From the yards where the pan was born to a new generation carrying its legacy, World Steelpan Day on August 11th is a reminder that this unique instrument is both our history and our future.
In honour of that legacy, Pan Trinbago’s celebrations to mark World Steelpan Day began with an ancestry walk ‘Behind the Bridge’ in East Port of Spain, tracing the roots of the national instrument in the community where it first emerged.
Pannists braved the rain as they left the Massy Trinidad All Stars panyard, also known as Hell Yard, making their way to 138 Renegades Way.
Pan Trinbago President Beverley Ramsey-Moore explained the significance of the route.
“We start off at Massy Trinidad Panyard, as you know, that was referred to as Hell Yard because the story is told of one Neville Jules taking the container, which was a pan, from the church to, of course, make instruments, and the priest was so upset that in one of the stories that he named it Hell Yard. But now it is much more than that. It is a space that we use to train and empower young people, and because we are handing over the legacy of our ancestors, pancestors, to the youths, we decided to take them along the route and to take them Behind the Bridge so that they too can feel the presence and the spirit of those who would have toiled in the vineyard for us.”
Mrs Ramsey-Moore says the instrument not only holds cultural significance but is also a safety net for at-risk youth.
She also noted that the love for the art form is growing, both locally and internationally.
“I think we are in for something great here in Trinidad and Tobago and these talents we are exporting to the world. A number of our arrangers going to the regional panoramas, our judges, our tuners. Listen, we have been doing a lot, opening up the economy, and we really, really want to see pan as a driver of the culture, a driver of the Carnival, a driver of the economy by growing the industry.”
Pan Trinbago is set to launch a single trademark for steelpan instruments made in Trinidad and Tobago. The move is geared towards raising the profile of the instrument and those working across the steelpan industry.