Music of Trinidad and Tobago

In the 1940’s, it was discovered that the 55 gallon oil drum could be hammered, indented and demarcated to produce various musical tones. The first “melody pan” had eight musical notes – a discovery which Winston “Spree Simon” is credited with having made.

Today, skilled craftsmen produce a more highly sophisticated and tuned instrument which caries many more notes using either manually sunken or factory manufactured oil drum tops. The drum’s “skirt” (sides) is cut; the top is heated, tempered, sunken and demarcated then tuned to produce musical notes according to the standard diatonic and chromatic scales. Once tuning is completed, the drum is set over a fire, to re temper the steel and make the instrument strong enough to withstand the rigors of performance. The final step is the finishing of the instrument’s surface usually done by chroming. The steel drum carries the full chromatic range of notes and can produce any type of music.

Complete orchestras comprising in excess of one hundred members showcase the versatility of the steel pan through their performances at a variety of annual musical festivals and cultural events. The range of steel pans which make up the steel orchestra includes: the Tenor pan, the Double Second, the Guitar, the Cello, the Quadrophonic and the Bass. The premier steel band competition in Trinidad and Tobago is Panorama which happens on the Saturday night immediately preceding Carnival Monday and Tuesday.

Today steel pan is a widely accepted art form and international phenomenon and has emerged in several different countries including Japan and Sweden where it is being formally taught. Early steel pan pioneers include Eric Mckenzie, Freddy Maroon, Victor Wilson, Carlton Forde, Winston “Spree” Simon, Neville Jules and Ellie Mannette.

www.trinidadtobagosteelpanjazz.com

www.tntisland.com/panschedule.html

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Calypso and Soca

Calypso rhythms can be traced back to the arrival of the first African slaves brought to work in the sugar plantations of Trinidad. Forbidden to talk to each other, and robbed of all links to family and home, the African slaves began to sing songs as a means of communication as well as to mock their masters. Early calypsos were sung in lilting patois (a French Creole dialect), led by one individual called a “griot”. They protested the inequalities of life, the deprivations of the colonial society and the discriminatory practices leveled on the lower classes by the upper classes. Gradually, with the fading of patois and the emerging dominance of English, the language of the calypso began to change. The griot later became known as the chantuelle and later as the calypsonian.

Calypso singing competitions, held annually grew in popularity after the abolition of slavery by the British. The year 1914 was a landmark year in the history of calypso – this was the year that the first calypso recording was made. Calypso tents, which were actual tents where calypsonians would practice before Carnival emerged in the 1920’s and by the late 1930’s entertainers like Atilla the Hun, Lord Invader and the Roaring Lion were making an indelible impression on the calypso music world. The Lord Kitchener rose to prominence in the 1940’s and continued to write prolifically until his death in 2000. In 1956, the Mighty Sparrow burst onto the scene with Jean and Dinah which celebrated the departure of US troops from Trinidad. This ushered in a new era of the politically charged calypso.

Calypso as a musical genre typically involves social commentary, often times laced with humorous satire on current events. It is the voice of social conscience. However, some are cleverly interspersed with double entendre and can be satirical or moral in content.

The 1970’s saw the addition of a new flavor to calypso. Ras Shorty I (born Garfield Blackman) began experimenting with calypso by blending it with Indian instrumentation using the sitar and tabla. This musical synthesis gave rise to a new genre referred to as Soca. His 1973 hit song “Indrani” is considered the first recorded soca piece.

Soca has since emerged even further and is now a dance-oriented, high energy, electrified version of calypso, best to be enjoyed in the fetes (parties).

Parang

The term Parang is derived from the Spanish word parranda, which means a spree or a fête. In Trinidad, parang came to mean the songs that were sung, especially during the Christmas season.

Parang has become synonymous with merrymaking at Christmas time and the traditional Christmas music. Groups of musicians called parranderos go from house to house entertaining members of the community. These visits involve singing and dancing as well as the sharing of food and drink. Musical instruments used while paranging are the cuatro (a small four-stringed guitar), the violin, the chac-chacs (maracas), a one-string box bass, and of course, the voices. Today, this type of social paranging only takes place in a few areas in Trinidad. These include Arima, St. Anns, Santa Cruz, St. Joseph, Caura, Mausica, Lopinot, San Raphael, Rio Claro and Paramin.

The official parang season runs from October to January 6th (The Day of the Kings or Dia de los Reyes). During this period, various parang groups take part in competitions organized by the National Parang Association of Trinidad and Tobago (NPATT) culminating in Lewah (Les Rois), the feast of the Kings.

Chutney

Chutney is a form of music indigenous to the Southern Caribbean, particularly to Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana and Suriname. It is up tempo and the lyrics are usually written in Hindi, Bhojpuri or English and accompanied by the dholak, harmonium, dhantal and urumee and played in rhythms imported from Indian filmi songs, calypso or soca. Early chutney songs were religious in nature and usually sung by female musicians although this trend has since changed to reflect a balance of male and female performers.

Some of the top chutney music producers and bands responsible for popularizing chutney in Trinidad & Tobago include the JMC Triveni Orchestra, Ravi Sookhoo and the T & Tec Gayatones. Among the more popular chutney artistes are Rikki Jai, Heeralal Rampartap, Sundar Popo, Sonny Mann and Anand Yankaran.