Evolution of the Drum to the Steel Pan Flashcards
The steelpan that we know today has its origins in the
African drum
Africans — were brought primarily from —
Africans kidnapped and enslaved were brought primarily from West Africa as part of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
These Africans were sold to
work on plantations across North America, South America and the Caribbean
In TT, a robust
sugar cane plantation complex was developed with enslaved Africans being forced to work under a chattel slavery system
Despite the horrors of chattel slavery,
the African community proved resilient and were able to hold on to and pass on many aspects of their tradition, including cultural and religious practices
One such cultural tradition is
the making and playing of the drum, from which evolved what is known today as the steel pan
Example of an African drum
djembe and dun dun
These African drums are still used today in
religious ceremonies
other forms of African drum and drumming still form a
critical part of African music, dancing and singing in TT
In the post emancipation period, Africans began
playing the drum openly in religious and festive gatherings
Because of this open playing, the white planter class and colonial authorities
began to feel increasingly threatened by the newly emancipated Africans’ freedom and sought ways to circumvent their cultural expressions
what happened in 1833
the playing of African drums was banned by colonial authorities
Several historians and social scientists attribute this ban in part, to
the 1881 Canboulay Riots which took place in POS in the vicinity of Piccadilly Street
However, it is well documented that the white planter class had
a deep fear of the African drum for its ability to communicate messages, particularly in the planning of rebellions
What was a critical component of the culture and lifestyle of Africans
rhythm
As rhythm was important, the Africans had always
felt compelled to find ways of creating it
the Yoruba village consisted of
the communities of Belmont, (originally Freetown), Gonzales, Laventille, Success Village, John John, East Dry River and Morvant
In the Yoruba village became a
hub for cultural innovation and adaptation, one such being the Tamboo Bamboo
The prohibition of the drum prompted
the development of the Tamboo Bamboo which was produced by cutting bamboo of various lengths
Players would then do what to the bamboo
stamp the bamboo on the ground, some lengths were also hit with a piece of metal while stamping it
the players would stamp it while they
‘chipped’ effectively creating a variety of sounds
The Tamboo Bamboo ensemble developed into
four distinct instruments- the boom, chandler, fuller, and cutter
These ensembles were often accompanied by
brass and string instruments
What was the problem with bamboo
it was not the most durable material for this particular use as it splintered easily and in the 1930s Tamboo Bamboo went the way of the drum and was also banned
When were Carnival celebrations suspended
During World War 1
During World War I
persons of African descent living in urban communities like laventille and Gonzales began experimenting with other material to create music
(World War I) Persons began to use
a number of metal objects such as milk cans, garbage can covers and pots to produce musical sounds by beating them with short lengths of metal or wood
Tell me about the biscuit tin
the biscuit tin in particular lent itself to the creation of a variety of musical notes and it soon replaced the tamboo bamboo
How did the biscuit tin create musical notes
It was heated and the surface shaped to create musical notes
When played, the biscuit tin was
hung around players’ necks and was initially struck with the open palm, it is believed to be the first true pan
Musicians also began experimenting with
55-gallon oil drums, cutting them and indenting the surface to produce a musical range
What permitted complete tons on the oil drums
the length to which the drums were cut permitted complete tones from the bass to the soprano
These early steel pans were also
hung around the players’ necks and hit with short wooden sticks called mallets
What has also developed around the instrument
a unique culture
Pan yards function as
not only as a rehearsal space for pannists but also a meeting place for people in their communities where generational gaps disappear
It is not uncommon to see (at pan yards)
young and old, parent and child side by side playing pan together
Pan enthusiasts are known to be
loyal to their favourite pan sides which have evolved into steel orchestras
Every year, Panorama continues to
draw thousands to the Queens Park Savannah to enjoy the intoxicating sounds of music and crown the new reigning champion of Panorama
The steelpan is the only instrument to have been invented in
the 20th century and is one of the major contributions of Africans to Trinbagonian culture and identity
Out of the bowels of slavery and colonialism,
Africans demonstrated their resilience and proved that they would not just survive but thrive
the steelpan is now informally recognised as
the national instrument of TT and in 2023, the UN declared August 11, World Steel Pan Day
