of Tunapuna....
. However, the band drew the majority of its membership and strength of its support from outside the area - as far as Arouca
Arouca, Trinidad and Tobago
Arouca is a town in the East-West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago located east of Port of Spain, along the Eastern Main Road. It is located west of Arima, east of Tunapuna and Tacarigua, south of Lopinot, and north of Piarco. It is governed by the Tunapuna-Piarco Regional Corporation...
, Arima
Arima
The Royal Borough of Arima is the fourth largest town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located east of the capital, Port of Spain, Arima supports the only organised indigenous community in the country, the Santa Rosa Carib Community and is the seat of the Carib Queen...
and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago
The Santa Cruz Valley stretches between Maraval and San Juan, along the Saddle Road. It lies between the hills of the Northern Range on the island of Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago....
. For this reason, it was decided to remove the city name "Curepe" from the band's title, in contrast to its predecessor, which is still known as Curepe Scherzando. In 1984 Sforzata was evicted from its panyard and forced to take up residence on a vacant lot near the Priority Bus Route. New support from the area at this time was encouraged not only by the band's success at national competitions, but also by the negative stigma attached to the Scherzando due to the high incidence of drugs within the band and panyard site.
Music Competition
In the 1976 PanoramaPanorama (music competition)
Panorama is an annual music competition of Steelbands from Trinidad and Tobago.It is usually held around Carnival time.-History:Panorama was first held during Carnival celebrations in 1963. A popular Calypso is arranged into a piece with introductions and variations over the theme.-Past...
, Sforzata placed third in the Eastern Zonal Finals and made it as far as the National Semi-Finals. In the same year, sixteen members of the band toured to Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and played at the bicentennial celebration
United States Bicentennial
The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to the historical events leading up to the creation of the United States as an independent republic...
of American Independence. The band managed to make it to the finals in 1978 but placed last with their rendition of Lord Kitchener
Lord Kitchener (calypsonian)
Aldwyn Roberts , better known by the stage name Lord Kitchener , was one of the most internationally famous calypsonians. He was the son of a blacksmith, Stephen, and homemaker, Albertha.-Life:...
's Pan in the 21st Century. Surrounded by a variety of musical styles, the band won the Bomb competition with the folk song Mango and continued to be in winner’s row for the next three years.
Sforzata’s track record at Panorama prompted it being labelled by pan aficionados as the Sunshine Band. The orchestra was continuously plagued by failure on the final night of the Panorama Competition despite performing well in preliminary rounds. This affected the band’s players, and the band gradually shrunk. In an attempt to reverse this trend, the band's arranger Merlin "Mutt" Gill sponsored the band in 1985, but even this had little effect. The waning of the orchestra’s support indicated the fickle nature of its fans, demonstrating the way in which bands are valued on their competitive successes.
With the establishment of the medium band category in 2004, Sforzata quickly reinvented itself as one of the giants in the steelpan world. In 2005, the band took a risk on an up and coming arranger, Yohan Popwell. With a fresh arranger, the band swept the preliminary, semifinal, and final rounds in 2005 for their first ever Panorama victory with Shadow's tune, Dingolay. They successfully defended their title in 2006 playing Baron's This Melody Sweet. In 2007 and 2008 the band placed 3rd in the Panorama finals.
Songs and Placement
Sforzata in the Medium Category of the national PanoramaPanorama (music competition)
Panorama is an annual music competition of Steelbands from Trinidad and Tobago.It is usually held around Carnival time.-History:Panorama was first held during Carnival celebrations in 1963. A popular Calypso is arranged into a piece with introductions and variations over the theme.-Past...
competition:
| Year | Song | Arranger | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | War 2004 | Merlin Gill | - |
| 2005 | Dingolay | Yohan Popwell | 1st place |
| 2006 | This Melody Sweet | Yohan Popwell | 1st place |
| 2007 | Calypso Music | Yohan Popwell | 3rd place |
| 2008 | Thunder Coming | Yohan Popwell | 3rd place |
| 2009 | Bandoleros | Yohan Popwell | 1st place |