When Steel Talks

 

The History of SteelPan
Time Line


 
Hall of Fame
Panorama
Champions

 





The Yard Series


 

  • 1783
  • Mass exodus from Haiti, Martinique & Guadeloupe
    White population >> 100 -> 2500
    • Introduction of Mardi Gras (Christmas to Ash Wednesday)
  • Slave & colored population >> 500 -> 16000
    • On plantation festivals banned
    • Establish own celebration Cannes Brulees (Canboulay)
    • Introduce own dance (calinda) & own songs to African drums
  • 1838
  • Emancipation
    Canboulay celebrated yearly on August 1st, later moved to Sunday before Ash Wednesday
    Mardi Gras on Monday & Tuesday
    Ex-slaves replace Mardi Gras with Canboulay
    Whites withdraw and denounce the festivities
  • 1858
  • Banning of Sunday revelry
  • 1881
  • Canboulay riots
  • 1884
  • Ordinance African drums outlawed from participating in Canboulay
    Band size restriction
    • Yields sporadic & violent outbursts over the years

     

  • 1900
  • Colonial government & business community take control of Canboulay
    • Organized into disciplined parade of masquerade bands
    • Bands vie for competitive prizes
    • Upper class return to festivities
  • 1931
  • Outright banning of African drums by the British
    Tamboo Bamboo replace African drums as main musical medium
    • "boom" for low tones
    • "foule" or "buller" for mid-range
    • "cutter" for counterpoint/lead
  • 1935
  • Tamboo Bamboo banned
    Gonzales Tamboo-Bamboo Band introduce bass pan
  • 1936
  • Alexander Ford establishes The Alexander Ragtime Band
    Sweet-oil pans, dust bins, biscuit pans: convex - shape
    Sticks without rubber
  • 1937
  • Steelband competition held at Queen's Park Oval
    • Alexander Rag Time Band (winner)
    • Hell Ward
    • Second Eleven
  • 1939
  • World War II (1939-1945)
    • Carnival suspended
    • Bands parade illegally
  • 3 note ping-pong introduced

  • Experimentation begins
  • 1940
  • Roaring Lion - first calypso ever composed for the steelband
    • Alexander Ragtime Band
  • Brute Force (Antigua) - first band to use rubber on sticks to play bass
  • Hollywood influence on band names (violence, force, terror, heroes & movies)
    • Hell Yard >> "All Stars"
    • Merry Boys >> "Casablanca"
    • Laventille Boys >> "Desperadoes"
    • River Lady >> "Destination Tokyo"
  • Age of "badjohn"
  • 1941
  • Invaders formed by Ellie Mannette
  • 1945
  • V.E. day (May)
  • Tenor kettle (5 notes), ping pong, cuff boom, dudup (bass kettle) appear in the bands of revelers
  • Developments (1945-1950)
    • sweet-oil drums (ping pong) sunk in convex fashion
      • 5 to 7 notes
      • held in one hand, rubberless stick in other
      • oil drum sunk in concave fashion
      • 15 notes with rubber-tipped sticks
    • competitions begin in Port of Spain & San Fernando
    • notes continue to be added to instruments
  • 1949
  • Antigua Steelband Association formed - 8 members
    • "The Steelband Herald" published as its official paper
  • ...steelbandsmen attained a standard of performance which equals if not surpasses that of the best there is in Trinidad., Sunday Guardian, January 26, 1951, p.17
  • Antigua's "Brute Force" steelband gets picture in "The Times Survey of the Colonies"
  • Hell's Gate is planned to represent West Indian steelbands in Festival of Britain
     


  • 1950
  • Steelband Committee setup by government to investigate steelband violence and to find solutions
    • Cannon M.E. Farquhar - chairman
    • George E. Mose - chief probation officer
    • Carlyle P. Kerr - solicitor
    • Lennox O. Pierre - solicitor
  • Albert Gomes defends steelband men
  • Public should discipline Steelband prejudices, January 8, Sunday Guardian "Behind the Curtain" column J
  • White college students play pan in streets of Port of Spain, later to become Texaco Dixieland
  • Steelbands clash
    • Feb 21 Invaders attacks Tokyo (on Carnival Tuesday)
    • Mar 2 Casablanca & Invaders meet, agree to bury hatchet... meeting attacked... bombarded with stones & bottles...
    • Mar 6 More steelbands agree to end clashes, meeting at Old Prison Quarry, more than 500 members and supporters present from March Hill 60, Invaders, Casablanca, Destination Tokyo, Crusaders, Merry Maker, All Stars and Desperadoes
  • Cannon Farquhar defends steelband men
    • link to "dark past of slavery, plus a century of economic deprivation", March 12, Sunday Guardian
  • Steelband Association formed by Lennox Pierre & Carlyle Kerr
    • President Sidney Gallop of Crusaders
    • 76 bands joined
    • banned steelband competition for next 5 years
      • poor judging contributing factor to violent clashes between steelbands
    • introduced steelband recital (June)
  • 1951
  • Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) established
    • Lieutenant Griffith of St. Lucia Police Band is musical director
    • formed specifically for Festival of Britain
    • toured France and United Kingdom for 3 months
    • 11 best players from the country, 13 reserves
      • Orman "Patsy" Haynes / Casablanca
      • "Boots" Davidson / City Syncopators
      • Sterling Betancourt / Crossfire
      • A. DeLabastide / Chicago
      • Dudley Smith / Rising Sun
      • Winston "Spree" Simon / Tokyo
      • Granville Sealey / Tripoli
      • Clive Belgrave / Southern Symphony
      • Ellie Mannette / Invaders
      • Anthony Williams / Sun Valley
      • Sonny Roache
      • Theo Stephen / Free French
    • Operation Britain - to raise $15,000 for TASPO
    • July 6, TASPO departs on San Mateo, Sonny Roache ill, left behind in Martinique
    • September, Winston Spree gets contract to teach pan music at University of Nigeria & Ghana
  • Developments
    • 3 drum bass boom
    • 2 drum cello coom
    • establish complete chromatic range of notes from ping pong to bass
  • 1952
  • Trinidad Music Association accept steelband men after initial rejection, Music Festivals no longer off limits
  • Bands from south form: Southern Steelbands Association, 25 members
  • 1953
  • Anthony Williams creates the  “SPIDER-WEB” ping pong, referred to as the “fourths and fifths” pan..

