My name is Brian Ente. I am the assistant director of the Jim Royle Drum Studio percussion ensembles. We had the good fortune to be able to go to Trinidad and Tobago with our student steel band in order to experience first hand the culture, groups, and history which allowed this instrument to be created. I would highly recommend that any group which plays the steel drums and has the means to put together such a trip does so. It is a life changing experience to be at the birth place of your instrument and meet the people who develop, improve, and live it every day. Here are some things from our trip and hopefully some of these will be helpful if you wish to make the trip with your own group.
Travel Time and Performances
We left from the east coast, and the flight was around 4-5 hours out of JFK. Our trip took place during our spring break here in the US, which also corresponds with a week long Easter break in Trinidad. We were worried that this would lead to a lack of performances or opportunities to do exchange concerts with some of the local groups or schools, but luckily we managed to attend a clinic with the Trinidad and Tobago National Steel Symphony and get exchange concerts at the University of the West Indies and the Laventille Court Sound Specialists Panyard. Also at the exchange concert at Laventille was the junior panorama champions the Success Stars. If you are planning a trip with performance as its main purpose, I would suggest keeping up a flexible schedule, as we had one other concert at the Scherzando panyard which was a last minute invitation to play there. If you’re planning on doing exchange concerts with school groups, keep in mind that their school schedule works much different than ours. They have longer breaks than we do, but are in school for more of the year, so don’t assume that just because it’s right after a holiday break that they will be getting back in session as the vacations they do have are usually extended.
Taking in the Islands
There are a surprising amount of sights in Trinidad and Tobago, for a wide variety of interests. Trinidad has a lovely rainforest, which one could spend a week at easily with both daytime and evening guided tours concerning the various wildlife. Trinidad also has a lake of pitch which it mines, refines into asphalt, and exports internationally to the US, Europe, and China. Trinidad and Tobago both have some fantastic beaches. The water is incredibly warm, the sand is pristine and white, and the waters range from wavy to incredibly calm. The food is not to be believed. Firstly, we had someone with us that had a severe peanut allergy. We never had any problems with the food that was prepared for us, as it was all made using vegetable oils or butter, even in the fast food restaurants. Secondly, if you like spicy foods everything there, even if it was not spicy itself, had the option of being spiced with ‘pepper sauce’ from pizza, to shark. Curry is used heavily in a great deal of cooking because of a heavy Indian influence in the population.
The People
Obviously, the people make the place beyond just the sights. Our bus driver Navin was incredibly helpful in navigating around the Island. He was the perfect guide in that he was knowledgeable partially about the history of nearly every site we visited, and also knew someone at any place we went who was able to add in some extra input on our journeys. At the panyards we played at we were received incredibly well, and everyone seemed very appreciative of the fact that we had chosen to play steel drums despite all the other instruments we could have chosen to play. Among the international trips we have made (Italy and England), it was here that I felt the most embraced by the local musical community. As a pan player, you have a responsibility while there to represent what your group brings to the pan while respecting the traditions that they have been developing with the instrument since the forties. Be yourself, but don’t forget to honor the instrument’s history.
Special Thanks
Our trip would not have been possible, or as great an experience, were it not for the following people.
Paula from Pan Caribe Tours, which helped us get incredibly reasonably priced rates for lodging and travel. Gill’s Pan Shop which supplied us with all of our instruments while we were down there. Jessel Murray, who helped us set up our concert at the university of the west Indies and the clinic with the National Steel Symphony. Avis Bruce of the national steel symphony who helped get us into the clinic with the Success Stars. Mazzini Gill, who was on call from gill’s pan shop to help us whenever we needed it, from fine tuning of instruments to arranging transport from the pan yard. Tracy Thornton, who wrote killer charts which we had the pleasure of performing with him on the trip, and hooked us up with a sweet meal with his in-laws on the first Sunday we were there.
Links: These are links of some of our performances which will be posted up as they can be edited and placed on Youtube
Replies