Steelpan

Trinidad and Tobago · percussion · music · recycled

Made from barrels. Steelpans are crafted from old steel drums and barrels, usually from oil companies. People hammer and shape the metal to create different notes.

One special sound. Each steelpan is unique because of how it's handmade, so every instrument has its own personality and tone that's slightly different from others.

Born in Trinidad. Steelpans were invented in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1930s and 1940s as people created new music from materials they had around them.

Pannists perform together. Musicians who play steelpans are called pannists, and they often play in groups and orchestras that create amazing rhythms and harmonies.

Turning trash to treasure. What makes steelpans extra cool is that they turn waste materials into instruments that make beautiful music, showing how creativity can come from everyday things.