Caption: Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell. Photo: T&T Parliament
By Prior Beharry
THE National Musical Instrument Bill, 2024, received unanimous support in both the Lower House and the Senate, officially making the steelpan as the official national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago.
The bill, comprising just four clauses, formally recognises the steelpan’s cultural significance and seeks to promote its global recognition.
It was passed in the Lower House on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday.
Minister of Tourism, Culture, and the Arts Randall Mitchell, piloted the bill, and said it was important to establish the steelpan as a symbol of Trinidad and Tobago’s creativity and innovation.
The legislation not only acknowledges the steelpan as a national treasure but also paves the way for increased investments and international exposure in the cultural and creative sectors, he said.
Mitchell paid tribute to key figures in the steelpan’s history, including Winston Spree Simon, Ellie Manette, Anthony Williams, Neville Jules, and Bertie Marshall, for their invaluable contributions to the instrument’s development.
Beverly Ramsey-Moore, president of Pan Trinbago, who was in the Parliament’s public gallery, expressed gratitude for the formal recognition of the steelpan as the national musical instrument in a statement afterwards. She hailed the bill as a significant milestone that celebrates T&T’s cultural heritage and pays homage to the legacy of those who have shaped the steelpan’s evolution.
The United Nations has officially designated August 11 as World Steelpan Day, underscoring the global significance of this unique acoustic instrument.
Is is that the steelpan was the only percussion instrument to be invented in the 20th Century.
