The History of Steelpan in the UK
source: carnival tv

In 1951 Edric Connor arranged for the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) to be
the first Steelband to travel to Britain to take part in the festival of Britain at the South Bank
Complex. There were twelve panists selected from over 70 steelbands across Trinidad, they
were Elliot "Ellie" Manette (Invaders), Sterling Betancourt (Crossfire), Andrew "Pan" de la Bastide,
Beigrave Bonaparte (Southern Symphony), Theo "Black James" Stephens (Free French),
Anthony "Tony" Williams (North Stars), Dudley Smith, (Rising Sun) Orman "Patsy" Haynes (Cassablanca),
Philmore "Boots" Davidson (City Syncopators), Winston "Spree" Simon (Tokyo), Sonny Roach (Sun Valley)
and Neville Jules (Trinidad All Stars). 

These were the pioneers of steelband music, selected to represent Trinidad and Tobago in its
first ever steelband music venture in England. This group was conducted by Lieutenant Joseph Griffith 
- who incidentally was from Barbados but served with the Trinidad Police Band - and its debut was
on the 26th July 1951 in an open air performance. This was certainly a day to remember when this
instrument was first presented to the British public, playing some of Trinidad's best folksongs and
calypsoes under the direction of Lieutenant Joseph Griffith. He conducted tunes like Return of
the Mites composed by Griffith, Tennessee Waltz, Cradle Song Lullaby (Brahms), Sonny Boy (Jolson),
Serenata Serenade (Toscelli) were just a few of the many tunes that started the tradition of the
steelpan in England. Many of the TASPO members returned to Trinidad and then came back to England
to continue playing steelpan music in England. Even if only in this smalll way, they formed what we
call 'gig sides', a lot of the TASPO men were also pan tuners. In fact ten out of the twelve chosen
were able to tune pans. So within a few years steelpan music started to grow in the United Kingdom,
even though it was only small 'gig side' groups of 3 or 4 players in the 1950s. Many other panmen
started immigrating to England, men like Gerald Forsyth, Ziggily, Selwyn Baptiste and others. 

And though they were doing other jobs, steelpan music was always going to be their first love and
their destiny. In 1961 the College Boys Band "Dixieland" were creating history back in Trinidad,
they were - and still are - the first and only band to win all, four sections of the music festival,
Zone Final, Quarter Final, Semi-Final and Final. For this achievement they got the opportunity to come
to England to perform over the Whitsun Bank Holiday weekend in 1961. Most of the players are still
playing pan today in England and around Europe. Men like Miguel Baradas, Curtis Pierre and Russel
Valdez are some of the names that spring to mind. They were the first steelband to travel throughout
Europe and to Africa from England, organised by the great impresario of mas pan and dance, Sonny Blacks. 

Pepe Francis, also arrived in England in 1961 to study. However coming from a steelband background
he found himself visiting all the places that steelbands like Dixieland and other small sides were playing.
He joined the British Army in 1961 but still travelled to London every weekend to listen to, or be
involved in steelpan. Some of the popular haunts in London where steelpan would be played on
Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday lunchtimes were The Albany Pub, The Colhern Pub,
Furlong Road Pub and the Crucible Nightclub. 

The first steelband to participate in Carnival was Nostalgia Steel Orchestra. By 1969 there were
more bands starting to emerge; Melody Makers, Blue Notes and Bay 57 which Len "Boogsie" Sharpe
was part of when he was in England. 

In 1969 Islington Green School started the first steelband in a school under the guidance
and teaching of Gerald Forsythe. That paved the way for a number of Inner London Education
Authority (ILEA) Schools to start up steelpan classes in schools and by 1975 there were over
fifty schools. By then Gerald Forsyth and Frank Rollock had formed the Pan Teachers Association,
which were given recognition by the Greater London Council (GLC) in 1975. In 1978 Gerald Forsyth
was appointed steelband organiser for schools, with an office in GLC headquarters at Waterloo near
the South Bank. There he provided teaching jobs for a number of panmen to teach in these schools.
By 1990 Gerald had one hundred and sixty schools with steelpan as part of their curriculum.
Some achievement considering that in Trinidad the birthplace of steelpan, it was not yet considered
to be a subject in schools. 

While all this was happening steelbands were growing in London, Coventry and Leeds under
Arthur France, Manchester, Liverpool and Huddersfield. The major bands were in London. By 1971
Metronomes and Ebony were competing for supremacy both in music and costume on the road for Carnival.
The first ever Panorama competition was held in 1978, which was won by Paddington Youth. This band was started in 1974 along with London All Stars led by Frank Rollock. In 1976 Lambeth Youth led by Ricky
Decarios appeared, they are now known as Southside Harmonics led by John Foster. The Mangrove
was always an institution in North Kensington, in so much that Mangrove Association and the
All Saints Road attracted Trinidadians and people from all over the Caribbean islands. This was an
association run by Frank Critchlow so it was no surprise to see the Mangrove Steelband rise up from
a small, 'pan round neck' steelband to be one of the biggest sleelbands in England under the
leadership of Clive 'Mashup' Philip. 

These were the bands that were carrying on the tradition of steelpan music in England.
Similar to its birthplace Trinidad, steelbands developed musical pride and so every year the players
of the bands look forward to London's Notting Hill Carnival and in particular the National Panorama
competition. It's the one thing that kept and still keeps steelbands together. It has caused new
steelbands to be formed, bands like Stardust led by Randolph Baptiste; Glissando led by Bertram
Parris; Pantonic Steelband led by Ezekiel "Biggs" Yearwood and Raymond Joseph. At the same time
there was a band from Birmingham by the name of Maestros Steel Orchestra, orchestrated by Roy
Jacobs. This band started in Cannon Hill Art Centre, Edgbaston, Birmingham, in 1975. Some three
years on Phase One Steel Orchestra was formed, led by Victor Phillips in Coventry. One of the
youngest bands to be formed in the late 1980's was Eclipse Steel Orchestra led by Dennis Osborne
and at that time the steelband list of names present in the UK were: Paddington Youth Steelband,
Metronomes Steelband, Ebony Steelband, Mangrove Steelband, London All Stars, Lambeth Youth
Steel Orchestra, Maestro's Steel Orchestra, Glissando Steel Orchestra and
Nostalgia Steelband.