My Story |
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I grew up in the part of Port of Spain colloquially known as, "behind the bridge" or "E.D.R." which stands for East (ofthe) Dry River. This district borders the western limits of the city’s overcrowded hillside. In the South East of the city, areas like Laventille or "the hill" and “John John”, are known to have made significant contributions to the evolution of the Pan. Steel Pans- Its Early Beginning Back in the late 1930s early 1940s the first Ping Pong or Melody Pan as it was then called (a claim stated by one of its inventors), was created by hammering out the pan into a convex shape using stones and pieces of wood. From that humble beginning and in the twin Caribbean Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago some sixty years ago, the Pan or Steel Drum as it is also called by many of its non-Caribbean admirers, has evolved into a beautifully sounding chromatic percussion instrument of today. However the birth of this instrument began from the African Hand Drum, brought to the Caribbean by the African slaves. Around the 1800’s, the Colonial authorities banned the African hand drum in an attempt to suppress non-European cultural expressions. The Tamboo Bamboo ensemble took the place of African drums to provide rhythmic accompaniment for the Afro-Creole street culture. Kalinda, Dame Lorraine and carnival parades. Cut to different lengths and sizes, the bamboo band simulated the four main voices of the hand drum ensemble. The transition from bamboo band to metal came around 1935. More durable containers like metal garbage bins and covers, biscuit drums, paint cans, brake drums, chamber pots and bottles and spoons replaced the delicate Bamboo. Then came the ping-pong, or melody pan around 1935. Which was a small hand held pan cut from a paint tin or carbide container. The indentations made by striking it with wooden sticks, were pushed upwards to form small bumps, which were then tuned to different pitches. Controversy still surrounds the issue of the first person to play a melody on the pan. Between 1935 and 1939, the steel band was mainly a percussion ensemble. Although a simple melody could be played on the ping-pong pan, they were used along with the five-note tenor kittle to provide a rhythmic `motif or riff to accompany a chant, which the crowd carried with encouragement from the band's chantwells. Other instruments included a two-note bass drum or du-dup, bottle and spoon, brake drums, a cuff boom, graters and other metal objects. During the 50s and beyond, Anthony Williams, Ellie Mannette, Neville Jules, Rudolph ”Charlo” Charles and Bertie Marshall were some of the major innovators responsible for taking this beautifully sounding chromatic musical instrument to where it is today. I am truly honored to have personally experienced the development of this 20th, century phenomenon For more in-depth information on the history of the Steel Drums, please visit wikipedia |
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© 2004-2010 Toby Tobas Steel Drum Band |