Misplaced Pages

#845154

50-645: The modern steelpan is one of the newest musical instruments created during 20th-century music. It was created on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago in the 1930s and began in the underground culture due to a ban by the British colonial government, being first popularised by players such as Elliot "Ellie" Mannette , the Oval Boys and the Woodbrook Invaders. There was a shift in attitudes towards steelband after

100-697: A Catholic and Protestant Junior School to play together at a junior festival in Barbados in October 2000 to encourage unity during the Peace Process . Terry was also awarded the Community Centre and Culture award from the Royal Chartered Borough of Arima in 2008 due to his promotion of steelband participation around the world. However, probably the highest honour that the leader of the group has received

150-464: A national Panorama competition has been held in the United Kingdom as part of the annual Notting Hill Carnival celebration. Brooklyn, NY, home to a large West Indian population, has hosted an annual Steelband Panorama since 1972 as part of its annual Labor Day Carnival festivities. Steelpans were introduced to the genre of jazz fusion by players such as Dave Samuels and Othello Molineaux in

200-583: A pan , steel drum , and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or steel orchestra ) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago . Steelpan musicians are called pannists. In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly declared August 11 as World Steelpan Day. The following year, the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago officially recognised the steelpan as

250-464: A CD for Princess Diana , which was presented to her on the birth of her son Prince William in 1982. One of their most ground-breaking recent collaborations was with 2004 Turner Prize Winner Jeremy Deller for the soundtrack of his film " English Magic " in 2013. The film was recorded for a British Council exhibition and represented Britain's entry during the competition of the 55th Venice Biennale. Steelpan The steelpan (also known as

300-524: A Panorama steelband is that of the captain. These large ensembles often include section leaders: accomplished pannists that monitor the various voices in the band. Influential pannists include Ellie Mannette , the "Father of the Modern Steel Drum" and an accomplished panman, and Winston "Spree" Simon , the inventor and a skilled player of the "Ping Pong" pan. Musicians Jimmy Buffett and Lord Kitchener are known for composing music later adapted to

350-664: A bar was used to sink the pan. While this did create pre-sunk pans, a problem was that there would often be scratches and grooves in the steel. A Swiss steelpan manufacturer (PANArt) researched the field of fine-grain sheet steel and developed a deep-drawn raw form which was additionally hardened by nitriding . This process, and the new instruments they called pang , were presented at the International Conference of Steel pan and Science in Port-of-Spain in 2000. Electronic steelpans have also been developed. One such version

400-422: A broad array of players, specialities and skills are required. Although the band was understandably initially composed mainly of British Afro-Caribbeans , particularly those with strong links to Trinidad and Tobago, the band has always been welcoming and contained a diverse spectrum of people. Indeed, the scope of ages (from 12–60), races and backgrounds of players associated with the band today are unprecedented and

450-616: A founding member and chairman of the Commonwealth Arts Association and founded an earlier Steel Orchestra "The Groovers", sponsored by British Airways. In 1976, he helped to set-up the Steelband Association of Great Britain (SAGB). The Groovers were also successful and recorded a CD in 1982 for Princess Diana , which was presented to her on the birth of her son Prince William . Perhaps rediscovering an affinity for more explicitly Trinidadian and Tobagonian culture after

500-533: A long-standing association with Clayground Collective as "a champion bearer of clay to London", a company awarded for “Engaging new and diverse audiences and passing on Craft Skills” by Creative and Cultural Skills in 2013. The Melodians have produced many CDs since their formation, all available for purchase on their website and the internet in general. Terry Noel's precursor to the Melodians, "the Groovers", also recorded

550-502: A test piece (sometimes specially composed, or a selected calypso); a piece of choice (very often a "classic" or European art-music work); and calypso of choice, in a concert-style venue. Panorama, the largest steelband contest in the world, occurs during Carnival celebrations in Trinidad. In 2020, the world's first online steelpan competition, PanoGrama , was launched by Nevin Roach. Since 1978

SECTION 10

#1733107013846

600-472: A tradition of performing classical music which dates back to 1946, both in calypso tempo (known as "The Bomb") and straight (generally in concert or music festival contexts). In these contexts, accuracy and faithfulness to the original are highly prized. An international festival, the World Steelband Music Festival, has been held intermittently in Trinidad since 1964, where steelbands perform

650-425: A way that it did not previously. There are several ways in which a steelpan may become out of tune (most commonly this is caused by playing the steelpan with excessive force and incorrect handling) and it is quite common that steelbands arrange to have their instruments tuned once or twice a year. A tuner must have great skill in their work to manage to make the notes sound both good and at the correct pitch. Much of

