Steelband music originates from the Caribian islands Trinidad and Tobago.

In 1883, the British colonial administration issued a ban on drum music, in attempt to stop the increasing violence between competing groups. The result was, that instead of playing on drums the groups used bamboo-sticks to beat the rythm. However - these bamboo-sticks was also great as weapons.

Another ban was issued, and this trigged the fantasy. Everything that could make a noise was used as an alternative to the forbidden drums and sticks.


It was in 1937, on the first day of the annual carnival, the sound of the steeldrum was heard for the first time. And in the following years several steelbands was formed. They got the name "steelbands" since they were playing on all the metal crate, that had been brought to the islands by the military bases.

Who originally discovered the posibility to create sound from an oilbarrel is not known, but Winston Spree Simon is known as one of the pioneers. Today the steeldrum has evolved to a beautiful sounding and highly respected musical instrument.

In the beginning of the 1980s, steeldrums was for the first time imported to Denmark by Gladsaxe Music School, from which Copenhagen Steelband originates.