Evolution of the Drum to the Steel Pan Flashcards
The steelpan that we know today has its origins in the
African drum
Africans — were brought primarily from —
Africans kidnapped and enslaved were brought primarily from West Africa as part of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
These Africans were sold to
work on plantations across North America, South America and the Caribbean
In TT, a robust
sugar cane plantation complex was developed with enslaved Africans being forced to work under a chattel slavery system
Despite the horrors of chattel slavery,
the African community proved resilient and were able to hold on to and pass on many aspects of their tradition, including cultural and religious practices
One such cultural tradition is
the making and playing of the drum, from which evolved what is known today as the steel pan
Example of an African drum
djembe and dun dun
These African drums are still used today in
religious ceremonies
other forms of African drum and drumming still form a
critical part of African music, dancing and singing in TT
In the post emancipation period, Africans began
playing the drum openly in religious and festive gatherings
Because of this open playing, the white planter class and colonial authorities
began to feel increasingly threatened by the newly emancipated Africans’ freedom and sought ways to circumvent their cultural expressions
what happened in 1833
the playing of African drums was banned by colonial authorities
Several historians and social scientists attribute this ban in part, to
the 1881 Canboulay Riots which took place in POS in the vicinity of Piccadilly Street
However, it is well documented that the white planter class had
a deep fear of the African drum for its ability to communicate messages, particularly in the planning of rebellions
What was a critical component of the culture and lifestyle of Africans
rhythm
As rhythm was important, the Africans had always
felt compelled to find ways of creating it
