Re-evaluating the racial, musical and cultural stereotypes and boundaries of the steelband world.
This paper was presented at the 5th Biennial International Symposium and Festival of the Centre For Intercultural Music Arts at the City Of London University, England, on 2nd April 1998.
The stereotypical image of a steelband is one of smiling afro-caribbeans in straw hats and hawaiian shirts playing Yellow Bird on a palm-fringed beach. The repertoire should be a mixture of Harry Belafonte songs, traditional folk songs, reggae and pretty calypso melodies.
This image is at best misguided, and at worst demeaning and offensive. Trinidad is a country of many races, and miscegenation has occurred there for countless generations. Many of the top pannists have a very mixed heritage - african, indian, white and oriental. For example, amongst the country's top arrangers, Jit Samaroo is Indian, Anise Hadeed is Syrian, and Ray Holman has Bajan and Scottish blood. Pan is an urban activity which grew up in the industrial towns of Port of Spain and San Fernando, and from the very first pan concert the repertoire has encompassed classical and calypso, ecclesiastical and ceremonial.
A serious mis-representation of Caribbean culture has occurred since the 1950s. The popularity of Harry Belafonte and his interpretation of songs by Irving Burgie has lead the public and the media to identify this as West Indian Culture. In fact Burgie was a New Yorker who had not even visited the Caribbean when he wrote such songs as Jamaica Farewell.
True calypso music is less well known, and is intrinsically linked to Carnival, as each year the calypsonians release their new songs in the run-up to the Mardi Gras Season. Steelbands decide which tune they are going to perform and the arranger then has the task of turning a 3 minute verse and chorus into a ten minute showcase piece usually in the form introduction / verse / chorus / variations (which show the virtuosity of the performers) / jam-sections / recap / coda. These pieces are technically extremely difficult and long, and usually can be daunting to the unaccustomed listener. This is true pan-calypso and has the qualities of extreme speed, volume, aggression, and technical difficulty, resulting in its comparative obscurity outside Trinidad.
Other pan repertoire consists of light classical (Lehar, Strauss), popular, jazz and latin, although for the biannual Festival, most bands perform a long and challenging 'serious' classical work for example Mars (The Planets), The Rite Of Spring, Billy The Kid etc. and a test-piece of some form.
I suspect that the white man's dollar has had a lot to do with the shaping of the image of steelpan. When pan was first seen abroad (1950s) it was easier for the media and the public to place pan in the pigeon-hole than to seriously ascertain what the steelband movement was about. The image of blacks as entertainers is an powerful and enduring one, and it is easy to forget that it is only twenty years since the The Black And White Minstrel Show was last broadcast. The social and economic disadvantages which blacks suffered meant that fulfilling the wealthier whites expectations of them in terms of entertainment afforded them an escape from poverty and exclusion. Hence most steelbands would invariably perform, and indeed still do performYellow Bird, Island In The Sun, etc as these are what the public, in its ignorance, demands from a steelband.
As a soloist and teacher of steelpan I am frequently challenged as to my choice of repertoire, which ranges from classics to calypso, jazz and pop. This is totally in keeping with the traditions of pan performance and highlights the absurdity of the situation. For example certain pieces have entered the pan repertoire despite having no connection with West Indian culture or pan. These include Lady In Red, Cuando Cuando, In The Mood, Call Me Al and many others. However a performance of Bei Mannern (from Mozart's Magic Flute), produced an astonished response from an adjudicator in a national music festival, who claimed never to have heard this type of music played on pan. This also raises questions about the ignorance or otherwise of people who lay down standards in pan performance, and about the lack of any sort of true understanding of the nature of pan-music.
Two further examples of this difficulty are illustrated, firstly, by the response of a head-teacher to the pan-teachers decision for the school steelband to learn The Blue Danube Waltz. The head demanded that this was not appropriate repertoire for a steelband.
Secondly, a prospective pupil attended an Sixth Form College open evening to be told by the head of music that she wouldn't get in playing pan as it isn't a proper instrument, and can only be played in a band.
When people of such ignorance hold positions of power it is no surprise that in Britain pan has progressed little since the 1950 's.
Furthermore, people's expectations as regards the racial and social background of the performers of pan is surprising considering the atmosphere of political correctness which pervades much of contempory life. Attention is often drawn to the apparent incongruity that a white middle class female should take a serious interest in pan. One of my agents confided in me that prospective bookers usually enquire about the "authenticity" (ie racial background) of steelpan players. In fact I have been informed on occasion that I might as well not bother auditioning for certain jobs as that particular agency is only interested in black pannists.
I am sure that most people would agree that quality in musical performance is in no way related to racial origin, and we can all imagine the outcry if black, asian or oriental musicians were excluded from orchestras, string quartets and other "classical" music activities.
Having said this one must be aware of the very real issue of cultural misappropriation. In Trinidad, a disatisfaction has been expressed that whites (mainly Americans) are exploiting the commercial potential of pan and calypso music. There appears to be an element of truth in this as market forces have enticed many Trinidadian pannists, pan-makers and other performers to emigrate to a more comfortable lifestyle in the States or here in Britain. However, in my experience the vast majority of Trinidadians welcome foreign interest in pan, as this interest can only benefit the instrument, its proponents and its country of birth. No-one will ever be able to 'steal' pan as the undeniable truth is that it originated in Trinidad. Trinidadians freely brought the instrumant to other countries where they sold it to the locals - if the locals take a serious and considered interest in the instrument and its culture then this can only be beneficial to all.
The paradox of pan and its music is neatly summed up by the experience I had last year. I was invited to arrange and conduct four classical pieces for a top Trinidadian steel orchestra - The Skiffle Bunch. Here was I, a descendant of the former colonial power guiding these "authentic" performers through the intricacies of Janacek, Pachelbel, Walton and Stravinsky. Indeed the situation felt a little odd, but the players responded warmly to me, and the music, which resulted in a very satisfactory musical result.
I could never compose or arrange calypso music the way a Trinidadian can, as my musical background is European, and I would never attempt to supplant or deny the genius of the Trinidadian greats. But I can offer my expertise and experience to the world of pan, which will hopefully enrich, enliven and further the boundaries of pan into the twenty-first century.
Rachel Hayward GGSM MA