Steel Band Insights - The Growth Of The Steel Pan Orchestra

by Priscilla Taylor

New York city born Priscilla Taylor is a music aficionado, who has collected ethnic music since the 1950’s. Her interest in steel band music was fostered through her friend, Joseph Cummings, a Trinidadian pancussionist with Rudy King’s Steel Band. Ms. Taylor has some vintage recordings of Ellie Mannette, Neville Jules, The Girl Pat Steel Band, Katzenjammers and others of that era.

Upon returning from the 1956 carnival in Trinidad and from a visit to the island of Antigua, the birthplace of her parents where she was entertained by the renowned Hell’s Gate Steel Band, she began a study of the steel pan.

As an artist, writer, journalist, administrator and consultant, with a keen interest in the performing arts, her goal is to insure the dissemination and propagation of the visions of the black creative artist on to the international scene.

Republished from -  Steelbands of New York with permission from the author

A When Steel Talks Exclusive Reprint

Introduction

lCasablanca at BAM - 1983Casablanca Steel Orchestra at Brooklyn Academy of Music - 1983

The creation and the evolution of the steel pan, is one of the most Innovative inventions of the twentieth century. A true Folk Art, the pan developed on the Island of Trinidad during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Early pioneers were Ellie Manette, Winston “Spree” Simon, Neville Jules, as well as Bertie Marshall, Orman “Patsy” Haynes, Anthony Williams, Jackman, Rudolph Charles and others.

Caldera Caraballo
Reynold “Caldera” Caraballo producer of Casablanca Steel Orchestra at BAM

This unique musical sound, which originally came from the 55- gallon discarded oil drums, eventually found its way to other Caribbean islands. However, it was not until 1949 that the first steel pan was heard ˇri the United States, when Trinidadian, Rudolph “Rudy” King, brought a set of steel drums to New York City. Musical America has not been the same since.

Rudy’s band was the first to perform In the West Indian Day Parade, When It was held In Harlem along Seventh Avenue from 110th Street to 142nd Street, from 1947 onwards continuing throughout the 1950’s and the early 1960’s, finally settling In Brooklyn. King’s band also appeared at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on May 12, 1956, electrifying the audience with this new sound.


Broadway was also graced with this new music during the run of Truman Capote’s and Harold Arlen’s “House of Flowers” at the Alvin Theatre during the 1954-55 season. Steel pan music was provided by Michael Alexander, Roderick Clavery and Alphonso. Multitalented Geoffrey Holder, newly arrived from Trinidad, made his Broadway debut ˇn that production which starred Pearl Bailey, an Introduced the vocal artistry of Diahnne Carroll.

From Its early beginnings, the pan has expanded musically, enabling It to play European classical music as well as the polyrhythms of the African drum. It must be noted, however, that the energies emanating from steel pan music is but a continuation of ancient African musical dynamics.

We endeavor ˇn this publication    to tell the story of the pan from the    point of view of those people I have dubbed “pancussionists” residing in the City of New York, striving against all odds to maintain and sustain the culture of their ancestors. It is recognized that they have not always received true recognition for their sincere dedication. We intend that this publication will be another step in that direction.


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