08/11/2025
Monday, August 11th marks World Steelpan Day, and yesterday, New York's Times Square hosted its third annual celebration since Trinidad & Tobago's diplomatic corps at the UN successfully advocated for this global recognition.
While I commend the organizers with an A+ for their effort in bringing this event to Times Square, the ex*****on of this year's production unfortunately warrants a minus D. Approximately 700 young Trinbagonians were in attendance, but the large crowd seemed to consist of participants from the Dominican Day Parade and regular Times Square tourists, who likely viewed it as casual entertainment.
A significant misstep was made by the MC, who repeatedly asked attendees to identify their island of birth. This question primarily elicited responses only from Trinbagonians, creating the impression that it was exclusively a "Trini" event. While the MC rightly praised Trinidad & Tobago as the birthplace of the steelpan, there was a noticeable failure to acknowledge other islands where the steelpan flourished in the pioneering years, such as Antigua, Guyana and Grenada.
Moving forward, if the Trinidad & Tobago Consulate and the United States Steel Band Association do not actively involve steelpan bands and organizers from other islands residing in New York, "World Steelpan Day" risks becoming merely a noisy event in Times Square rather than a genuine vehicle for promoting the steelpan globally. And, expect to see only the flag of T&T being waved.
