STEELBAND HISTORY

THE LONGTIME STEELBAND

Today, whatever money the band collects is used to hire a musical arranger for the Panorama competition and/or a pan tuner to tune the instruments. The arranger and the pan tuner sign a contract with the sponsor of the steelband and are paid by that sponsor. Their services are mainly used for the Panorama competition or the musical festival that is held bi-annually. After the Panorama and music festival competitions they leave the steelband until the next year when their services are needed again. The cost to arrange a tune for the Panorama competition and prepare the steelband far exceeds the prize money the winning steelband receives because pan tuning and arranging are expensive. The steelbands that are fortunate to have a sponsor are able to meet both financial demands. But, for most steelbands the competition is not cost effective. Steelbands are always in the red in their finances.

In the early days, there were a few favorite panists in each steelband who attracted a popular following. Those panists were known for their extraordinary pan skills and playing abilities. During rehearsals people would gather close to their favorite panist and watch and cheered as he played his instrument. The panist was treated as a rock star is today. On carnival days, the steelbands would put their pans together on steel racks with wheels and traveled throughout the city. The pans would be clustered together according to the similarity of the instruments. So, they would put the tenor pans together, the bass pans together and so on. The steelband members would pull those racks. And, people would pull those racks through the streets sometimes all day and night until the carnival festival was over. Many would assist their favorite panist. Some of the favorite and popular panists were Rupert Alexander, Guns and Shoreland, bass (Trinidad All Stars); Knolly Shine and Kelvin Hart, tenor pan, Russell Carter, bass and Roy ‘Black Roy’ Phillip, guitar pan (City Syncopators); Spongy, bass (City Symphony); Emmanuel 'Corbeaux Jack' Riley, tenor pan (Invaders) and Ancil 'Dumpling' Graves, double seconds (Boston Symphony).

The Panyard

"Panyard horrors
From landowners"
Why should there be any Bandleaders."
Merchant

A young man is standing behind his tenor pan playing a few notes. A second young man accompanies him playing the bass pan. A third young man is playing the cello pan. A fourth young man is beating an iron keeping time for the band. Another young man is playing the guitar pan. Some young men are assisting with the cleaning of the yard. A few women are cooking. And, a few young men are hanging out talking. The pan tuner is preparing some discarded oil drums to be made into steelpans. He begins by cutting the drum to the required length. Next, he prepares a fire in the open panyard to burn the oil out of the drum. Then, he sinks the drum. Again, he grooves out the notes on the drum. Next, he burns the drum once more for a longer period. Lastly, he tunes each note to the required pitch. The scene could be an African making a drum in a village in Africa. But, it is 20th century Trinidad in the panyard of the City Syncopators Steelband Orchestra, one of the top steelbands 'behind the bridge,' in the East Dry River community.

The nucleus of the steelband movement was the panyard. The panyard was the place where the steelbands practiced and housed their instruments. It was there that an insignificant steeldrum would rise like the phoenix through the fires and hammered and tempered by the tuners to be transformed into the steelpan. It was the hub of all steelband activity. The panyard was usually a space carved out in a yard that was either owned by the captain of the band, a band member or band supporter, who permitted its use.

Most of the panyards were constructed from wood and covered with rusty galvanize. Others were constructed from concrete with iron gates. Sometimes it would be a part of government lands that the government permitted the steelbands to use. Other times, it would be a private unused lot. The panyard was the home of the steelband. The panyard was the center of all activities for the steelband. There was activity six days a week. On Sunday the panyard was empty. During the week, panists would gather every day and night to rehearse their tunes, discuss various things and meet women. The panyard was also a place of recreational activity. It was the center of musical activity in the community. Also, the panyard was a place of safety.

During the Carnival celebrations, the panyard was filled with excitement and gaiety as the orchestra prepared for the Panorama competition. As the steelbands rehearsed their tunes of choice for the Panorama competition hundreds of people would gather outside the panyards overlaying into the streets to listen and encourage the steelbands to do their best. During practice sessions a few of the women members of the steelband would cook and the captain would provide beverages and alcoholic drinks. People would eat and drink all night until the practice sessions were over. The panyard was also a place for people to meet and socialize during the day. As the day of the Panorama competitions approached the whole community would be excited. From that moment on, the community concentrated on one thing, the Panorama competition. During the carnival season people would travel to different communities to listen to the various steelbands.

