Hello everybody,
Can anybody provide proof that Tamboo Bamboo was ever illegal?
According to panonthenet.com's timeline of the steelpan (http://www.panonthenet.com/history/panhist.htm) tamboo bamboo was banned in 1935. I have read and been told by others that tamboo bamboo was never banned. I think this is an important part of the evolution of the steelpan since the banning of tamboo bamboo would force people into using other instruments, like the metal containers they used. Whereas if it were not banned, that means this was a natural evolution of the instrument occurring without outside influence.
I would think that if tamboo bamboo was banned in 1935, there would be some sort of government document stating this. Having a document such as this would provide positive proof of the ban, where as the absence of this document would support the lack of a ban.
Can anybody help with this?
Replies
It was never banned and in 1940 there was a competition in the Oval. indeed up to VE Day in in 1945 country villages still had tamboo bamboo. See: Stephen Stuempfle: The Steelband Movement.