Pan Sweet Pan - Steel Orchestras of the Caribbean

The steelpan is the National Musical Instrument of the Caribbean Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is a definite pitch, acoustic percussion instrument. Every year during the Carnival season the greatest steel orchestras meet in Port of Spain / Trinidad at the Panorama steelband competition. The music they present there are ten-minute steelband arrangements of the melody of a calypso, which is originally about two minutes long. The structure of a typical arrangement includes an introduction, statement of the melody, harmonic and melodic developements, changes of key, changes of rythm, modulations, improvisations and a finale. This album is a compilation of Panorama compositions played at reduced tempo and recorded live at steelband panyards in Trinidad & Tobago and St. Thomas.