700-847: A year's sabbatical in Trinidad, Terry Noel returned to London in 1987 and founded The Melodians Steel Orchestra UK in September–October of that year. The band then increased their abilities to recruit and expand by gaining BT as a national sponsor, briefly becoming known as the BT Melodians Steel Orchestra (BTMSO). He further promoted the movement by founding the Steel Advisory Service in the UK in April 1988, an organisation intended to assist those that would like to create their own steelbands. The newer Melodians have maintained close links with

750-527: Is the E-Pan, invented by Salmon Cupid, who holds utility patents for it. Another is the Percussive Harmonic Instrument (PHI). The note's size corresponds to the pitch—the larger the oval, the lower the tone. The size of the instrument varies from one pan to another. It may have almost all of the "skirt" (the cylindrical part of the oil drum) cut off and around 30 soprano-range notes. It may use

800-523: The Pythagorean musical cycle of fourths and fifths. A pan is played using a pair of straight sticks tipped with rubber; the size and type of rubber tip varies according to the class of pan being played. Some musicians use four pansticks, holding two in each hand. This grew out of Trinidad and Tobago's early 20th-century Carnival percussion groups known as tamboo bamboo . The pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago and will soon appear on

850-854: The Royal Variety Show at the Albert Hall , at the Queen's 40th Anniversary, the BBC's first-ever virtual Orchestra in 2016 and the Commonwealth Melody during Commonwealth Day Service on 9 March 2020 at Westminster Abbey . The band have been described as ambassadors for modern British Culture by envoys and have played in over 30 countries around the world in the service of the British Government's cultural outreach programmes. They have also performed at London Art Night in both 2018 and 2019. Terry Noel also has

900-498: The circle of fifths . This has become the standard form of note placement for lead pans. Other important developments include the tuning of harmonic overtones in individual notes, developed simultaneously and independently by Bertie Marshall and Alan Gervais. In the United States, steelpan instruments were marketed as early as 1961. The Caribbean Research Institute CARIRI investigated possibilities to mass-produce raw forms with

950-440: The 1780s, French colonists arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and brought street festival traditions. In 1785, plantation owners held the first Carnival in Trinidad . Many white plantation owners masqueraded as slaves (presumably in blackface ) and marched down the streets mocking African slave dress, singing, and dance customs, including banging on talking drums . Though they were mimicked, enslaved Africans were not allowed to join

1000-481: The 18th century, people from countries in West Africa were forcibly abducted to Trinidad to be sold at slave auctions. Persons of the same tribes and languages were deliberately separated and sold to different enslavers in an attempt to eradicate their traditions. In most cases, enslavers did not allow them to speak in their native tongues, forcing them to give up tradition and learn the enslaver's own language. In

1050-405: The 1954 Broadway musical House of Flowers . When Trinidadian-born dancer Geoffrey Holder was hired for its cast, he suggested the incorporation of three drummers from his dance company, Michael Alexander (who made the instruments), Roderick Clavery, and Alphonso Marshall; the three doubled as dancers in the show. Anthony Williams designed the "fourths and fifths" arrangement of notes, known as

SECTION 20

#1733107013846

1100-479: The 1970s, and Jonathan Scales in the 2000s. They are featured in the early fusion album Morning Dance by Spyro Gyra . A pannist (sometimes panist or panman ), is a person who plays the steelpan. A professional pannist may perform solo, play with a steel band, or accompany singers or solo instrumentalists. Pannists may play with their respective bands in large competitions, and generally memorize everything that they perform. The pannist's top position in

1150-506: The Canboulay music contests. In 1941, the U.S. Navy established a presence in Trinidad. The pannists, who were associated with lawlessness and violence, helped to popularise steelpan music among the soldiers, which began its international popularisation. At the time of the steelpan's popularity in Trinidad it was seen as being associated with a violent or derelict crowd. It was unacceptable for women to be involved in such activities. Culturally

1200-568: The Caribbean that were responsible for the growth of this instrument. By 1951, the government of Trinidad and Tobago had selected the Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra (containing Elliot Mannette, Sterling Betancourt and others) to represent the country at that year's Festival of Britain . Fittingly, much of the inspiration for the band in the UK stemmed from the experiences of Terry Noel MBE during his time playing at

1250-471: The War, exemplified by the positive reception it received at the carnival of 1946 (the first allowed since the start of the war), in front of the then-governor and a series of initiatives between 1948 and 1950 to end "clashes" between rival groups. Although it is uncertain at precisely which time the instrument first came to the UK or properly entered popular consciousness, there are a variety of origin stories for

