Steel Drums and Steelbands: A History is a vivid account of the events
that led to the "accidental" invention of the steel drum: the only
acoustic musical instrument invented in the 20th century. Angela Smith
walks readers through the evolution of the steel drum from an object of
scorn and tool of violence to one of the most studied, performed, and
appreciated musical instruments today. Smith explores the development of
the modern steelband, from its roots in African slavery in early
Trinidad to the vast array of experiments in technological innovation
and to the current explosion of steelbands in American schools. The book
offers insights directly from major contributors of the steelband
movement with sections devoted exclusively to pioneers and innovators.
Drawing on seven years of research, repeated trips to the birthplace of
the steel drum, Trinidad, and interviews with steelband pioneers, Smith
takes readers far beyond the sunny associations of the steel drum with
island vacations, cruise ships, and multiple encores of "Yellow Bird."
Digging deep into Trinidad's history--a tale of indigenous extermination
and African slavery, of French settlement and Spanish and British
colonialism before mid-century independence--Smith weaves an
unforgettable narrative of talking drums, kalinda stick fights, tamboo
bamboo bands, iron bands, calypso, Carnival, and the U. S. military.
Together, all played major roles in the evolution of today's steelband
and in the panman's journey from renegade to hero in the steelband's
move from the panyards of Trinidad's poorest neighborhoods to the
world's most prestigious concert halls. The reader will discover how an
instrument created by teenage boys, descendants of African slaves,
became a world musical phenomena. Steel Drums and Steelbands is the
ideal introduction to the steel drum, steelbands, and their history.
