Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra Explained

The Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) was formed to participate in the Festival of Britain in 1951. The group was the first steelband to travel abroad from Trinidad and Tobago, presenting the newly invented steelpan to an international audience.[1]

Members

Lieutenant Joseph Nathaniel Griffith was the conductor of the band. Griffith was originally part of the Trinidad Police Band.[2]

Player BandDOBDOD
InvadersCecil “Coye” FordeInvaders1928/09/142012/12/25
Orman "Patsy" Haynes Casablanca1930/02/221985/10/29
Invaders1927/11/052018/08/29
Belgrave Bonaparte Southern Symphony1932
North Stars1931/06/242021/12/21
Carlton "Sonny" Roach Sun Valley1924/08/061986
City Syncopators19281993
Crossfire1924/03/01
Andrew "Pan" de la Bastide Chicago1927/12/012002/11/17
Dudley Smith Rising Sun
Fascinators (Tokyo)19301976/11/18
Theophilus "Black James" Stephens Free French1933/11/042001/11/06

On 6 July 1951, TASPO left Trinidad for England on the SS San Mateo.[3] Carlton "Sonny" Roach fell ill and was left behind in Martinique.[4] The steelband performed at the South Bank, London, on 26 July 1951, as well as elsewhere in Britain and in Paris.[5] TASPO returned to Trinidad on 12 December 1951, the only exception being Sterling Betancourt, who stayed in London. Betancourt had been vitally involved in building up Notting Hill Carnival.[6]

Further reading

References

  1. Nathaniel . Daina . Finding an "Equal" Place: How the Designation of the Steelpan as the National Instrument Heightened Identity Relations in Trinidad and Tobego . 2006 . PhD . Florida State University . 85.
  2. Johnson . Kim . Pan: the instrument that built a nation . Trinidad & Tobago: 50 years of independence . 82-84.
  3. News: 7 July 1951 . TASPO Given Rousing Send Off; Promise to Justify Appreciation of Public . 1 . .
  4. Web site: Johnson . Kim . 1998 . Sonny Roach from St James . 2023-10-11 . Trinbago Pan.
  5. Web site: Johnson . Kim . 2012-01-01 . When steelband took London by storm . 2023-10-11 . Caribbean Beat Magazine . en-GB.
  6. Web site: Historic England . 2018-08-24 . 6 Historic Sites To Look Out For During Notting Hill Carnival . 2023-10-11 . The Historic England Blog . en-GB.

External links