The steelband world in the United States and the Caribbean is mourning the loss Of Lester Trilla, noted steelband supporter and benefactor, who died Wednesday April 21, at the age of 75 near his home In Suburban Chicago, Illinois. Trilla was a longtime patron of the famed Northern Illinois University Steelband program, donating heavily to the university's scholarship endowment.
Born without any tangi-ble roots to the Caribbean, Trilla was destined for the steel drum business as his father founded the Trilla Steel Drum Corporation in 1960. The company manu factured steel drums for the oil and chemical industry in the greater Chicago area. Trilla was CEO of the company when he met Cliff Alexis, Trinidadian steelband pioneer and co-director of the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Steelband program, in the late 1980s. The two became fast friends and Trilla would go on to donate hundreds of steel drums to the NIU Steelband program and several other local steelbands in the Chicago area.
After a few years of prodding, Alexis convinced Trilla to come to one of the NILJ Steelband's concerts.
Trilla attended his first NTIJ Steelband concert in spring 1994 and was mesmerized by the sounds of the steel- band, noting, "I just could not believe it, all these young people playing steelpan. It was fantastic! I just couldn't believe it!" He was particu- larly interested in the multi- cultural aspect of the NIU Steelband and loved chatting with the Caribbean students in the band.
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