• Emancipation
• Canboulay celebrated yearly on August 1st, later moved to Sunday before Ash Wednesday
• Mardi Gras on Monday & Tuesday
• Now deemed ex-Slaves, this segment of the population replaces Mardi Gras with Canboulay
• Whites withdraw and denounce the festivities

• Sunday revelry is banned

• Canboulay riots

• Ordinance declared: the use of African drums outlawed in Canboulay celebrations
  Restrictions placed on size of bands -
  • Yields sporadic & violent outbursts over the years

  

• Colonial government & business community take control of Canboulay
  • Organized into disciplined parade of masquerade bands
  • Bands vie for competitive prizes
  • The “Upper class” return to festivities

• Outright banning of African drums by the British colonists
• Tamboo Bamboo replaces outlawed African drums as main musical medium
  • “boom” for low tones
  • “foule” or “buller” for mid-range
  • “cutter” for counterpoint/lead

• Tamboo Bamboo banned
• Gonzales Tamboo-Bamboo Band introduces the first type of “bass pan”

• Alexander Ford establishes The Alexander Ragtime Band
• Sweet-oil pans, dust bins, biscuit pans: convex-shape
• Sticks without rubber
  

• Steelband competition held at Queen’s Park Oval
  • Alexander Rag Time Band (winner)
  • Hell Ward
  • Second Eleven

• World War II (1939-1945)
  • Carnival suspended
  • Bands parade “illegally”
• 3 note ping-pong introduced

• Invaders formed by Ellie Mannette

• 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
    • drums 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 drums/instruments

• 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 - in commentary on Antiguan panmanship
• Antigua’s “Brute Force” steelband gets picture in “The Times Survey of the Colonies”
• Antigua’s Hell’s Gate is planned to represent West Indian steelbands in Festival of Britain
• Antigua’s Hell’s Gate wins panorama with tune “Peanut Vendor.”

• 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. De Labastide / 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

• Trinidad Music Association accept steelband men after initial rejection, Music Festivals no longer off limits
• Bands from south form: Southern Steelbands Association, 25 members

• 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)

• George Goddard elected President of Steelband Association (June)
  • 12 member band
  • Constitution drawn up

• Hell’s Gate wins Antigua Panorama

• “Desperadoes” & “San Juan All Stars” clash
• Hell’s Gate wins Antigua Panorama
• Emmanuel Riley improvisations in the Invaders’ recordings “Liebestraume” and “Melody in F” set a standard for pan soloists

• Hell’s Gate wins Antigua Panorama
• Bertie Marshall & Anthony Williams together:
  • Introduced harmonic tuning
  • Extended range of orchestra
  • Placed bass pans on wheels.  Anthony Williams placed the entire band on wheels.

• Steelbands Association renamed National Association of T&T Steelbandmen (NATTS)  

• Carnival Development Committee (CDC) changes name of competition
• First prize raised from TT $350 to TT $1,000
• Trinidad & Tobago’s first ever “Steelband’s Panorama” held at Queen’s Park Savannah, February 22
• North Stars win this first Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Dan is The Man.  The arranger is Anthony Williams.
• Participants include: North Stars, Sundowners, Desperadoes, Modern Sunland, Invaders, City Symphony, Casablanca, Starlift, San Juan All Stars, City Syncopators, Crossfire, Dixie Harps, Merrytones, Metronomes, Merry Stars, Nocturne, 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 $1,500 for tuning
• Steelband Association establishes National Steelband and organize a steelband Festival; Crossfire wins Festival
• August
  • Wolfgang Krause of Germany films Ellie Mannette tuning, slips out of country on yacht, violates agreement with Steelband Association & Trinidad & Tobago government
  • Moral Re-Armament (MRA) organization invites National Steelband to USA

• Hell’s Gate wins Antigua Panorama
• North Stars win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Mama Dis is Mas
• North Stars expelled from Association by general membership
• Rudolph Charles elected leader of Desperadoes, and later he will introduce:
  • chromed pans
  • nine bass
  • quadraphonic pan
  • triple tenor
  • rocket bass
  • aluminum canopies
     
• Players chosen for National Steelband performance in USA:
  • Emmanuel Riley (Invaders), Errol Zephrine (Starlift), David Samuel (Prodigals), Rudolph Johnson (Fascinators), Norbert Augustine (Wonderland Symphony) National Steelband performs in Michigan, West Virginia, Santa Fe, New Mexico - USA

• Desperadoes win Panorama with the tune Obeah Wedding - 50,000 in attendance
• Desperadoes go to Africa (Senegal)