1300-540: The area of Balham that falls into the London Borough of Lambeth . The Melodians have been a registered charity (number 1036904) since 1994, responsible for a wide range of cultural, ambassadorial, educational and social programs to try and benefit a wide involvement of communities. One of the most notable and long-standing partnerships that the band has is with the Henry Cavendish Primary School, where

1350-637: The band has agreed to provide music lessons for the pupils due to practising at the site. Michael Fuller wrote of his admiration for their community outreach work in the Winstanley and York Road Estates in the late 1990s, which inspired him to direct increased municipal funding towards them and convincing him that "its rising star .... coincided and perhaps contributed something to the area's change". The Melodians also introduced steelpans to Northern Ireland at Harpurs Hill Junior School in Coleraine and organised for

1400-477: The band has managed to retain its loyal British Trinidadian and Tobagonian membership, whilst attracting ensemble members united in their appreciation for Trinidadian culture . Although the band did, does and will contain participants throughout the London area and beyond, it does maintain especially strong ties to South London and areas predominantly within the boroughs of Wandsworth and Lambeth . Michael Fuller ,

1450-426: The country's national instrument. The modern pan is a chromatically pitched percussion instrument made from 200-litre industrial drums . Drum refers to the steel drum containers from which the pans are made; the steel drum is more correctly called a steel pan or pan as it falls into the idiophone family of instruments, and so is not a drum (which is a membranophone ). Some steelpans are made to play in

1500-414: The country's redrawn coat of arms . Steelpans developed in the early to mid 1900s, but with roots going back much earlier, including the talking drums of West African cultures. The hourglass-shaped drums were used for communicating messages at a distance with drum language . For example, the rhythm and pitch could indicate the location, time, and even type of dancing during an upcoming ceremony. In

1550-406: The entire drum with only three bass notes per pan, in which case one person may play six such pans. The length of the skirt generally corresponds to the tessitura (high or low range) of the drum. The pans are usually either painted or chrome plated . Other processes such as nickel plating , powdercoating , or hardening can also be applied as a finish. Despite being a relatively new member of

Melodians Steel Orchestra UK - Misplaced Pages Continue

1600-525: The festival. After this, stick-fighting and African percussion music were banned throughout the 1880s. They were replaced by bamboo sticks beaten together, which were themselves banned in turn. In 1937 they reappeared in Laventille , transformed as an orchestra of frying pans , dustbin lids, and oil drums . These steelpans are now a major part of the Trinidadian music scene and are a popular section of

1650-485: The festivities. In response, the Africans organized underground Carnivals of their own, taking place in cabins and backyards. Inspired by ancient traditions, Africans incorporated masks, feathers, beads, and drumming. In 1789, Spanish governor of Trinidad José María Chacón issued a directive that all Africans (the majority of the population) would observe Roman Catholic religion and all Christian holy days . The purpose

1700-431: The first Black Chief constable , Commander and Deputy assistant commissioner within the UK, wrote about his encounter with the Melodians by Clapham Junction during his tenure at Battersea Police Station in the late 1990s. He asserted that they had a particularly strong link to the Winstanley and York Road Estates area, as many of the members "lived on the estate". The band also practices at Henry Cavendish School in

1750-407: The ground and with other sticks in order to produce sound. Tamboo bamboo bands included percussion of a (gin) bottle and spoon. By the mid-1930s, bits of metal percussion were being used in the tamboo bamboo bands, the first probably being either the automobile brake hub "iron" or the biscuit drum "boom". The former replaced the gin bottle-and-spoon, and the latter the "bass" bamboo that was pounded on

1800-522: The ground. In 1939 the first all-steel band, Alexander's Ragtime Band , emerged, and by 1940 it had become the preferred carnival accompaniment of young underprivileged men. The 55-gallon oil drum was used to make steelpans from around 1947. The Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra (TASPO), formed to attend the Festival of Britain in 1951, was the first steelband whose instruments were all made from oil drums. They performed July 26, thus introducing

1850-554: The group accolades that have been bestowed upon it. These include: Two Performing Rights Society Enterprise Awards, Her Majesty the Queens's 40th anniversary Royal Anniversary Challenge Award and a BT Innovation Award. Although the number of performances that the band has participated in since their inception would be impossible to fully record, they have a long and proud history of ambassadorial and ceremonial performances. Domestic examples are their performances: for 15 years consecutively in

1900-573: The growth of the movement in the UK. One such assertion is that the first UK Steel Orchestra began when Trinidadian soldiers who were stationed in London at the end of WWII (possibly in the Caribbean Regiment ), joined in the celebrations by playing their instruments. However, it would also certainly seem that in many places in and outside London, that it was primarily the Windrush generation of musicians such as Lord Kitchener and other migrants from

