Nostalgia steel band was founded in 1964, and since - has contributed to exposing the melting pot of
London and the Caribbean Art forms to the wider group. The Carnival Club became an integral of
Nostalgia in 1969. We are a traditional ‘pan-around-neck’ steel band. This means the musicians carry their instruments around their necks in the traditional way of the pioneers of the steel band movement –
some 60 years ago. The steel band has performed every year in the Notting Hill Carnival, and its associated events (panorama, street parties and competitions). Our main objectives are:

1. To expose individuals to the carnival arts and to the musical traditions of
the Caribbean, particularly, the steel pan.

2. To work with disadvantaged groups within the community, particularly
groups in danger of social exclusion.

3. To forge links with the local community in partnership, which would work
towards introducing new  artists to the steel band and carnival art forms.

Nostalgia, (both the steel band and carnival club), has performed in London for the last 40 years and
our members are still passionate about the forms and spheres of our art. The year 2002 saw us at our best,
with double the number of participants of the previous year. Our theme then was: The Burbur of Arabia.
In 2003, we were judged as the “Second Best Band on the Road”, at the Notting Hill Carnival.
In 2006, to everyone's delight the band was arranged by Pedro Burgess.

Nostalgia has forged links with Maxilla Social Club in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,
and with Special Schools in London. We have been involved with a number of schools, e.g., Little Heath
Special School, in Hainault, Essex, George Tomlingson Primary School, in Leyton, Waltham Forest,
Lister School of Performing Arts and Edinburgh School in Walthamstow. We will continue to work with disadvantaged youths and to expose the rhythms, art forms and
music of the Caribbean to the youths of London.

To raise additional funds, the steelband and carnival club will be performing at local events, school fete,
regional art events and local carnivals. We aim to use the wealth of experience we have gained in this
field to expose more of London's youths to the activities of the carnival club. We believe that a platform
to fuse steel pan with contemporary art exists within the emerging forms of performance arts in London,
and we intend to fully exploit it. Carnival costume design, we feel, should be given a much higher profile
in the area of contemporary arts.

The Notting Hill Carnival with its colourful costumes, rhythmic music and deliquesce of visual and audio art, emanated from the early Notting Hill Procession of 1965. Nostalgia has been in every carnival since that
first event. Nostalgia Fantasy was one of the first themes, and costumes we produced for our carnival
band, in the late 1960's.
Lionel McCalman
Captain Nostalgia Steel Band


The History of Steelpan in the UK