Browse Items (6 total)

Bahamian junkanoo, traditionally a Christmas season parade, features dancing, lively music, and colorful handmade costumes. Made by members of local ensemble Bahamas Junkanoo Revue, this costume’s design and colors represent the ocean, sky, and…

A beloved Trinidadian art form, steel pan music is associated with the celebration of Carnival. The tradition took shape during the 1940s, when it was discovered that oil barrels could be crafted into a variety of steel instruments called “pans.”…

The tres guitar originated in Cuba, and its sound has become a defining characteristic of Cuban son music. The instrument gets its name, meaning “three” in Spanish, from its three pairs of strings. Leandro Rojas is a master musician and instrument…

Video interview with Michael Kernahan, founder and director of the 21st Century Steel Band. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, steel bands feature percussion instruments called “pans,” which are expertly crafted from oil drums. The 21st Century…

Video interview with Langston Longley co-leader and co-founder of the Bahamas Junkanoo Revue. Based in South Florida, Bahamas Junkanoo Revue practices junkanoo, a Bahamian parade tradition that occurs on Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year’s Day.

Interview with Leandro Rojas, a master musician and instrument builder who specializes in the tres, a guitar-like instrument with three pairs of strings, and the primary instrument in the Cuban son genre.