History of the Steel Drum

The island of Trinidad, 93 miles off the coast of Venezuela, is the home of the steel drum. It was invented around the end of World War II. Prior to this time, Trinidadians made music from bamboo sticks which they would pound on the ground to produce rhythms which traced back to their African origins. They were called "Tamboo Bamboo Bands." Eventually Trinis started using iron objects such as old brake drums, garbage can lids, tin pans, and empty oil drums to form "Iron Bands." They were sometimes referred to as "Pan Bands."

The music that actually came out of the pan originated with the surfeit of empty oil drums left behind by U. S. forces during World War II. Trinis found that by hammering in dents of various sizes and shapes in the tops of these oil drums, they could create different sounds and tones. Thus became the birth of the pan.

Today there are steel bands in Trinidad ranging from small ensembles to orchestras of more than 100 players. The music varies from calypso to soca to jazz. The biggest celebration of the year is Carnival in Port-of-Spain, which occurs the week before Lent. The major event during Carnival is Panorama in which both small and large bands participate and compete for honors.

Steel band music is now enjoyed and played around the world. The steel drum is the only non-electronic instrument developed in the twentieth century and plays a significant role in Trinidad's cultural history where it continues to produce the world's greatest players, composers, and arrangers. The music of this unique instrument is inviting and infectious and makes people of all ages and nationalities want to "jump up" and dance.