Rainbow Steel Band celebrates 50th anniversary
May 17th, 2008 | Published in Music History, Music News, Play Music
The Rainbow Steel Band opened for business in 1957. Having emigrated from Barbados to the UK , steel pan aficionado Hallam Ifill chose to settle in Bath, Somerset. Other newly-arrived steel band enthusiasts made their homes nearby. A church hall was hired, rehearsals took place, and the Rainbow Steel Band was born.
Since then, the band has gone from strength to strength. Last summer, the sound of steel pan re-echoed around the vaulted transepts of Bath Abbey as the band took part in the opening service of that year’s Bath Festival.
In May 2007, Bath City Council hosted a special anniversary reception for the band and their friends in The Pump Room. The Rainbow Steel Band has now become a respected part of Bath’s culture, directing a welcome shaft of bright Caribbean sunshine onto the Georgian city’s elegant historic past.
Caribbean Steel Pan History: Part 4
The Rainbow Steel Band creates a carnival atmosphere
These days, no open-air event in Bath and its environs is complete without a contribution from The Rainbow Steel Band. Playing a mixture of calypso, ska, reggae, soca and popular tunes specially arranged for steel pan, the band imports the cheerful spirit of Trinidad to the sweeping crescents and stylish squares of Bath.
The band retains strong connections with the roots of steel pan in Trinidad itself through world-class solo steel pan virtuoso, Earl Rodney. During the British winter, Earl lives in Trinidad, performing at a variety of festivals and the world-famous carnival. In the summer, he’s a proud member of the Rainbow Steel Band.
From the switching on of Christmas lights in mid-winter through summer fetes, fairs, shows and weddings, the sound of steel pan gets toes tapping and faces smiling. The Rainbow Steel Band has made the sound of steel pan an integral part of the warp and weft of life in this otherwise very English city.
Find out more about The Rainbow Steel Band
To learn more about the band visit Hop Till You Drop wedding music agency: rainbow steel band. Performing their infectious mix of party sounds, the band is in constant demand to perform at weddings, parties and festivals.
