When most people think of music on the steel pan, they tend to think of
Reggae. In reality, that style of music
is seldomly played compared to other genres—especially calypso and soca. The steel pan, like most other acoustic instruments,
can be adapted to play most genres of music.
The most commonly played genres range from calypso, soca, classical,
rearrangements of popular songs from the radio, and songs called “own tunes.”
You’ll get to read about these genres and hear samples of them. (Note: all the music will be links as I do
not own the rights to any of them)
Calypso
Calypso is Trinidad’s folk music.
It dates back to the early 19th century but only gained wide popularity
in the 1950s. Calypso uses very melodic
and rhythmic vocals, and the lyrics will follow the form of a ballad—4 line
choruses followed by 8 line verses.
Soca
Soca is short for soul of calypso.
This is a modernized style of calypso that is infused with other genres
like soul, funk, and r&b. This is
Trinidad’s equivalent of American pop music.
“Own tunes”
The term “own tunes” came about after Ray Holman composed a tune
specifically for the Panorama contest that hadn’t been heard before. More composers
have creating these “own tunes,” and many of them have won the competitions.
Other Genres
Numerous songs from various genres—including pop, r&b, jazz, rock, classical,
and songs from tv, movies, and video games—have been rearranged for the steel
pan.
Bibliography:
Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.). Calypso. retrieved from
Cazaubon, M.(n.d.). What is Soca Music. retrieved from
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