• Hell’s Gate win Antigua Panorama
• Cavaliers win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Sixty-seven
• Anthony Williams suggests local tunes to be used with test pieces

• Desperadoes tour Zambia

• Desperadoes win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Margie
• Desperadoes leader, Rudolph Charles suggests to Trinidad &Tobago prime minister Eric Williams, to set up co-operative to manufacture steelband instruments
• Prime Minister meets with steelband leaders
• Co-operative agreement between Prime Minister & 17 steelbands
• NATTS’ president George Goddard and PNM (People’s National Movement - the then-ruling political party in Trinidad & Tobago) clash
• Steelband & Black Power Movement
  • State of Emergency in Trinidad & Tobago declared
  • Steelband Music Festival cancelled

• Harmonites win Antigua Panorama
• Harmonites win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune St. Thomas Girl
• Tropicans win New York’s First ever Panorama held behind the Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn

• Trinidad All Stars win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Rain-O-Rama
• New York Panorama held at Medgar Evers College
• Pan Masters win New York Panorama

• Harmonites win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Jericoh
• New York Panorama competition is ‘rained out’

• Halycon wins Antigua Panorama
• Hatters win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Tribute to Spree Simon
• Brooklynaires win New York Panorama, which returns to the ‘behind the Brooklyn Museum’ location

• $15,000 awarded to Trinidad & Tobago Panorama Winner
• Desperadoes win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Pan In Harmony
• Exhibits wins New York Panorama

• Ebonites wins Antigua Panorama
• Desperadoes win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Crawford
• Moods Pan Groove wins New York Panorama

• DJ’s (disc jockeys) impact carnival scene both in USA and Trinidad - in parties and ‘on the road’
• Halcyon wins Panorama in Antigua
• Metronomes win Panorama in the United Kingdom
• No Panorama in Trinidad & Tobago.  Panmen boycott Panorama for more money
• No Panorama in New York
  • Cost of preparing steelbands for New York panorama = $15,000 - $20,000
  • Cost of new band $60,00

• Trinidad All Stars win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Woman On The Bass
• London All Stars win UK Panorama
• Trinidad & Tobago bands get appearance fee of TT $5,000.00 for Panorama
• No New York Panorama

• Trinidad All Stars win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Unknown Band
• Metronomes and Mangrove both tie for the title and win the UK Panorama
• Sonatas wins New York Panorama

* Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Eric Williams - passes away

• Renegades win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Pan Explosion
• Metronomes win the UK Panorama
• Sonatas and Metro both tie for the title and win New York Panorama

• Desperadoes win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Rebecca
• Ebony wins the UK Panorama
• City Symphony wins Panorama in Grenada
• Sonatas win New York Panorama
  • Sonatas becomes the first orchestra to achieve the New York Panorama hat trick, with wins from 1981–1983

• Renegades win Trinidad & Tobago Panorama with the tune Sweet Pan
• Metronomes win the UK Panorama
• Angel Harps win Grenada Panorama
• Golden Stars “win” New York Panorama; they were the only band to compete at the grounds behind the Brooklyn Museum.  The other New York orchestras staged an alternate Panorama at Boys and Girls High School on Rutland Road, Brooklyn - but were shut down by the NYPD (New York Police Department), before all the bands had performed.

Rudolph Charles famed leader of Desperadoes

• Renegades and Desperadoes both tie to win the Trinidad & Tobago Panorama - playing the same tune Pan Night and Day
• Angel Harps win Grenada Panorama
• Harmonites win Antigua Panorama
• London All Stars win the UK Panorama
• Sonatas win New York Panorama

• Renegades win the Trinidad & Tobago Panorama playing the tune Somebody
• No Panorama in Antigua; complete boycott by the steel orchestras
• New Dimension wins Grenada Panorama
• London All Stars wins the UK Panorama
• Sonatas win New York Panorama

• Renegades win the Trinidad & Tobago Panorama playing the tune Laramania
• Halcyon wins Antigua Panorama
• New Dimension wins Grenada Panorama
• Ebony wins the UK Panorama
• Despers USA wins New York Panorama

• Major Panorama rule change in Trinidad and Tobago - An arranger can only work with one band; previously an arranger could arrange for more than one orchestra in the competition
• Desperadoes win the Trinidad & Tobago Panorama playing the tune Picture On My Wall
• Rainbow City All Stars win Grenada Panorama
• Mangrove wins the UK Panorama
• The [New York] Steelband Raids - Has the City Declared War on the West Indian Carnival? - the Giuliani-Kerik era
• New York Panorama 1^st prize is raised to USD $9,000.00
• Dr. Dawn K. Batson - Original work “Black Holes do Exist” premiere at the 2000 World Steelband Festival in Trinidad.
• CASYM wins New York Panorama

