PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Steelpan is a percussion instrument created in Trinidad and Tobago in 1939, is back as a new generation takes his bright, melodic sound to the stage and dance floor.
Fans say new technology has made the steelpan more accessible—and affordable—and a growing number of schools in the Twin Nation are introducing students to its bell-like sound.
While its melodious sound evokes images Caribbean Let me remind you that until recently it was this music that attracted mainly older people in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Things are changing quickly,” said Amrit Samaroo, son of Jeet Samaroo, a legendary music arranger, musician and composer.
The steelpan—or frying pan, for short—is “sexy again,” he told The Associated Press on a recent afternoon as he sat in the living room of his family's home, surrounded by a piano, a tenor steelpan and photographs of his late father.
Amrit Samaroo, who leads Trinidad and Tobago's popular steel band Supernovas, has witnessed the demographic change first-hand. He notes that the tool is widely used on social media, with fans playing everything from pop songs to reggae on pans.
“It’s good to have such recognizable material on an instrument,” Samarou said. “We're in a great place right now.”
Panists, as the musicians call them, boast that the steelpan can reproduce any musical genre. Add to that the influence of everything that's trending, and you've got a tool with a rapidly growing following.
“Pan is an out-of-body experience, that’s the best way I can describe it,” said 17-year-old student Jael Grant.
She's been playing since she was 5 years old and is now a member of Exodus Steel Orchestra, a band her grandfather supported for decades.
For Jazara Lee-Babb, steelpan provides an escape from the stresses of teenage life. At age 17, her love for the instrument led her to study fine arts at a local university.
“When I'm having a dark time or something, it's like I can go home, stand behind my pan, play with scales, put on some music, and it will make me feel better,” she said.
On a recent Saturday morning at the Exodus Steel Orchestra's “pangarde,” or home, in eastern Trinidad, musicians were setting up a classroom.
Here, five-year-old children learn to play the steelpan in preparation for their upcoming Christmas concert. Some looked expectantly at their teacher, who stopped them from time to time to explain something.
Just like in school, the bell signals the start and end of the lesson, and the lessons become more challenging depending on the age group.
Students learn from the best as Exodus is the reigning champion of Panorama, the premier national pan competition on the two islands, held annually during Carnival.
Steelpan was born out of rebellion and resilience.
Following the emancipation of slaves in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1830s, a rebellion prompted authorities to ban the playing of percussion, string and woodwind instruments during Carnival celebrations.
But former slaves could not be silenced, which led to them discovering a hidden musical instrument in discarded oil drums.
“Really, the spirit of the people… came into it and came out, from its African roots to its global recognition,” Amrit Samaroo said.
Steelpan makers no longer have to wait for discarded drums to make the pan, which only officially became the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago in July 2024.
Technology is changing the way the instrument is made, fueling its renaissance.
At Panland, a company that has been making steelpans for more than 30 years, workers say steelpans can now be made in a 9-to-5 shift using power tools, a high-powered flamethrower and mobile apps.
Previously, it could take more than a month to make one steelpan.
Panland makes steel pans that sell cheaper and last longer thanks to the powder coating they apply to the tool.
“Powder coating is more durable in certain circumstances or situations than chrome, although people may think otherwise, but chrome is very sensitive to moisture and rust,” said Michael Cooper, president of Panland.
Recently the steelpan has received more official recognition. Earlier this year, the government of the two-island republic changed the country's coat of arms replacing Christopher Columbus's three ships with steelpan.
And World Steelpan Day is now celebrated annually on August 11 as proclaimed by the United Nations.
An instrument that was once only allowed to be played by men, it has now been picked up by countless women in Trinidad and Tobago.
“It was a great experience,” student Grant said. “You don’t just hear the panorama or play it, you…feel the music in your body.”
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