"'Culture Matters

'We went over with our rusty pans. They weren't painted or chromed or anything - just dustbins. People didn't know what to expect, but they liked it. They said it was "black magic."'

Sterling Betancourt, pan tuner/arranger

IN 1951, Sterling Betancourt travelled to England with the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) for the Festival of Britain. The players were selected from among the best in the country. It is believed this was the first time steelpan was showcased on a global stage since its invention near the end of the Second World War.

At home, Carnival had been banned for three years, from 1942-1945, due to the widespread effects of the conflict. When on May 8, 1945, victory by the allied forces against the Nazis was announced, the people chose to celebrate with pan. They 'waved branches and chanted songs to the accompaniment of music thumped out of old iron."

This week we celebrated World Steelpan Day. You are forgiven if you were not even aware that the day existed, as we did not experience any of the excitement that one would expect for the honouring of a national instrument.

Should we blame it on the pandemic? Maybe. On August 11, the day of the pan commemoration, media headlines declared that the delta strain of the covid19 virus had arrived. Hundreds lined up for vaccinations, while health officials assured that they were ready. As we face a steady increase in cases and deaths, it is understandable that enthusiasm for our pan would be muted.

But perhaps there are other reasons for the quiet nature of the day. This year finds us at another crossroads in the development of our national instrument. Bertel Gittens, chairman of the World Steelpan Thrust, has stated that the commemoration offers a chance for 'sober reflection on our national instrument.'

No doubt, one of the areas for reflection is the passage of time. Seventy-one years ago the National Association of TT Steelbandsmen was established to bring structure and calm to competing forces within the pan community. Fifty years ago, in 1971, a new institution evolved, namely Pan Trinbago. Fifteen years later in 1986, Pan Trinbago was incorporated by an act of Parliament. This allows the organisation certain freedoms, such as the right to acquire land, pursue patents or other means to protect the pan or invest in the production of instruments.

In the 70 years since star pan players such as Betancourt from Crossfire, Philmore 'Boots' Davidson from Syncopators, Winston 'Spree' Simon from Tokyo, and Ellie Mannette from Invaders travelled to England to perform, our steel pan may be found across the globe. In the post-WWII period, TT artists, from calypsonians to pan tuners, pan players and mas experts, settled all over the world. By the 1960s, three of the major carnivals - Notting Hill in London, Brooklyn's Labor Day and Toronto's Caribana - were started.

By 1988, the steelband fraternity had outgrown the Steelband Music Festival established in 1964. That year, the World Steelband Music