Time for a comprehensive national steelpan policy

Ninety years after its birth, the time has come to ask a difficult but necessary question: What is the true state of T&T’s national instrument?

The steelpan is the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century. It is a living testament to the resilience and brilliance of a people denied traditional avenues of expression. From discarded oil drums came a global marvel, a musical invention that has travelled the world, earned academic reverence, and stood as a symbol of Trinbagonian identity.

And yet, at home, the steelpan often feels like an afterthought, honoured in rhetoric but not in reality.

Despite being named T&T’s national instrument in 1992, the steelpan remains chronically underfunded and inconsistently supported. Panyards struggle for space, and advancement opportunities are limited outside the Carnival season, with the steelpan often seeming like an afterthought.

The annual Panorama competition cannot bear the burden of sustaining an entire ecosystem. Carnival is seasonal; culture is not. Steelpan cannot thrive on two months of attention followed by ten months of neglect.

Currently, steelpan education is patchy at best. While there are outstanding music programmes in some schools, there is no national mandate to ensure that every child in T&T is exposed to it. The instrument should be embedded in the curriculum, not simply showcased on stage.

The manufacturing and export potential of pan remains vastly underdeveloped. World-class instruments are being produced but often without state support, export subsidies, or business development assistance.

There is no national strategy for branding or exporting. Foreign entities have patented aspects of steelpan technology, while this country lacks basic legal safeguards for the people who created and continue to sustain this tradition.

What is urgently needed is a national steelpan policy that addresses education, manufacturing, intellectual property, cultural heritage, and digital innovation. The electronic steelpan, for instance, offers new opportunities for global integration and music tech investment, but this will only materialise if local institutions are willing to lead rather than follow.

Community development must also be central to the steelpan agenda. Pan was born in Laventille and nurtured in “hotspots” across the country that are often dismissed or stigmatised. These areas continue to produce musical excellence against the odds. Imagine the transformation that could occur if panyards were fully supported as community hubs, offering music training, conflict resolution, academic support, and entrepreneurship opportunities.

There are bright spots. Initiatives such as the Laventille Steelband Festival showcase the beauty and versatility of the steelpan. Visionary pannists and arrangers are pushing the musical boundaries.

However, these efforts need to be connected, scaled, and protected.

Steelpan Month—celebrated every August by PanTrinbago—must not become an exercise in empty commemoration. Let us use this time to launch a national effort to craft and implement a comprehensive steelpan policy and strategy, involving government, private sector, civil society, and the diaspora. Only by uniting in action can T&T build the steelpan economy, transform heritage into innovation, and ensure the steelpan’s future as a source of national pride.

We cannot wait for foreign validation of the treasure we hold. Now is the time to honour, invest in, and plan boldly for the steelpan’s future—so that T&T’s gift to the world receives the respect it deserves.