Ace pan arranger 42-year-old Duvone Stewart has won the 2019 Panorama Triple Crown in Trinidad and Tobago, becoming, according to one source, the first arranger to have accomplished such a feat.

Stewart, with whom we associate Starlift Steel Orchestra in local pan circles, led BP Renegades and Pan Elders to winner’s row in the large and medium steelband finals at Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain, last Saturday/Sunday, after he had marshaled the Defence Force Steel Orchestra into winning the small steelband Panorama at Skinner Park, San Fernando on Thursday night.

Last Saturday night’s panorama, which spilled over into the early morning hours of Sunday, must have been Stewart’s sternest test ever. It was what was described as a “marathon panorama” with 20 bands on show – ten large and ten medium.

One reporter described the panorama, even with its now expected elongation, as being “among the most competitive in years”.

Renegades, however, continued its dominance with its now 11th victory— and back-to-back wins— playing Stewart’s arrangement of Darryl ‘Farmer Nappy’ Henry’s ‘Hookin Meh’, one of the Carnival’s most popular songs.

The band had led this year’s large band competition throughout the preliminaries and semifinals, and the finals proved no different.

Renegades is now tied with Desperadoes (Despers) for the most Panorama titles. Despers, the Laventille band, placed second with Carlton ‘Zanda’ Alexander’s arrangement of Nailah Blackman’s ‘Iron Love’.

Pan Elders are also the undisputed medium band champions winning their sixth title with Stewart’s arrangement of Irwin ‘Scrunter’ Reyes Johnson’s ‘The Will’.

Pan Elders too stayed ahead of its rivals since the preliminaries.

Defence Force won the small band Panorama with Stewart’s arrangement of Errol ‘Bally’ Ballantyne’s Maxi Dub.

In an interview after his first Panorama victory last Thursday, Stewart thanked God for blessing him with his musical talent.

“As I continue to live my dream, I thank God for blessing me with the gift of being a steelpan arranger,”

Stewart told Newsday.

“Winning was awesome. I feel very happy and very thankful for everything that made the performance a winning one.” (Source: T’dad Guardian, Looptt, Newsday)