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The steelpan, a percussion instrument created in Trinidad and Tobago in 1939, is making a comeback as a new generation embraces its bright, melodious sound on stage and dance floors.
Fans say new technology has made the steelpan more accessible and affordable — and a growing number of schools in the twin-island nation are introducing students to its bell-like chime.
While its stuttering sound brings forth images Caribbean In mind, this was the kind of music that until recently attracted mostly elderly people in Trinidad and Tobago.
“It’s changing rapidly,” said Amrit Samaru, son of renowned steelpan music arranger, player and composer Jeet Samaru.
Steelpans — or pans, for short — are “sexy again,” he told The Associated Press on a recent afternoon as he sat in the living room of his family home, surrounded by a piano, a tenor steelpan and photos of his late father.
Amrit Samaru, who leads the popular Trinidad and Tobago Supernovas Steel Orchestra, has witnessed the demographic change firsthand. He noted that social media is embracing the instrument, with fans playing everything from pop songs to reggae on the steelpan.
Samaru said, “It’s nice to play that kind of recognizable stuff on the instrument.” “It’s a good place where we are right now.”
‘Out of body experience’
PanistSteelpan, as the players are known, claims to be able to beat any style of music. Add the influence of whatever’s trending, and you get a device that’s growing its fan base at a rapid pace.
“Pan is an out-of-body experience, that’s the best way I can describe it,” said student Jael Grant, 17.
She has been playing since the age of 5 and is now a member of Exodus Steel Orchestra, a band her grandfather has supported for decades.
For Jahzara Lee-Babb, Steelpan provides an escape from the stresses of teenage life. At the age of 17, his love for the instrument led him to study fine arts at a local university.
“When I’m going through dark times or anything, I feel like I can go home, stand behind my pan, play some scales, play some music and it will make me feel better,” she said.
On a recent Saturday morning at Exodus Steel Orchestra’s “panyard,” or home, in eastern Trinidad, the musicians were setting up a class.
Here, children as young as 5 are learning to play the steelpan in preparation for an upcoming Christmas concert. Some people looked expectantly at their teacher, who occasionally stopped them to explain something.
Like school, a bell rings to signal the beginning and end of a period, and lessons become more advanced depending on the age group.
Students are learning from the best, as Exodus is the reigning champ panoramaIt is the twin-island nation’s premier national pan competition held every year during Carnival.
‘People’s sentiment’
Steelpan was born out of rebellion and resilience.
Following the emancipation of the slaves in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1830s, a rebellion led authorities to ban the playing of percussion, strings and wooden instruments during Carnival celebrations.
But the former slaves were not silenced, and this led them to discover musical instruments hidden in discarded oil drums.
Amrit Samaru said, “Really, a sense of people… joined in and came from African roots to now global acceptance.”
Steelpan manufacturers no longer have to wait for discarded drums to make pans, which officially became the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago in July 2024.
technology There is a change in the way equipment is made, which is contributing to its revival.
At Panland, a company that has been making steelpans for more than 30 years, workers say steelpans can now be made in 9-to-5 shifts with the help of power tools, a powerful flame-thrower, and a mobile app.
Previously, it could take more than a month to make a single steelpan.
Panland makes steelpans that sell cheap and last a long time, thanks to the powder coating applied to the equipment.
“Powder coating is more durable than chrome in some circumstances or situations, although people may think otherwise, but chrome is very sensitive to moisture and rusting,” said Michael Cooper, president of Penland.
Steelpan has recently received more formal recognition. Earlier this year, the government of the twin-island republic changed the country’s coat of arms by replacing Christopher Columbus’s three ships with steelpans.
And World Steelpan Day is now celebrated annually on 11 August following a proclamation united nations,
An instrument that used to be restricted only to men, has now been played by countless women in Trinidad and Tobago.
“It was a lovely experience,” said student Grant. “You don’t just hear the pan or play the pan, you…feel the music in your body.”
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