Steelband

[merjet]

Last night we saw a joint performance of the Northern Illinois University (NIU) Steelband and the NIU Jazz Ensemble on the NIU campus. It was quite entertaining. It was the first time I had even heard of a steelband, and the sound is unique.

Here is the NIU Steelband's main webpage. The red things in the picture are made from steel barrels (drums). If you click on Media, there is an audio clip and a video clip. Neither are as good as what we heard last night, but it gives an idea of the sound. About the first 2:40 of the video is a guitarist. He might be a guest performer and not a regular part of the band. Some band members play only one steelpan, others more and up to four. The more they play, the more they move while playing.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Merlin Jetton