The Steelband

"What a talent, plenty talent
You hear what I say
Steelband music is the greatest talent today."
Terror

During the 1960s, most of the steelbands in the country was situated in the East Dry River district known as “Behind the Bridge”. The area boasted of steelbands like Desperadoes, City Syncopators, Joyland Synco, Hilanders, Stereophonics, Boston Symphony, City Symphony, Melo Stars, Tokyo and Renegades. Those ten steelbands occupied the area beginning from Mango Rose at Piccadilly Street and ending all the way to the top of Laventille Hill at the Laventille Community Centre that the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra used as their panyard. In those days most of the young people behind the bridge played pan or 'mas' on carnival day with one of those steelbands. The era of the carnival 'mas' bands like Savage, Peter Minshall and Poison had not yet arrived.

The steelband orchestra consists of many steelpan instruments. Its repertoire is made up of calypsos, classical, latin and religious music. In the late 1940s, Ellie Mannette created his styling of the soprano (tenor) pan and changed the design to concave with convex note-dents and increased the number of notes in the pan. The years 1938-1939 is considered the "birth" years of the steelband movement. Between 1939 and 1945, the first melody pans with three to eight tones were introduced. In 1945, the first real steelbands came on the road during the carnival celebrations. In 1946, the Invaders Steel Orchestra was reported to be the first steelband to organize 'mas' on the road.

In 1951, a National Steel Orchestra was formed. Its mission was to take steelband music abroad. This new steelband orchestra was called the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO). It consisted of panists from the various steelbands. Some of the panists that were a part of TASPO were: Anthony Williams, Philmore Davidson, Patsy Haynes and Sterling Betancourt. Trinidad All Stars Steelband did not join TASPO because they did not belong to the Steelband Association. TASPO made two trips to Britain, the first in 1951 and the second in 1954. Both trips were memorable. The orchestra played at all the leading concert halls and received rave reviews. In the 1960s, another National Steelband Orchestra was formed. That orchestra traveled as far as Africa spreading pan-music to the world. By the late 1970s the National Steel Orchestra was no more. The winner of the Panorama competition became the new Pan Ambassador. The winning steelband now receives, as part of their first prize, a trip abroad to represent pan-music.

In the 1960s, Anthony Williams created his 'spider pan' design with 4ths and 5ths musical notations for the steelpan. Since the 1970s, most calypsonians sing a calypso about the steelpan or the steelband. Today, there are over one hundred and thirty-five conventional steelband orchestras in Trinidad and Tobago. The conventional steelband consists of up to 100 panists covering a tonal range almost equal to a grand piano. Today, the steelband orchestra is comprised of the following instruments:

TENOR (SOPRANO)
DOUBLE SECONDS
CELLO PAN (BARITONE)
DOUBLE TENORS (ALTO)
GUITAR PAN
FOUR PAN
DOUBLE SECOND (TENOR)
TRIPLE CELLO (BARITONE)
TENOR BASS
SIX BASS
NINE BASS
QUADROPHONIC PAN
IRON

“Ah band mey jaw
And I make up mey mind for them
They ask for war, so to solve it is no problem
Their crude behavior I don't approve
They stepping out of their grove
Renegades, Sparrow coming for you."
Sparrow

Some of the steelbands had derivative gangs that were comprised of teenagers who lived in the area and were either members or supporters of the steelband. There were gangs like Spike Jones and later Thunderbirds from Desperadoes Steel Orchestra; Lawbreakers from Renegades Steel Orchestra; Cliftones from Casablanca Steel Orchestra; Applejackers from Blue Diamonds Steel Orchestra and Silk Hats from City Symphony Steel Orchestra. Those steelbands supported their teenage gangs in their gang fights. The other steelbands had adult gangs and seldom supported their teenage gangs in their gang fights. An exception was when the teenager was a relative or paramour of one of the members of the steelband. Most of the time the adults in the steelband were too busy with their own gang fights and had no time for other fights.

