Steel Pan "Factory"

Chaguaramas Bay, Trinidad
10 40.6N 61 38.3W

We went into Port Of Spain today for a look at the sights, and as part of the trip we stopped off at a pan "factory". Basically this is a lean to in the back blocks where the very talented Andy makes his pans.

Each steel drum is made from a standard oil drum. The barrel is turned upside down and using a hammer (or occasionally his 200 year old cannon ball) he gradually beats the lid down and down until the full 8" deep curve is produced. The drum is then cut off depending on the amount of bass required, and each individual note is inscribed onto the inside of the pan.

We are now trying to hunt down a pan concert so we can listen to the combined sound of a couple of hundred of these in the full pan orchestra.