Biography
The Esso Trinidad Steel Band, recognized as ambassadors of steel drum performance, launched their professional path in 1942. They first operated under the name Tripoli Steel Band to salute the U.S. Marines Hymn and its reference to “the shores of Tripoli.” Their foundation rested in the rise of the steel pan, an instrument hammered together from the milk tins, paint cans, and oil barrels that accumulated along Trinidad’s coastlines. What started as an avenue for creative outlet among the island’s disadvantaged residents soon produced steel pan ensembles across Trinidad and generated intense rivalries at the yearly Carnival events. Hugh Borde took the helm of the Tripoli Steel Band in 1951, guiding it to distinction as one of the most accomplished and inventive groups in festival competition and securing victory at the first official Steel Band Music Festival in 1964.
After Trinidad gained independence from Britain, foreign oil concerns worried about possible nationalization and looked for fresh means to cultivate goodwill among the local population. In 1965 Esso extended sponsorship to the Tripoli Steel Band, which then adopted the name Esso Trinidad Steel Band. The company furnished instruments, uniforms, and tour support for the 28-piece ensemble, enabling its first international appearance at the Montreal Expo World’s Fair in 1967. That showcase led to a recording agreement with the Toronto-based ARC Sound label, followed in 1971 by a Van Dyke Parks-produced LP on Warner Bros. that received a Grammy nomination for Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording.
Once Esso withdrew its backing, the ensemble, rebranded as the Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band, spent more than two years traversing the globe in support of flamboyant pianist Liberace. Borde’s relocation of his family to Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1976 effectively dissolved the original unit, yet his children, directed by son Emile, later assembled a renewed Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band lineup and released the LP Momentum in 1985. This edition of the group sustained touring activity into the subsequent century.
After Trinidad gained independence from Britain, foreign oil concerns worried about possible nationalization and looked for fresh means to cultivate goodwill among the local population. In 1965 Esso extended sponsorship to the Tripoli Steel Band, which then adopted the name Esso Trinidad Steel Band. The company furnished instruments, uniforms, and tour support for the 28-piece ensemble, enabling its first international appearance at the Montreal Expo World’s Fair in 1967. That showcase led to a recording agreement with the Toronto-based ARC Sound label, followed in 1971 by a Van Dyke Parks-produced LP on Warner Bros. that received a Grammy nomination for Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording.
Once Esso withdrew its backing, the ensemble, rebranded as the Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band, spent more than two years traversing the globe in support of flamboyant pianist Liberace. Borde’s relocation of his family to Ypsilanti, Michigan, in 1976 effectively dissolved the original unit, yet his children, directed by son Emile, later assembled a renewed Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band lineup and released the LP Momentum in 1985. This edition of the group sustained touring activity into the subsequent century.
Albums