A NUMBER of steelpan lovers, on Sunday last, swarmed the Kingston Seawall Esplanade for the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports launch of the 16th annual Republic Bank Mashramani Panorama Steel Band Competition.
Despite a tiny delay in the launch, attendees were treated to the sweet, melodic sounds of steelpan music, performed by The Guyana Police Force Steel Band, Ansa McAl Parkside Steel Orchestra, Pangroove Steel Orchestra, Kunjaz Steel Orchestra and the Buxton Pride Steel Orchestra.
The official competition is slated for february 19, 2025, at the Kingston beach from 18:00 hours.

STEEL PAN IN GUYANA: A REVIVAL
The steel pan has been in Guyana since the 1950s; however, its presence began to diminish in the 80s and 90s due to a number of challenges. In the past, Guyana had six steel bands which included two large bands; these were the Banks DIH’s Innovators and Guyana Police Force (GPF) band. This number was quickly reduced to four steel bands including one large band.
In 2008, Guyana got the opportunity to host Carifesta, an event that led the government to resuscitate the art form through the large sourcing of instruments and the formation of a 100-piece National Steel Orchestra for Carifesta X. This led to the Joint Services procuring and establishing 100 strong bands.
In 2009, the Government formed a relationship with Republic Bank Limited for the reintroduction of the Mashramani Steel Pan Competition, which hadn’t been seen since 2006, with approximately four or five bands participating.

The Bank’s passion for pan development in Guyana, focused on providing avenues for the empowerment for Guyana’s youth, while sustaining national art forms and our cultural heritage.
Because interest began to peak on steel pan playing, more emphasis was placed on the reviving of the steel pan. The Government introduced a programme called the School’s Steel Pan Development, where the Ministry of Culture, and the Unit of Allied Arts ensured that band instruments and instructors were placed in various schools to provide students with the opportunity to learn how to play the instruments.
Locally, there is a Steel Pan Museum called, “Roy Geddes Steel Pan Museum” located at 190 Roxanne Burnham Gardens, South Ruimveldt Georgetown, the home of iconic Guyanese steel pan player, Roy Geddes.
A previous article by this publication stated: “The steel pan museum houses a vivid and colourful pictorial display of Roy’s successes, even as it showcases the making of steel pans from ‘raw material’ to the finished product. There is also an abundance of reading materials, while an array of trophies, medals and souvenirs speak volumes of his successes and contributions to the music discipline in Guyana and abroad.”

THE STEEL PAN’S GLOBAL JOURNEY
The instrument, the steel pan, known as steel drums or simply ‘pan’, was created in the twin island, Trinidad and Tobago, in the 1930s, and was established in the contexts of Carnival resistance.
At that point, it was realised that the convex dent at the bottom of metal drums could be tuned to distinct musical pitches and could produce recognisable melodies. This marked the creation of the first steel pans.
By the year 1955, steel pans had become standardised and were widely constructed from 55-gallon oil drums, being played by striking the metal with a wooden ‘stick’ or ’beater’. These developments set the stage for the popularisation of steel pan as we know it today.

The steel pans are typically made in four sizes from bass to treble, called boom, cellopan, guitar pan, and ping pong.
Steel Pan went international in 1951, when the Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) arrived in the United Kingdom to perform at the Festival of Britain. It received overwhelmingly positive public feedback.