steelband spirit and politics in Trinidad and Tobago /
First Statement of Responsibility
Shannon Dudley
.PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, ETC
Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.
New York :
Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.
Oxford University Press,
Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.
2008
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION
Specific Material Designation and Extent of Item
xiv, 311 p. :
Other Physical Details
ill., maps, music ;
Dimensions
24 cm
INTERNAL BIBLIOGRAPHIES/INDEXES NOTE
Text of Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 293-302), discography (p. 303), and index
CONTENTS NOTE
Text of Note
The steelband movement and music -- An unlikely instrument -- The national instrument -- Dropping the bomb -- A showcase for pan -- The rise of the arranger -- Community participation -- Contest and control -- Writing their own tunes -- From panman to pannist -- Popular culture and nationalism
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SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
"A symbol of Trinidadian culture, the steelband has made an extraordinary transformation since its origins-from junk metal to steel orchestra, and from disparaged underclass pastime to Trinidad and Tobago's national instrument. Now, Shannon Dudley gives the first discerning look at the musical thinking that ignited this transformation, and the way it articulates with Afro-Trinidadian tradition, carnival, colonial authority, and nationalist politics. Music from behind the Bridge tells the story of the steelband from the point of view of musicians who overcame disadvantages of poverty and prejudice with their extraordinary ambition. Literally referring to the poor neighborhoods nestled in the hills bordering Port of Spain to the East, "Behind the Bridge" is also a metaphor for conditions of social disadvantage and cultural resistance that shaped the steelband movement in the various Afro-Trinidadian communities where it first took root. The book further explores the implications of the steelband's "nationalization" in post-independence Trinidad and Tobago, and contemporary steelband musicians' preoccupation with the formally adjudicated annual Panorama competition. In discussing the intersection of musical thinking, festivity, and politics, this book connects important questions about the history of the steelband to general questions about the relation between popular culture and nationalism." -- Provided by publisher
TOPICAL NAME USED AS SUBJECT
Popular music-- Social aspects-- Trinidad and Tobago
Steel band music-- Trinidad and Tobago-- History and criticism
Steel bands (Music)-- Trinidad and Tobago-- History