There were fights between steelbands like Desperadoes and Tokyo, Casablanca and Invaders and Renegades and Invaders. Most of those gang fights would start before Carnival and culminate on Carnival day creating panic throughout the city of Port of Spain. The two most infamous of those steelband fights were one in 1954 and another in 1959 between the Desperadoes Steelband Orchestra and San Juan All Stars Steelband Orchestra. The fight in 1959 took place on Carnival Tuesday in front of the Port of Spain General Hospital. The 1954 steelband fight was memorialized in calypso by the calypsonian Blakie in his 1954 calypso "Steelband Clash." Four years later, Kitchener did the same about another fight in 1962 in his 1963 calypso "The Road".

The years 1960 through 1970 were the golden years of the steelband movement. Steelbands like North Stars, Invaders, Desperadoes, Trinidad All Stars, Hilanders, Cavaliers, Silver Stars, City Syncopators and Ebonites took the stage. Panists like Bertie Marshall and Anthony Williams experimented and innovated in their attempt to improve the instrument. The 'Bomb' competition was introduced. At the 'Bomb' competition, all the Steelbands would gather at Independence Square and play classical pieces or popular tunes, sometimes jazz, in calypso timing. The 'Bomb' competition took place early Jouvert morning on Carnival Monday. Some of the more memorable 'bomb' tunes were: "In a Persian Market" and "Bacarolle" by Trinidad All Stars; "Roses from the South" by Ebonites; "Theme from King and I" and "Carmen" by Invaders; “Czardus" and "Theme from the Sound of Music" by Desperadoes; "I Feel Pretty" and "Adagio in C" by Starlift; "Moonlight Serenade" “Night and Day” and “Cindy” by City Symphony; "Gypsy Rondo" and "Let Ever'y Valley be Exalted" by Hilanders; "Theme from Doctor Zhivago" and "Ghosts Riders in the Sky" by Silver Stars and "Theme from Ten Commandments" and “Malaguena” by City Syncopators. City Syncopators was the first steelband in which I played mas. Most Trinbagonians may not remember the City Syncopators Steel Orchestra. But, ‘Synco’ holds two distinctions in the history of the steelband movement.

First, Synco holds the distinction for playing one of the largest sailor bands (I say the largest) in Carnival history: “USS Detroit-Sailors on Leave.” Others say that the Tokyo Steelband played the largest sailor band: “USS Skip Jack”. Some still claim that Trinidad All Stars played the largest sailor band: “USS Fleets In”. Regarding Tokyo, I say that they were large because two steelbands joined with them to bring the sailor band. As to Trinidad All Stars I leave that up to the panologists.

At the time Synco played “USS Detroit” the band was situated at the home of its captain Kenny Hart in the Crescent at the top of Quarry Street, near Lastique Street. I remember it as if it was yesterday. It was a carnival Tuesday morning. As I stood on Quarry Street I never saw so many sailors in a band before. I walked from the top of Lastique Street down Quarry Street into Observatory Street and stopped at Royal cinema at the corner of Charlotte Street. There were sailors stretching for over two miles from side to side on the road. There were sailors of every description. What a spectacle! At that time, the late Philmore ‘Boots’ Davidson was the band’s top bassman. Boots was one of the pioneers who traveled to England with the Trinidad Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) in the 1950s. Boots also created the six bass. Previously, the steelbands played the four bass. I was privileged to see him create it. City Syncopators entered the First Musical Festival held at Roxy cinema. Their soloist was Kelvin Hart. He played the tune Stardust and won.

