What could be better than learning this Tuesday, July 26, by trying to learn a little more about “steelpan” which has the honors of the Google search engine home page with a colorful and animated Doodle in a video on YouTube titled “Steel drum is in the spotlight! “. The steelpan is a metal percussion instrument, created and influenced by Trinidadians and especially the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago. And this date says nothing by chance, on this day in 1951, the Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra performed at the Festival of Britain, introducing steelpan, and a new musical genre, to the world.
Steel drum is in the spotlight on Google
If you go to the home page of your favorite search engine, you will notice that the usual Firm logo has once again been replaced by a colorful and animated Doodle with a YouTube video entitled “The steel drum is honor! “. A Doodle that makes us discover or rediscover the “steelpan”, a metal percussion instrument, created and influenced by Trinidadians and which is also the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago
Today’s Doodle is illustrated by Trinidad and Tobago-based artist Nicholas Huggins. As Google explains to us about this tribute: “It is the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century, but its origins date back to the 1700s. It was an essential part of Carnival and Canboulay, the annual harvest festivals celebrated in Trinidad, and is still used in contemporary music. On this day in 1951, the Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) performed at the Festival of Britain, introducing steelpan and a new genre of music to the world.”
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If you are wondering what a steel pan might look like, Wikipedia explains that “a steel drum or steeldrum, that is to say “steel drum” in English, more commonly called pan (“saucepan”) or steel pan, is a melodic idiophone percussion instrument. It originated in Trinidad and Tobago (Caribbean) and is prevalent in steelband orchestras, typically made up of several of these different instruments. The panels therefore constitute a family of instruments. A pan is made from 216 liter metal drums used by the oil industry to store and transport gasoline or oil, or even compote, perfume extracts… They are sectioned and the underside of these cans is stamped and then hammered to create a set of facets, each behaving like a bell. The different facets are tuned to a tempered scale”.
All you have to do is discover the YouTube video dedicated to the steelpan!
YouTube Video: Celebrating Steelpan
(Illustration: YouTube video capture Celebrating Steelpan)
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