The Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) was formed to participate in the 1951 Festival of Britain, having its first performance on 26 July at London's Southbank Centre. [1] The group was the first steelband to travel abroad from Trinidad and Tobago, presenting the newly invented steelpan to an international audience. [2]
Lieutenant Joseph Nathaniel Griffith (born in Barbados) [1] was the conductor of the band. Griffith was originally part of the Trinidad Police Band. [3]
| Player | Band | DOB | DOD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cecil “Coye” Forde | Invaders | 1928/09/14 | 2012/12/25 |
| Orman "Patsy" Haynes | Casablanca | 1930/02/22 | 1985/10/29 |
| Elliot "Ellie" Mannette | Invaders | 1927/11/05 | 2018/08/29 |
| Belgrave Bonaparte | Southern Symphony | 1932 | |
| Anthony "Tony" Williams | North Stars | 1931/06/24 | 2021/12/21 |
| Carlton "Sonny" Roach | Sun Valley | 1924/08/06 | 1986 |
| Philmore "Boots" Davidson | City Syncopators | 1928 | 1993 |
| Sterling Betancourt | Crossfire | 1924/03/01 | |
| Andrew "Pan" de la Bastide | Chicago | 1927/12/01 | 2002/11/17 |
| Dudley Smith | Rising Sun | ||
| Winston "Spree" Simon | Fascinators (Tokyo) | 1930 | 1976/11/18 |
| Theophilus "Black James" Stephens | Free French | 1933/11/04 | 2001/11/06 |
On 6 July 1951, TASPO left Trinidad for England on the SS San Mateo. [4] Carlton "Sonny" Roach fell ill and was left behind in Martinique. [5] The steelband performed at the South Bank, London, on 26 July 1951, as well as elsewhere in Britain and in Paris. [6] TASPO returned to Trinidad on 12 December 1951, the only exception being Sterling Betancourt, who stayed in London. Betancourt had been vitally involved in building up Notting Hill Carnival. [7]
On 26 July 2022, the anniversary of TASPO's 1951 "introduction of Steelpan to the world" during the Festival of Britain was celebrated with a Google Doodle. [8] [9]