    Anthony  Williams (right) displays his spider web pan with Herman "Rock" Johnson (left)

     
  • 1957
  • George Goddard elected President of Steelband Association (June)
    • 12 member band
    • Constitution drawn
  • 1959
  • "Desperadoes" & "San Juan All Stars" clash

 

 

  • 1960
  • Bertie Marshall & Anthony Williams introduce
    • Harmonic tuning
    • Extended range of orchestra
    • Bass pans on wheels, entire band on wheels (Anthony Williams)

    Steelbands Association renamed National Association of T&T Steelbandsmen

  • 1963
  • Carnival Development Committee change name of competition
  • 1st prize raised from $350 to $1000
  • 1st "Steelband's Panorama" held at Queen's Park Savannah, February 22
  • Participants include, , Sundowners, Desperadoes, Modern Sunland, Invaders, City Symphony, Casablanca, Starlift, San Juan All Stars, City Syncopators, Crossfire, Dixie Harps, Merrytones, Metronomes, Merry Stars, Metronomes, Nocture, Prodigal Philharmonics, Renegades, Sputniks, Steel Stylers, Tropical Harmony, Wonderland (Port of Spain), Wonderland (Chaguanas)
  • Calypsonians try to gain advantage in Carnival Road March competition, accused of giving scores to steelbands.
  • April 11
    • Government Aid for establishment of National Steelband
    • Ellie Mannette chosen as tuner
    • Grant not to exceed $1500 for tuning
  • Association establish National Steelband and organize steelband Festival, Crossfire wins Festival
  • August
    • Wolfgang Krause of Germany films Ellie Mannette tuning, slips out of country on yacht, violates agreement with Association & government
    • Moral Re-Armament (MRA) organization invites National Steelband to USA

    1964

      North Stars win Panorama
      North Stars expelled from Association by general membership
      Rudolph Charles elected leader of Desperadoes, later will introduce
      • chromed pans quadrophonic pan
      • triple tenor
      • rocket bass
      • aluminum canopies
      Band performs in Michigan, West Virginia, Santa Fe, New Mexico

    1965

      Cavaliers win Panorama
      Easter Sunday, Desperadoes 1st steelband to play in church
      National Steelband (20 members) attends Festival of Arts in the UK

    1966

      Desperadoes win Panorama - 50,000 in attendance
      Desperadoes go to Africa (Senegal)

    1967

      Cavaliers win Panorama
      Anthony Williams suggests local tunes to be used with test pieces
      Desperadoes tour Zambia

    1968

      Harmonites win Panorama

    1969

      Starlift win Panorama
      CDC, the sole sponsor of Panorama
      Police Superintendent, Anthony Prospect suggests steelbands use Concert Pitch when tuning, "A" above middle "G", 440Hz, (universally accepted pitch)
       

    1970

      Desperadoes leader, Rudolph Charles suggests to prime minister, Eric Williams to set up co-operative tp manufacture steelband instruments
      Prime minister meets with steelband leaders
      Co-operative agreement between Prime Minister & 17 steelbands
      Goddard and PNM clash
      Steelband & Black Power Movement
      • State of Emergency declared
      • Steelband Music Festival cancelled

    1971

      George Goddard resigns as president of NATTS
      NATTS changes name to Pan Trinbago
       

    1972 Tropicans Wins New Yorks First Panorama

    1974

      Panorama contest is rainout

    1975

      Brooklynaires win Panorama

    1976

      Exhibits wins Panorama
      TnT - $15,000 awarded to Panorama Winners

    1977

      Moods wins  NY Panorama

    1978

      South Steelband Movement formed - stage own Panorama in Skinner Park
       
      Starlift wins TnT National  panorama
  •  

    Starlift on Stage

     
     
