CARIBBEAN MUSIC

tHIS GROUP OF PERFORMERS FROM TRINIDAd-TOBAGO VISITED OUR TOWN RECENTLY AND PERFORMED AT THE SCHOOL. THEY ARE CURRENTLY TOURING THE U.S. AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE GO SEE THEM. tHEY ARE GREAT AND SUCH NICE PEOPLE. SEE THE DRUMS- THE FUNNY LOOKING ONES- THEY ARE STEEL DRUMS. THEY TOLD US THAT THE ORIGINAL STEEL DRUMS WERE MADE FROM OLD OIL BARRELS THAT WERE CUT IN HALF AND THE BOTTOMS BEATEN IN. AFTER WORLD WAR TWO- I THINK THATS WHAT THEY SAID- THEY WERE WANTING TO MAKE MUSIC TO CELEBRATE THE END OF THE WAR AND THEY HAD NO MONEY OR ANYTHING ELSE SO THIS IS HOW THE STEEL DRUMS FROM OIL CANS CAME TO BE. aND IT IS THE ONLY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT INVENTED IN THE LAST CENTURY- WHO KNEW? ONLY ONE DRAWBACK TO THEIR VISIT- OUR COMMUNITY ARTS ASSOCIATION, OF WHICH I AM A BOARD MEMBER TOOK THEM TO LUNCH AND I SAT BY THE GUY-jOHN- IN THE YELLOW SHIRT-WELL HE WAS COUGHING AND SNEEZING. THE NEXT DAY I AWOKE WITH THE WORST SORE THROAT OF MY LIFE, I TOLD MY DOCTOR THAT I HAD SOME MYSTERIOUS TRINIDADIAN DISEASE- SHE SAID NO YOU JUST HAVE A MISSISSIPPI SORE THROAT. hA!! WHAT DOES SHE KNOW- I TALKED TO THE HOST FAMILY AND SHE SAID THEY ALL CAME DOWN WITH IT. aNYWAY AFTER TWO WEEKS OF ANTIBIOTICS I AM BETTER AND I AM STILL GLAD I MET THEM AND ENJOYED THEIR PERFORMANCE.