By Abbisola Oxley
Havana, Cuba – Some 40 years ago Guyana donated the steel pans to help form the first steel orchestra in Cuba which is based in Santiago de Cuba. Today, the band is “a hit” and is popular throughout Cuba.
On February 23rd, as Guyana celebrated its 48th Republic Anniversary, both the children and adult sections of the steel orchestra performed for visiting Guyanese and locals at a community center in Santiago de Cuba.
Four decades later the band boasts a repertoire of music including salsa, merengue, soca, reggae, classics and more. Over the years the band has been entertaining thousands of visitors to Cuba including government and other foreign dignitaries.
Guyana’s honorary consul in Florida, Mr. Ramzan Roshanali and Mr. Wesley Kirton, president of the Guyanese American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) were among the guests at the special performance to mark Guyana’s Republic anniversary this year.
Cuban steel orchestra youth section giving a performance.
The first set of steel pans were donated to Cuba in 1976 during a visit here by Guyana’s Chronicle Atlantic Symphony Steel Orchestra (CASSO) led by Rudy Bishop. The Government of Guyana later made available to the Cubans the services of Mr. Calvin Whyte who spent an extended period in Cuba tuning the pans and training locals to play this musical instrument, Kirton told South Florida Caribbean News. He said Guyana had sent a steel orchestra-the Guyana National Steel Orchestra-to Cuba even before gaining independence in 1966.
Replies
I think that GUYANA is going to play a BIG ROLE in the next few decades in PAN!!!
Ah bet Ian Franklin doh know that a TRINIDAD STEELBAND went to GUYANA as early as 1947. Probably the FIRST STEELBAND to ever leave TRINIDAD and perform in another country!!!