     
    NY Panorama appearance fee - $500 for preliminaries
    Panorama winners
    • Satisifers takes 1st place
    • Despers USA places 2nd

1979

    DJ's impact carnival scene both in US and Trinidad
    Panmen boycott Panorama for more money
    • Cost of preparing steelbands for panorama $15,000 - $20,000
    • Cost of new band $60,000
    No Panorama

1980

    Panorama appearance fee $5,000
    No Panorama

1981

    Eric Williams dies
    Sonata wins Panorama

1982

    Sonata and Metro wins Panorama

1983

    Sonata wins Panorama

1984

    Panorama is boycotted

1985 Rudolph Charles dies


     

    Rudolph Charles famed leader of Desperadoes
    Sonata wins NY Panorama

1986

    Golden Stars win Panorama

1987

    Panorama winners
    • Metro takes 1st place
    • Moods places 2nd
    • Sonata places 3rd

1988

    Panorama winners
    • Sonata takes 1st place
    • Moods places 2nd
    • Metro places 3rd

1989

    Panorama winners
    • Sonata takes 1st place
    • Pan Fantasy places 2nd

1990

    Panorama winners
    • Metro takes 1st place
    • Pan Fantasy places 2nd
    • Sonata places 3rd

1991

    Panorama winners
    • Metro takes 1st place
    • Pan Rebels places 2nd
    • Moods places 3rd

1992

    Panorama winners
    • Metro takes 1st place
    • Despers USA Rebels places 2nd
    • Sonata places 3rd

1993

    Panorama winners
    • Despers USA takes 1st place
    • Metro places 2nd

1994

    Panorama winners
    • Despers USA takes 1st place
    • Pan Rebels places 2nd
    • Moods places 3rd

1995

    Panorama winners
    • Despers USA takes 1st place
    • Sonata places 2nd
    • Pan Rebels places 3rd

1996

    Despers USA wins Panorama

1997

    Despers USA wins Panorama

1998

    Panorama winners
    • Despers USA takes 1st place
    • Sonata places 2nd
    • Pantonic places 3rd

1999

    Panorama winners
    • Pantonic USA takes 1st place
    • Pan Rebels places 2nd
    • Despers USA places 3rd

    *Lord Kitchener Dies February 11, 2000

2000

    Panorama winners
    • CASYM takes 1st place
    • Pantonic places 2nd
    • Sonata USA places 3rd

2001

    United States Steelband Association (USSA) formed
    USSA holds its first New York Panorama
    • 12  bands perform
      • Pantonic wins 1st USSA panorama
      • Sonatas places 2nd
      • Adlib places 3rd

       

      • 1st CD and DVD of New York Panorama produced by Basement Recordings...
      •  

          WIADCA panorama winners are
        • CASYM takes 1st place
        • Metro places 2nd
        • Women in Steel places 3rd

 

 

2003

New York

      USSA & WIADCA hold joint panorama
      15  bands perform

      • 1.   Pantonic places 1st
      • 2.   Casym places 2nd
      • 3.   Radoes places 3rd
      • 4.   Marsicans & Sonatas tie for 4th
      • 6.   Despers USA
      • 7.   ADLIB
      • 8.   Dem Stars
      • 9.   Moods
      • 10. Pan Phonics
      • 11. Caribbean Youth Panoramics
      • 12. Harmony Steel Orchestra
      • 13. Crossfire
      • 14. Women In Steel
      • 15. Sesame Flyers
         

 

November 5, Leo Coker celebrated pan tuner passed away.

November 16. Arnim Smith dies former president of Pan Trinbago

 

2004

Rudy King, who passed away on the night of Thursday March 18,  2004 in Brooklyn, New York

  2005

*** Clive Bradley Master Arranger passes November 26, 2005

 

2006

September - Master Tuner Lincoln Noel passes.

2007

$1,000,000 first place prize for Panorama Champions
First Panorama held in Southern Trinidad
 

  •  

     

    2008

    January 2, Trinidad's Express Entertainment Journalist Terry Joseph passes.

    February 26, Pan icon Oscar Pile passes.



    Sources

    When Steel Talks / PanOnTheNet.com  -- News Sources -- Interviews; 2001-2008
    Sunday Express Viewpoint : Kim Johnson Part Two January 24, 1993 pg. 33-40
    Steelband : Professor Gage Averill, Rise of the Steelband : Carnival Music pg. 44-52
    Forty Years in the Steelbands 1939-1979 : George "Sonny" Goddard 1991 Karia Press
    International Conference on Pan, The Steelband - Musical Miracle of the Twentieth Century : Teddy Belgrave
    Voices From the Hills, 1987 : Ancil Anthony Neil
    Soul of Pan : Trevor Belmosa, 1989, Servol Printing Service, Port of Spain Trinidad WI
    Steelband - The Music of Trinidad & Tobago

       
         

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    Last modified: July 21, 2008

     

     

     

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