THE STEELBAND ‘OWN TUNE’: NATIONALISM, FESTIVITY, AND MUSICAL STRATEGIES IN TRINIDAD’S PANORAMA COMPETITION
” I begin with a consideration of the significance of individual musical strategies, * both in relation to ethnomusicology in general and to the steelband literature in particular. I then provide some background on the significance of repertoire in the steelband’s development and the sometimes contradictory values that were attached to “foreign” repertoires around the time of independence. Next, I sketch the contributions of particular arrangers to what has become regarded as a Panorama style or formula and identify the pioneers of the own tune. In the final section, I present an analysis of form in Len “Boogsie” Sharpe’s 1993 own tune “Birthday Party” and consider how his musical strategies respond to and influence both the contraints of the competition and broader aesthetic conventions. “
