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Prior to Panoridim's conception, several steel bands (under different names) have been a part of the University campus since the 1950s. The evolution of these led to Panoridim's formation in the early 1970s. In 1977 U.W.I. Steel Orchestra presented their first formal concert. The title of the concert was Pan-O-Rhythm. Later that year a decision was made to rename the Orchestra. After much deliberation the title of the concert was chosen to be the name of the Orchestra. However, over the years the spelling was changed from Pan-O-Rhythm to Panoridim as this was the way it was pronounced by members, regardless of which island they came from. Through the years a series of evolutionary changes took place, the first being the move to become a full time band in the late 1970’s. Previous bands were part-time, closing during the summer or after Carnival. Today, the band maintains a relatively unchanged membership throughout the entire year. This is a result of the increased number of Jamaicans in the band and a strong graduate presence.
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The exodus of key members to a new steel band
in 1991 left a band consisting of only a few core members. This led
to low morale and new members were not easily recruited. Another factor
affecting membership was the introduction of the semester system in
1990. Prior to this students did not begin serious studies for examinations
until around March - April. This left at least five clear months to
lyme and play pan. With the semester system however, there are major
tests every 3-4 weeks. This severely affected practice time. Over
time, familiarity of the system grew. The time constraints still limit
the ability of the band to accept playouts, even though students have
learnt how to balance pan and the books effectively. Also a strong
graduate membership has helped bolster overall membership.