As a child I used to visit Boots at his parents’ home on LaResource Street, a block away from my home. His mother and my grandmother were good friends. As a child growing up behind the bridge I was always fascinated with the steelpan and the music but could not join any steelband because my grandparents did not approve. In those days most, if not all, parents disapproved of the steelband movement. Nevertheless, I would sneak away to the panyards. Every afternoon after school I visited Boots under his mother’s house where he tuned the bass pans. I watched him as he cut the drums, burn them, sink them and drew the notes on each drum to create his masterpiece. Lastly, he hammered out each note. Philmore ‘Boots’ Davidson was a pioneer in the steelband movement. Later, Synco had a split. The younger panists left the band to form Joyland Synco under the captaincy of Winthrop Thomas. Some of the Joyland panists were: Gunga Din, the Ash brothers Herbert and Dennis (Tash), Juicy (Boldface brother), George, Change and Knolly Shine. Joyland lasted for two years when Winthrop left to form a musical combo called Five Fingers. After that the band broke up. Gunga Din and Tash joined Desperadoes.

Second, City Syncopators earned the distinction of having outplayed the best steelband, North Stars, at the 1966 Music Festival held at Queens Hall. Both steelbands played the same tune of choice ‘Poet and Peasant’ an overture piece by Franz Von Suppe. North Stars’ arranger was Anthony Williams. Synco’s arranger was Anthony Lynch from the police band. Even though Lynch did not play the steelpan he had a similar personality as Williams. Both men were soft spoken, gentle but very competitive. And, they never sought the limelight. But, Lynch‘s arrangement of ‘Poet and Peasant’ won the Margaret Russell trophy, (named after the wife of the festival’s Adjudicator John Russell) for tune of choice, outplaying North Stars. But, North Stars won the overall competition. Some of the panists who played at the festival were: Selwyn McSween, Curtis McSween, Pecky, Bounsin, Roland Harrigin, Russell Carter, Andrew Barnett, Pecky, Morris Miller, Chubby Nichols, (Captain), Earl, Cecil, Fitzroy ‘Colpoke’ Holder, Roy ‘Black Roy’ Phillip, Sealy, South and Ranga.

During the 1960s, the Hilanders Steelband Orchestra played in one of the country's most prestigious churches, the Catholic Cathedral. Under the leadership of Reverend John Sewell, an Anglican Minister from the Holy Trinity Church, the band played pieces from Bach, Handel and other European composers. It was well received by the parishioners although it was the first time that a steelband orchestra played music in a church. And, it was historic since the church was one of the biggest impediments to the steelband movement. It considered the steelpan an instrument of the devil. Its teachings barred its followers from truly appreciating the national instrument. That sentiment still holds true for some people today.

By 1963, the steelband became a permanent part of the annual Carnival celebrations. It was also the year that the steelbands held their first Panorama competition. Steelbands from all over the country competed against one another for the Panorama championship. The winning Steelband received money and a prize trip abroad. It was a time when steelbands used members from the orchestra to arrange their tunes for the Panorama competition. Steelbands viewed winning the panorama competition as the hallmark of their musical prowess. They took it very seriously and saw losing as a sign that they were lacking true musical excellence.

Also, during the Christmas holidays, the steelbands rendered concerts in the public square. Those concerts were first held at the Governor General's House, now President's House and then later at Woodford Square where the steelbands played the annual favorite Christmas songs and Carols for the general public. The Square became famous after the first and now deceased Prime Minister Dr. Eric E. Williams renamed it the University of Woodford Square due to the nightly political meetings he held there when he ran for election. Since he considered the meetings an opportunity to educate the masses he felt the new name University was fitting.

The concerts were called "Classics and Carols." During the week, people would gather at those concerts from 7:00 o'clock in the evening until late into the night listening to one of the top steelbands playing their favorite Christmas song or Carol. Sometimes there would be three steelbands performing. One of the memorable steelband concerts was the one performed by Pan Am North Stars Steelband Orchestra in Woodford Square. The concerts stopped in 1970 as some panists turned to the 1970 Black Power revolution.

Beginning in the late 1940s through the 1980s the steelband movement saw five major innovations: (1) Development of the instrument. (2) Steelband Organization. (3) Festivals. (4) Panorama and Festival Compositions by panists. (5) Chroming of the instrument. Those changes became the structure for the steelband movement that we know today. Other changes, like size of the steelband orchestra and number of panists in the Panorama competition would later define the steelband movement. [BACK]