The history of Steel pan in Saint Lucia dates much farther back than Saint Lucia’s independence, even farther than many today can recall vividly enough to attribute its introduction to any one individual. However various names are almost always spoken with respect to this. Lennard “Scrub” Wellington, Augustus “Pan” Andrew are two very instrumental names in the history pan music in Saint Lucia soon to be followed by Roderick Walcott, Antonius “Sycra” Gibson, the Emmanuel brothers, Ivan Smith and more recently with individuals such ac Allison Marquis. The influence and substantive importance of this art form to Saint Lucia is vastly understated by the silence of blank sheets of history or small scribbles here and there in photo albums arid notebooks of the valiant patriots of the Steel pan.
The influence of pan spans a wide cross section of society quite apart from the class divisions, as pan was a stereotyped form in its early days. The steel pan and its music found work for idle hands which would otherwise be clawing at mischief at the Boys Club. This activity spearheaded under the tutorage of “Scrub”, can still be balled by testimony of person’s such as Victor Marquis who emerged from this effort. Much later his son, Ivan Smith was to mimic his level of social responsibility by doing the same at the Massade Boys’ Training Centre.
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