Steel Pan Music - In A League Of Its Own

By Dennis Wright


In every part of the world, there is a particular set of factors that can be attributed to one country or culture. Though steel pan music is now heard worldwide, it is known as a sound that is unique to the Caribbean. After all, the birth of this instrument, also called a steel drum, happened in the Caribbean's most southern island of Trinidad.

Commonly known as simply 'pan', it was created during the '30s, after over half a century of experimentation and development of metal objects as percussion instruments. When slaves came from Africa, they brought with them the hand drum, and this was banned in the 1870s. This was a feeble attempt by the then British rule to try and quell celebrations around Carnival time.

Fifty-five-gallon oil drums were originally used as the starting point for the instrument. These drums were subject to excessive pounding and then polishing to become the instrument we now know. This hand-created method is still the most popular, even though there is another method using sheet metal to begin with. Being the only instrument created in C20, the pan is a permanent part of worldwide history.

This is an instrument that can be played by itself or in groups to create a steel band. The music is celebrated particularly at Carnival time, when special competitions and events are held to determine the greatest band of them all. Spectators are able to join in the vibe and feel the energy of the sound live at these events.

Though the instrument traditionally celebrates local musical genres of calypso and soca in Trinidad & Tobago, it can actually be used in any genre of music. Sounds of the pan can be heard in jazz, pop, reggae and also Latin. It has even been used in rap and hip-hop, for example, in 50 Cent's chart-topping hit "P. I. M. P.". The global reach of the instrument has led to debates over its origins.

There are different types of pan for various tones or pitches. The frontline pans are those that play the melody or counter melody in a song. These include the tenor pan and the double-tenor. Mid-range pans are used to play counter melodies as well as offer harmonies to the melodies of frontline pans. They include the guitar pan, cello pan and quadrophonic pan.

The background section of a steel band is where one will find the pans with the lowest tones. These are responsible for the bass line that drives the entire band. Pans include the dudup, as well as the four-note bass. In the engine room, other instruments of a percussive nature are found, accompanying the pan in various ways.

Individuals credited with the development of the pan as we know it include Ellie Mannette, Winston Simon and Anthony Williams. Williams was the first person to begin creating instruments out of huge oil drums, and he also created the pan layout known as the 'spider web', which is conducive to a better-sounding quality. Simon is the creator for the 8-pitch melody pan, while Mannette was the first to wrap sticks used to play pan in rubber, thereby creating a more refined sound.




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