When Alicia Whitelock watches her son Zion playing the steel pan, she sees more than just an instrument. She sees a connection to her Trinidadian roots.
“It’s very grounding,” she said. “It’s something that it feels like you knew already. So it’s nice to see ancestral culture come out through the children and seeing them shine.”
Whitelock is one of several parents in Calgary whose children are learning to play the steel pan, a percussion instrument invented in Trinidad and Tobago in the 20th century. The instrument has since become a symbol of the island nation, with its distinct sound recognized worldwide.
Through a 15-week program run by the group Tempo alongside the Mount Royal University Conservatory, young musicians in Calgary are learning to play the steel pan while keeping their families’ cultural heritage alive.
A National Symbol
The steel pan’s origins date back to the early 20th century, evolving from West African drumming traditions brought to the Caribbean through the transatlantic slave trade. As drumming was banned by colonial authorities, Trinidadians turned to other materials, including oil drums, to create a new form of musical expression. The instrument gained recognition and, in 1992, was declared the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago.
For students like Nyell Smith, learning the steel pan is both a personal and cultural journey.
“My mom is actually from Trinidad, and a lot of her family is from Trinidad and Tobago,” Smith said. “So it’s really inspiring that I’m able to play this because my mom’s from Trinidad.”
Zion Whitelock shares the same sense of pride.
“Being able to play it shows the culture isn’t fading in any way. It’s still here. It’s still alive,” he said. “So being able to play, yeah, it gives me a sense of pride.”
Tempo’s steel pan classes introduce students to music theory and sheet music while emphasizing teamwork, discipline and cultural appreciation.
Wolston Ayoung, a longtime pannist and instructor, knows firsthand how important it is to pass down the tradition.
“From a cultural perspective, we have a steel band creed where it says teamwork, acceptance, unity and discipline,” he said. “The culmination of all of those gives the youth a good social network to start doing other things.”
Ayoung remembers a time when playing the steel pan was frowned upon in Trinidad.
“When I was growing up, this was an instrument that you were not allowed to play,” he said. “In my school, a bit of a revolutionary type of a school, they started playing the steel drums there, and that’s where I started. And unbeknownst to my parents, though, because if my parents knew, I could have been in trouble.”
Over the decades, the steel pan has gained widespread recognition. In 2023, the United Nations declared August 11 as World Steelpan Day.
Bringing Diversity to the Conservatory
The steel pan program is part of the Mount Royal University Conservatory’s push to reflect the diversity of Calgary’s communities. Traditionally focused on Western classical music, the conservatory partnered with Tempo YYC two years ago to introduce steel pan classes.
“When Liz (Nandee) and Wolston approached us (from Tempo YYC) about wanting to start a steel pan class here, I was thrilled at the opportunity,” said Terry Clark, director of the conservatory. “We are always thinking about how we can be continuing to diversify our programming.”
The steel pan ensemble rehearses on Saturdays next door to the space where the Calgary Youth Orchestra is rehearsing standard orchestral works.
“For me, I think this is just an absolutely wonderful example, an embodiment of the diversity of programming that we can be having in this space,” Clark said. “We’d love the conservatory to get to a point where, when anybody looks at it, they see themselves, their communities, represented in the programming, the music, the artistic practices that are happening in this space.”
Passing Down the Tradition
Thalia Pardasie was introduced to the steel pan by her older sister. Now, she finds joy in playing an instrument that connects her to her family’s history.
“Both my parents are from Trinidad and Tobago, where this originated,” she said. “So it’s important to me.”
Her father, Wendell Pardasie, is proud to see his children take part in a tradition that wasn’t always prioritized when he was growing up.
“It brings back memories,” he said. “It’s amazing music that has not been pushed to the world as much as we’d like. We’re just a little island that created this instrument. So it’s very emotional for me.”
For instructors like Stephen Ramkhelawan, teaching young Calgarians to play the steel pan is about more than just music.
“It gives you a sense of belonging to something,” he said. “And it’s recognized all over the world.”
Ramkhelawan, who started playing steel pan in 1958, has performed for dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth and former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau. Now, he’s focused on ensuring the next generation carries on the legacy.
“Somebody taught me when I was growing up,” he said. “And I want to pass that on to them.”
For Tempo’s Trinidadian students in Calgary, the steel pan is more than just an instrument—it’s a way to honour their roots, celebrate their heritage and ensure that the traditions of their ancestors live on.
For more about Tempo YYC, go here.
