Panomundo Part 1 The Evolution of the Steelpan (2015)

Slavery may have been the catalyst but culture and passion formed this sound in Trinidad amp Tobago The steelpan can take the claim of being the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century However this sound not only moves people today but it paralleled the islands history of colonization and the demand for independence The first section of this twopart film highlights the precursors of the steelpan and the creation of the instrument until it gained international recognition in Britain in 1951 Interviews from steelpan legends such as Ellie Mannette Sterling Betancourt Cliff Alexis and Ray Holman are included