The Steelband Movement – A Way Forward Celebration of Women and the Steelpan Art Form

Thursday, March 10 2005 @ 11:54 AM EST

(PRWEB) - In global terms, the steelband world has moved and is moving rapidly ahead. In the land of its birth however, few benefits from this forward move have accrued to its creators, proponents and progeny. As a Trinidadian woman actively involved in the steelband world for over twenty-five years, this fact has been the driving force behind many of the initiatives with which I have been involved. In this article I will look at two ways in which the movement may move forward and also benefit its creators and their cultural descendants.

Inventions of worth do not long remain the sole property of the creators. Intellectual property rights worldwide ensure exclusive rights for a limited period of time, after which the public at large can utilize the creation to their benefit. The steelband, even as a part of Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural heritage, never gained that initial protection and the skip to the public domain has been made. This is an open door that many are now fighting to close. In the interim, groups formed in Europe and North America have organized festivals, competitions and workshops centering on the instrument. Entrepreneurs on these continents have entered the market and made major economic strides in the areas of promotion and manufacture. These initiatives have impacted the individuals and groups involved, but only in a few circumstances have the gains trickled down to the communities that created the art form.

In 1995 I proposed the utilization of Trinidad and Tobago’s steelband communities as economic structures that would propel the instrument and the communities forward. Since that time and perhaps before, others have proposed similar moves with varying success. I know that the steelband communities in Trinidad and Tobago have within their boundaries, many talented individuals. I still firmly believe that their strengths can be utilized to promote the steelband product through manufacture, research and development, marketing, performance, cultural exchanges and associated administrative and labor tasks thereby positively impacting their communities, the nation at large and the global steelband movement.

[Dr. Dawn Batson, associate professor of music, holds degrees from renowned institutes of higher education. Her Ph.D in music and international affairs from the University of Miami, an M.M. is but one. She was most recently associate professor and director of the steel band music program at Florida Memorial College. Over the years Dr. Batson has fulfilled a number of roles in many countries - including performer, arranger, conductor, teacher, judge, composer, musical director, lecturer, grant writer and producer].

[Photo courtesy of when Steel Talks].

World Music Central
http://worldmusiccentral.org/article.php/20050310095423843