1950-596: The historic group, exemplified by a member of the earlier Arima band- Robert Thompson- writing the "Commonwealth Melody" which the UK band performed at the Commonwealth Day Service in Westminster Abbey on 9 March 2020. Due to the pans within the Steel Orchestra needing to act as guitars, cellos and bass, sometimes along with instruments like maracas , cowbells and tambourines in the rhythm section ,

2000-518: The music and rhythms of the skin drums and gourd rattles ." In 1834, slaves were emancipated in Trinidad and Tobago following the Slavery Abolition Act , but segregation and indentured servitude continued. After emancipation, Africans annually celebrated Canboulay , a harvest festival involving calypso drumming. In 1881, the Canboulay riots occurred, which were a series of revolts during

2050-595: The original Melodians Steel Orchestra in Arima , Trinidad . This earlier namesake was formed in 1953 and is renowned for its community work within the town and surrounding area. Terry Noel MBE then came to London in 1967 to train as a psychiatric nurse after a career in the Mounted Police . In 1975, he was instrumental in organising the first Adult Steelband Music Festival in London at the Commonwealth Institute, became

Melodians Steel Orchestra UK - Misplaced Pages Continue

2100-409: The percussion family, steelpan tuning techniques have advanced rapidly. Strobe tuners are ideally suited for the task. The need to see the first few overtones further makes a strobe tuner a necessity for steelpan tuning. Steelpan makers have used strobe tuners since it was discovered that, by adjusting the overtones (first (fundamental), second, and third partial), the pan's sound seemed to sparkle in

2150-432: The steel pan. Noted pan tuners and producers include Darren Dyke , Mappo , Bertrand Kelman , and Herman Guppy . 21 New Yorker Magazine page 17 December 20. 2021 Trinidadian and Tobagonian British Trinidadian and Tobagonian British people are citizens or residents of the United Kingdom whose ethnic origins lie fully or partially in Trinidad and Tobago . 21,283 Trinidad and Tobago-born people were living in

2200-529: The steelband is extensive. Steelbands in Trinidad have a tradition of re-interpreting the current year's calypsos for carnival performance; rarely will a calypso from a previous year be heard at carnival or the Panorama music competition. Bands that perform all year round (both in Trinidad and world-wide) have long prided themselves on being able to perform many types of music, particularly Latin and jazz numbers, film music and other popular tunes. Pannists also have

2250-835: The steelpan and a new music genre to the world. 2022 Google Doodle commemorated the event. Members of TASPO included Ellie Mannette and Winston "Spree" Simon . Hugh Borde led the National Steel Band of Trinidad & Tobago at the Commonwealth Arts Festival in England, as well as the Esso Tripoli Steel Band , which played at the World's Fair in Montreal, Canada, and later toured with Liberace . They were featured on an album with him. Three steel pans were used onstage in

2300-419: The stigma was focused on the idea that women belonged in the home or with the children and not out in the street with the pan players. As the instrument became more mainstream women were allowed to join and the stigma that went along with playing the instrument subsided. The first instruments developed in the evolution of steelpan were tamboo bamboos , tunable sticks made of bamboo wood. These were hit onto

2350-437: The tuning work is performed using hammers. In the beginning of the steelband movement, players would play a single pan only, now commonly called around the neck instruments. Later on, some steelpans became chromatic by using multiple pans, particularly for the bass registers, which have fewer notes per pan owing to the larger sizes of the lower note areas. Following are some of the most popular instruments: The repertoire of

2400-502: The use of pressing machines in the 1970s. Much of this project took place in Sweden in collaboration with the Saab Company. Although first results were promising, the project has been abandoned due to lack of finances and support by local pan tuners in Trinidad. Another method of shaping the pan was attempted: by spinning. The pan was spun on a lathe -like device, and a roller on the end of

2450-474: Was his MBE for services to Music and Community Involvement from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2015. As previously mentioned, the group's pre-eminent status within the UK steelpan community has meant that it has enjoyed considerable success over the years, not least with the award of an MBE for its leader in 2015. Due to the entrepreneurial spirit and resilience of the group it is also vital to recognise some of

2500-467: Was to further erase West African culture and religious beliefs. However, the enslaved Africans were able to preserve their traditions by camouflaging them within Christian holidays. For example, on Sundays, enslaved people would "put on their best clothes and go to drum dances held in different yards or on the land away from the plantation where they were allowed to grow their own crops...[They] would dance to

#845154