The Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra was formed to participate in the Festival of Britain

Festival of Britain

The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...

 in 1951. The group presented the newly invented Steelpan

Steelpan

Steelpans is a musical instrument originating from The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago...

 to an international audience.

Members of TASPO

Lieutenant Joseph Nathaniel Griffith was the conductor of the Band. Griffith was originally part of the Trinidad Police Band.

Player	Band
Orman "Patsy" Haynes	Casablanca
Elliot "Ellie" Mannette Ellie Mannette Elliot "Ellie" Mannette is a musical instrument maker and Steel Pan musician, also known as "father of the modern steel pan instrument".-Life:...	Invaders
Belgrave Bonaparte	Southern Symphony
Anthony "Tony" Williams Anthony Williams (musician) Anthony "Tony" Williams is an inventor, pioneer and musician of the Steel Pan.-Life:Williams was born at the General Hospital of Port-of-Spain and grew up in Nepal Street in St...	North Stars
Carlton "Sonny" Roach	Sun Valley
Philmore "Boots" Davidson Philmore Davidson Philmore "Boots" Davidson was an arranger and musician of the Steelpan.-Person:Philmore Davidson was one of the leader figures of the Casablanca Steel Orchestra, one of the oldest steelbands of Trinidad....	City Syncopators
Sterling Betancourt Sterling Betancourt Sterling Betancourt MBE is a pioneer, inventor and musician on the Steelpan.-Life:Betancourt was born and raised in Laventille near Port of Spain. He was a steelpan tuner and member of the steelband Crossfire. Betancourt was selected as a member of TASPO and toured England and Europe in 1951...	Crossfire
Andrew "Pan" de la Bastide	Chicago
Dudley Smith	Rising Sun
Winston "Spree" Simon Winston Simon Winston "Spree" Simon was an inventor, pioneer and musician of the Steel Pan.-Life:Simon was born in Rosehill, East Dry River, Port of Spain, Trinidad...	Fascinators (Tokyo)
Theo "Black James" Stephens	Free French

July 6th, 1951, TASPO left Trinidad

Trinidad

Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...

 for England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 on the SS San Mateo. Carlton "Sonny" Roach fell ill and was left behind in Martinique

Martinique

Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...

. TASPO returned to Trinidad December 12th, 1951, the only exception being Sterling Betancourt, which stayed in London. Betancourt has been vitally involved in building up Notting Hill Carnival

Notting Hill Carnival

The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which since 1964 has taken place on the streets of Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea , London, UK each August, over two days...

.

Readings

• Felix I. R. Blake: The Trinidad and Tobago Steel Pan. History and Evolution. ISBN 0-952-55280-9
• Stephen Stuempfle: The Steelband Movement: The Forging of a National Art in Trinidad and Tobago. (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995)

External links

• http://www.bestoftrinidad.com/steelband50s.html
• http://www.calypsoworld.org/uk/taspo.htm