Steelpan

Steelpan (also known as pan or steeldrums, and sometimes collectively with the musicians as a steelband) is a musical instrument and a form of music originating in the twin island state of Trinidad & Tobago located in the Caribbean.

The pan is a pitched percussion instrument, tuned chromatically (although some toy or novelty steelpans are tuned diatonically), made from a 55 gallon drum of the type that stores oil. In fact, Drum refers to the steel drum containers from which the pans are made, the steel drum is correctly called a steelpan or pan as it too falls into the "Idiophone" family of instruments, and is not - technically - regarded as a drum - "Membranophone".

Origins and Controversy

There is controversy concerning the steelpan's origins. Although it is reported that Winston "Spree" Simon took an old biscuit tin, and beat it with a corn cob to form a steelpan, the history of the evolution and development of the steelpan is more complex and nuanced than that. While Simon may have been the first to use biscuit tins, it quickly turned to ash cans and the steel drums made unintentionally available by the United States. Bunches of young African men can be credited with contributing to the steel pan. Only having scraps as their primary resources they used what they had to preserve aspects of their culture in the space of the Caribbean. Clearly being influenced by the mixture of those on the islands along with the desire for African drums, steel pan was formed. The development of the pan took place largely during WWII, the first record of a pan band in the press being in a report of the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival in the Trinidad Guardian dated Tuesday, February 6, 1940.

One of the oldest steelbands in the world is The Neal & Massy Trinidad All-Stars which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2005.

Early bands were essentially rhythm bands. However during the 1940s discarded 55-gallon steel oil drums became the preferred type of pan and, perhaps noticing that constant drumming changed the tone of the pans, techniques were developed to tune them to enable melodies to be played. During WWII, tamboo bamboo bands, who usually performed during Trinidad's Carnival began using steel drums discarded by the US military (see Destroyers for Bases Agreement) to make advanced versions of their instruments. Ellie Mannette is credited as the first person to use an oil drum in 1946. By the late 1940s the music had spread to neighbouring islands.

In 1951 the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) took the music to the Festival of Britain in the United Kingdom - pan music still features in the annual Notting Hill Carnival.

In 1957, Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery formed what became the US Navy Steel Band, which toured the world as ambassadors for the U.S. Navy until 1999.

During the 1960s the tuner Anthony Williams developed a pan - the fourths and fifths - that has since become the standard design used today.

Two Americans, George Whitmyre and Harvey J. Price, have secured a US patent for "the process of formation of a Caribbean steelpan using a hydroforming press". This patent is being challenged by the Trinidad and Tobago Legal Affairs Ministry, since many Trinbagonian drum makers have used similar methods for years.

Steelbands in the early years were looked down upon by upper class society, and the panplayers were seen as undesireables. This view has completely reversed to the point where there are many more church steelbands than conventional bands

Construction

Pans are constructed by pounding the top of the oil drum into a bowl-like shape, known as "sinking" the drum. The drum is tempered over a fire until it is "white hot" and allowed to cool. Then the notes are laid out, shaped, grooved, and tuned with a variety of hammers and other tools. 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 the entire drum with only 3 bass notes per pan, in which case one person may play 6 such pans. The length of the skirt generally corresponds to the tessitura (high or low range) of the drum. The pans may either be painted or chromed.

Master Pan Tuners

Master tuners and makers of pans are as critical to the sound of its music, as is the dexterity and musicianship of the players who eke out their notes. Tuners in the steel band fraternity are deemed crucial to a band’s sound. Consequently, in local cultural realms, pan tuners are revered as masters. This section honours all pan tuners as the mastery of tuning skills is developed over a life time of dedication to the artform. Without pan tuners the evolution of the steelpan would have halted long ago. In the evolution of the steelpan, all tuning masters are held in high honour, respect and admiration by all associated with the history, the industry and the evolution of the instrument.

Master Tuners:

Dr. Ellie Mannette (pioneer) (Official Website | Manette Steel Drums)
Rudolph Charles (pioneer) [1]
Tomas "Tommy Rey" Reynolds, out of Sandford, Florida
Bertie Marshall
Roland Harrigin
Herman Guppy Brown
Lloyd Gay
Cliff Alexis

The pan family

There are 11 instruments in the pan family:

Lead/Tenor (There are many variations of tenor pans: Spiderweb Lead(4ths and 5ths), 3rds and 5ths, Left Handed, etc...)
Invader Lead/Tenor
Double Tenors
Double Seconds
Double Guitars
Quadduet (Double Seconds with extensions)
Quadrophonic
Triple Guitars
Cellos (Three and Four Pan variations)
Tenor Bass
Five Bass
Six Bass
Seven Bass
Nine Bass (up to 12 bass)

Steelbands

A list of some of the steelbands of the world:

Desperadoes
Exodus
Fonclaire
Marsicans
Oberlin Steel
Pan Sonatas
Pantonic
Phase II Pan Groove
Renegades
Sesame Flyers
Sforzata
Skiffle Bunch
Starlift
Trinidad All-Stars
CASYM
Crossfire
D'Radoes
Miami University Steel Band

Famous pannists, jazz artist, composers and arrangers

Cliff Alexis
Ray Holman
Clive Bradley
Rudolph Charles
Leon "Smooth" Edwards
Robert Greenidge
Annise "Halfers" Hadeed
Dave Longfellow
Ellie Mannette
Vernon "Birdie" Mannette
Victor "Babu" Samuel
Bruce "Fundoo" Bloodman
Aubrey "Lacu" Samuel
"Bobby" Mohammed
Aldon Moore
Andy Narell
Jeff Narell
Ken "Professor" Philmore
Yohan Popwell
Jit Samaroo
Len "Boogsie" Sharpe
Liam Teague
Jim "Boss" Wharton
John "The Wolf" Wolfe
Tom Miller
Mat Britain
Joseph "Panhead" Peck
Denzil "Belt" Botus
Othello Moulineaux
Gerald Forsyth

The future of pan

The world of steelpan is still thriving. Many ensembles have emerged in recent years which combine the steelpan with other styles of music and instruments not typically found in Caribbean music. As more artists begin including the instrument in various genres of music, it is likely that it will begin to be seen more as a versatile, general-purpose instrument than as a niche or novelty item.

The pan culture is encouraged in Trinidad and Tobago, and is included in parades on Carnival days, Emancipation day, and other celebrations. In addition, Caribbean immigrants to other countries often form community bands and youth bands, resulting in vibrant steelpan scenes in cities like New York, Toronto, Miami, and Washington, DC. Plus, there is a growing steelpan movement on the African continent, spearheaded by such groups as Botswana's Marang Community Junior Secondary Shool Steelpan Ensemble, which was on hand to perform for the state visit of Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur to Gaborone in 2004 (Botswana's Defense Force also has a panside). Schools, colleges, and universities are another setting in which young people are introduced to the steelpan. A growing number of colleges and universities now have steelpan ensembles, such as Oberlin Steel at Oberlin College, where music students and non-majors alike often strike their first notes on the pan. Others participate in elementary, middle, or high school pan ensembles. It seems likely that the number of pan players will continue to grow, both in Caribbean cultures and around the world.

Upcoming pannists, arrangers and composers

Keisha Codrington
Atiba Williams
Mia Normandie
Vanessa Headley
Khion Delas
John Wolfe
Dave Longfellow
Garvin Blake
Barry Mannette
Chris Ozinga
Gregory Boyd
Debra Sarjeant
Charleston Sarjeant
Jim Morford