• Exodus wins the Trinidad & Tobago Panorama playing the tune A Happy Song
• Harmonites win Antigua Panorama
• No Grenada Panorama
• Toronto Panorama - New Dimension wins
• Ebony wins the UK Panorama
• The United States Steelband Association (USSA) is formed
• Steel Bands Plan Boycott of Brooklyn’s West Indian Parade
• USSA hosts its first New York Panorama; twelve bands participate
• Pantonic wins the USSA New York Panorama competition - as one of the twelve competing bands
  • First ever CD and DVD of New York Panorama produced by Basement Recordings, Inc.
• There are two New York Panoramas this year
  • CASYM wins the WIADCA (West Indian American Day Carnival Association) version of the Panorama - as one of the three competing bands

• Trinidad All Stars win the Trinidad & Tobago Panorama playing the tune Firestorm
• Antigua Panorama - Hell’s Gate wins
• Grenada Panorama - New Dimension wins
• Toronto Panorama - Afropan wins
• UK Panorama - Mangrove and North Stars Steel orchestra tie and win
• USSA hosts its second New York Panorama; eight bands participate
• Pantonic Steel Orchestra wins the second USSA New York Panorama - as one of the eight competing bands
• There are again two New York Panoramas this year
  • CASYM again wins the WIADCA (West Indian American Day Carnival Association) version of the Panorama - as one of the nine competing bands
• “Banner” year for steel orchestras in New York.  Nineteen bands participate in two panoramas
  • USSA New York Panorama 2002 Report Card

*New York-based Pan tuner Mikey Enoch - passes away September 9, 2002

Click for more 2002 Headlines

• Trinidad Panorama 2003 - Exodus wins playing the tune Pandora
• The legendary Neville Jules is showcased in an exclusive When Steel Talks interview
• St. Lucia Panorama 2003 - North Stars Steel Orchestra wins
• Grenada Panorama 2003 - New Dimension wins
• Antigua Panorama 2003 - Gemonites win
• Toronto Panorama 2003 - Afropan wins
• UK Panorama 2003 - Mangrove wins
• USSA & WIADCA hold joint New York Panorama - fifteen orchestras perform
• New York Panorama 2003 - Pantonic Steel Orchestra wins
  • New York Panorama 2003 Report Card
• Trinidad Pan Fiesta 2003

* Arnim Smith, former president of Pan Trinbago - passes away November 16, 2003

Click for more 2003 Headlines

• Trinidad Panorama 2004 - Exodus wins with War 2004
  • 2004 is the first year that Trinidad & Tobago introduces small, medium and large band categories
    • Click to see full results and other 2004 categories
• The legendary Jack Emmanuel Riley an exclusive WST interview 4.10.04
• Antigua Panorama 2004 - Harmonites win
• Grenada Panorama 2004 - Pan Wizards win
• Toronto Panorama 2004 - Afropan wins
• UK Panorama 2004 - Mangrove wins
• New York Panorama 2004 - Sonatas wins
  • New York Panorama 2004 Report Card

• Trinidad Panorama 2005 - Phase II Pan Groove wins playing Trini Gone Wild
• Pan in The 21st Century 2005 - Desperadoes win
• World Steelband Music Festival 2005 - Exodus Steel Orchestra wins
• St. Lucia Panorama 2005 - Diamond Steel wins
• Antigua Panorama 2005 - Gemonites win
• Grenada Panorama 2005 - Angel Harps win
• Toronto Panorama 2005 - Pan Fantasy wins
• UK Panorama 2005 - Ebony wins
• New York Panorama 2005 - Pantonic wins
  • New York Panorama 2005 Report Card
• 2005 Steelband Champions

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

* Master Pan Tuner Lincoln Noel - passes away in September, 2006

• Branches Steel Orchestra is the “House Band” for the January 4th Inaugural Ball of the newly-elected Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick - history was made with Governor Patrick - who is the second black Governor elected in the United States, and the first elected in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• First Panorama held in San Fernando, South Trinidad
• Trinidad & Tobago Panorama 2007 - Trinidad All Stars win playing the tune Pan Lamentations
• Pan in The 21st Century 2007 - Silver Stars win
• The Rainbow Steel orchestra celebrate its 50th anniversary in Bath, England making it the oldest Black and Minority Ethnic organization based within Bath and East Somerset. The band is originally from Barbados
• CALYPSOCIATION Steel Orchestra of France releases CD “Made It”
• Steelband Pioneer & Great Neville Jules honored at Steelpan Jazz Concert
• St. Lucia Panorama 2007 - North Stars win
• Antigua & Barbuda Panorama 2007 - Hell’s Gate win
• Grenada Panorama 2007 - Commancheros win
• Toronto Panorama 2007 - Salah’s Steelpan Academy wins
• UK Panorama 2007 - Ebony wins
• New York Panorama 2007 - Sonatas wins
  • New York Panorama 2007 Report Card
     
