From African Talking Drum to the Caribbean Steelpan

Its commonplace on almost every Caribbean cruise; older men dressed in tropical shirts, hitting the sticks they hold in their hands against the corners of the shinny hollowed silver ‘bowls.’ To a large extent, these ‘bowls’ or steelpans have come to symbolize the Caribbean. Also referred to as ‘pans,' ama-steelpans adabuka eTrinidad naseTobago futhi iyinsimbi kazwelonke yesiqhingi saseCaribbean. Amapani nawo adlala indima ebalulekile cishe kuzo zonke ezinye iziqhingi zaseCaribbean.

Umlando wokudalwa kwama-steelpan ukhuluma kakhulu ngobuhlakani kanye nobuchule bezakhamuzi zakulesi siqhingi.. Ukuba yinzalo yase-Afrika, izigubhu zokukhuluma zaziyisisekelo ezimpilweni zabantu baseTrinidad ngeminyaka yawo-1800. Izigubhu zesikhumba ezikhethekile zazisetshenziswa njengethuluzi elinamandla lokuxhumana, njengoba amaqembu ahlukahlukene ayewasebenzisa ukuze axhumane ngomunye nomunye kuso sonke isiqhingi. Ukuqaphela amandla alolu hlobo lokuxhumana, uhulumeni wamaKoloni waseBrithani wavala izigubhu zezandla ngawo-1880, njengoba besaba ukuthi abantu bazosebenzisa lolu hlobo lokuxhumana olunesigqi ukuhlela nokuvukela umbuso wabo.

Ngesidingo somculo nesigqi esifakwe kuyo yonke imicu yemizimba yabo, Abantu baseTrinidad baqala ukwenza ezinye izindlela zokukhiqiza umculo njengoba bebambe iqhaza ku-Mardi Gras yaminyaka yonke (namuhla eyaziwa ngokuthi i-Carnival) imikhosi eyethulwa kubo ngamaFulentshi. Uma zingekho izigubhu, Abantu baseTrinidad bakha iTamboo-Bamboos, okwakuyizinti ezifundekayo ezenziwe ngoqalo. igama laleli thuluzi elisha liphinde lasebenza njengokuhlonipha izigubhu ezikhulumayo ezazingavunyelwe, njengoba igama elithi ‘Tamboo’ lisuselwa egameni lesiFulentshi elithi tambeau noma ‘isigubhu.’ Uqalo lweTamboo lwalugxotshwe phansi futhi nangezinsimbi namabhakede ahlukahlukene ayengasasebenzi ukuze enze imiculo nemisindo ehlukahlukene.. Njengezigubhu ezikhulumayo, I-Tamboo-Bamboos nayo yavinjelwa uhulumeni obusayo wamakoloni waseBrithani, owaphikelela ngokuthi leli thuluzi elisha lalingaba futhi lalisetshenziswa njengamathuluzi amaqembu ayizimbangi ngokumelene nomunye.

Ngaphandle kwezigubhu ezikhulumayo noma i-Tamboo-Bamboo, Abantu baseTrinidad kwadingeka baphinde bajwayelane nendawo yabo futhi baqhamuke nezinye izindlela zokugcina isigqi nomculo abawuthandayo.. Njengoba izingcezu zensimbi ezishaywayo zazisetshenziswa kumabhendi weTamboo-Bamboo, futhi ama-bamdoos ayenqatshelwe, izinsimbi zensimbi zaqala ukubusa amabhande. Abanye baze baqaphela ukuthi lapho izingcezu zoqalo zishaya izingxenye eziboshiwe zamathini kawoyela ensimbi, benza umsindo nephimbo elithakazelisayo. Ngokuhlola ama-dents adalwe kulawa mathini kawoyela noma amafrum, kwatholakala ukuthi amazinyo ahlukene akhiqiza iphimbo elihlukile futhi ngenxa yalokho, kwadalwa ipani lensimbi.

In its inception, ama-steelpan ayenziwe ngokwesiko 55 izigubhu ezingamagalani ezivame ukugcina amafutha. Njengoba abantu baseTrinidad abaningi bebengenazo izinsiza noma imali yokuthenga noma yokudala izinsimbi zomculo zendabuko ezifana namapiyano, amacilongo amacilongo, ect., ngokushesha izinsimbi zaba ithuluzi elikhethwa yintsha eningi ekhungethwe ubumpofu. Uma kubhekwa izimpande zayo kanye ne-orijin kanye nokukhanga kwayo ngobuningi kubantu abampofu kancane,kwaba nenhlamba ekuqaleni ehambisana nalabo ababedlala le nsimbi (namuhla abadlali be-steelpan baziwa ngokuthi ama-pannist). Nokho, ngokuhlolwa okuqhubekayo kanye nokusetshenziswa kwesayensi, lokhu kucwaswa kwaphela futhi i-steelpan isiphenduke ithuluzi elikhethwayo kulo lonke elaseCaribbean.

Today, ama-steelpan ngokuvamile enziwe ngeshidi lensimbi kodwa asagcina isitsha sinjengomumo abelokhu ewuphethe. Kunezinhlobo eziningi zezinsimbi, kodwa umthofu ubizwa ngokuthi 'i-Tenor pan', enamanothi ahleleke endingilizini yezikhawu zesine nezesihlanu eziphelele. Le nsimbi entsha yokushaywa ilokhu ishintshashintsha futhi abadlali be-pannist nabanye abaculi bahlala bethuthukisa izindlela zokushuna kangcono nokuthuthukisa leli thuluzi lokushaywa.. Nakuba i-steelpan inokulinganiselwa okuthile, njengobubanzi bayo obunomkhawulo, uma kuqhathaniswa namathuluzi asungulwe kakhulu, lapho izinti eziqondile ezifakwe irabha zishaya epanini, umuntu akakwazi ukusiza ngokuthuthela esigqi esidalayo.

I-Steelpans manje isiyingxenye ebalulekile yezimpande namasiko eziqhingi zaseTrinidad nezinye zaseCaribbean. Unyaka ngamunye, iziqhingi eziningi zaseCaribbean zibamba Umqhudelwano waminyaka yonke wePanorama Steel Band lapho amaqembu ayizimbangi eqhudelana khona ngokudlala izingoma ze-calypso ezidumile zonyaka.. I-Steelpan nayo yenze izinguquko ezinkulu emhlabeni wonke. Amabhendi e-Steelpan angatholakala eNyakatho Melika, IYurophu kanye ne-Afrika imbala. Ikhule ngisho naphakathi kwabantu abasha, abavame ukusebenzisa isigqi se-steelpan ukuze badale kabusha izingoma abazithandayo.