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Artist
The Esso Trinidad Steel Band
12+ albums
trinidadtrinidadiansteel drumsSteel Pan
about
The Tripoli Steelband goes back to 1942, where they took their name from the line in the Marine Hymn “....to the the shores of Tripoli”. Hugh Borde who was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad in 1933, became the leader of the band in 1951, at the age of 18. He was already an excellent ping pong soloist on the instrument. By 1964, the band entered the first Steel Band Music Festival in Trinidad and received a standing ovation at the Queen’s Hall for their rendition of “The Man I Love.” By 1965, the Esso Oil Company decided to sponsor the band. Later that year the Esso Tripoli Steel Band won the ‘bomb’ (interpreting a piece of European classical music arranged for the steel band) at the Panorama, a national competition between steel bands. Borde also led the National Steel Band of Trinidad & Tobago at the Commonwealth Arts Festival in England, and the Esso Tripoli Steel Band won the Prime Minister’s Trophy which gave them the right to play for Queen Elizabeth of England during her visit to Trinidad in 1966. For three weeks during their 1967 tour, the band was chosen, by official request, to play at the outdoor stage of the Trinidad-Tobago and Grenada Pavilion at Expo ‘67, the World’s Fair in Montreal, Canada. After the tour, an album was put out on the ARC Sound label out of Toronto. It was aptly called The Esso Trinidad Steelband On Tour. One of the band’s biggest breaks occurred during one of their performances at the Expo ‘67. Liberace, the world famous pianist, became fascin