    • Pan in New York 2007 from the PanYard Recordings Series released

* Dominica Steelpan Arranger Allan Jno. Baptiste - passes away

• Trinidad & Tobago Panorama 2008 - Phase II Pan Groove wins playing the tune Musical Vengeance
• St. Veronica’s Youth Steel Orchestra performs at the White House
• Pan in The 21st Century 2008 -  Katzenjammers win
• Trinidad Desperadoes Steelpan Great Frank “Crawl” Findley Passes
• Navajo Nation Youth perform with the Steelpan at the Smithsonian
• WST interview with Patrick Arnold, president of Pan Trinbago
• Chief of Steelband in Nigeria - Bowie Sonnie Bowei receives Chieftain Titles
• Steelpan Instrument Captivates Taiwan Students
• St. Vincent & Grenadines Panorama 2008 - Starlift Steel Orchestra wins
• St. Lucia Panorama 2008 - Diamond Steel Orchestra wins
• Antigua & Barbuda 2009 Panorama - Halcyon Steel Orchestra wins
• Grenada Junior Panorama 2008 - Commancheros Juniors win
• Grenada Panorama 2008 - Angel Harps win
• Toronto Panorama 2008  - Salah’s Steelpan Academy wins
• UK - BAS 2K8 Junior Panorama 2008 - CSI wins
• UK Panorama 2008 - Ebony wins
• Steelpan Instrument Captivates Taiwan Students
• André White makes History with ‘Heat’ and ADLIB Steel Orchestra
• New York Panorama 2008 - ADLIB Steel Orchestra wins
  • New York Panorama 2008 Report Card
• Moods of Pan 10 in Antigua: 25-A-Side competition - Antigua & Barbuda’s National Youth Pan Orchestra wins
• Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘Pan is Beautiful’ festival - Exodus wins
• Anthony Williams will be inducted into Pan Trinbago’s Hall of Fame
• WST exclusive interview - Prime Minister of Antigua & Barbuda speaks on Moods of Pan and US President Obama

* Trinidad’s Express Entertainment Journalist Terry Joseph - passes away January 2, 2008

* Trinidad’s Pan icon Oscar Pile passes away February 26, 2008

* Antigua & Barbuda Steelpan icon Leroy “Jughead” Gordon - passes away November 13, 2008 at age 61

* The Year 2008 in Pan

• Trinidad & Tobago National Panorama 2009 - Silver Stars win playing the tune First in The Line
• Pan in The 21st Century 2009 - Skiffle Bunch wins
• Montreal International Panorama 2009 - Salah’s Steelpan Academy wins
• Antigua & Barbuda Panorama 2009 - Hell’s Gate wins
• Toronto Panorama 2009 - Salah’s Steelpan Academy wins
• Grenada Junior National Panorama 2009 - Commancheros Juniors win
• Grenada National Panorama 2009 - New Dimension wins
• UK Junior Panorama 2009 - CSI Steelband Trust wins
• UK Panorama 2009 - Ebony wins   *****  5 times in a row: 2005–2009

• “The Bradley Years”  Pantonic Steel Orchestra Releases Steelband Music CD:  7 panorama arrangements by master arranger Clive Bradley.
   
• “University of Calypso” an Andy Narell and Lord Relator Music Experience

• New York Panorama 2009 - Sonatas Steel Orchestra wins
  • New York Panorama

  •   “Pan in New York 2009” from the PanYard Recordings Series released
     
  •   “Pan in New York 2009: the Cooldown Versions” from the PanYard Recordings Series released.  This is the first ever CD dedicated strictly to Panorama selections recorded at a slow tempo

• Pan Trinbago votes in a new president - Patrick Arnold, at the helm of the organization for twelve years (3 terms,) is replaced after an October 25 vote - by challenger Keith Diaz, former head of the organization’s Northern Region office.

• United States Steelband Association elects new board of directors - New York, USA - A new beginning, era and focus were ushered into the steelband movement as a new administration took the helm of the North American-based steelband music organization, United States Steelband Association (USSA).

_{When Steel Talks / PanOnTheNet.com  -- News Sources -- Interviews; 2001-2010
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
** UK Daily Mirror, September 23, 1965, p. 7}

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