Glissando Steel Orchestra celebrated their 45th Anniversary in 2023

May 23

May 23 Glissando Steel Orchestra celebrated their 45th Anniversary in 2023

Glissando was formed in 1978 by Bertrand Parris, a steel pan tuner & manufacturer who provided Glissando with their first instruments and Pedro Burgess, an accomplished musician who was initially responsible for arranging the Orchestra’s music, he continued to arrange for the band through the 80’s, then from 1990-1995 Dexter Joseph took over as arranger followed by the phenomenal Rudy “Twolef” Smith from 1997-2007. The band then took a break for a few years, after which Tamla Batra arranged from 2016-2021 and finally Joseph Khell took over as arranger and tuner for the band in 2022 to presently.

Some of the initiatives the band produced over the years are as follows.

During 1987, Glissando introduced a community action scheme, touring schools and teaching the art of playing the steel pan.

Glissando Youth Steel Orchestra at Steel The Show 2023

1999 saw the inclusion of Danish students in the orchestra for Panorama and Carnival, Glissando has also entertained players from Trinidad, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. They achieved sponsorship from Western Union for the Notting Hill Carnival in 1999. BBC Radio One interviewed some of their younger players and a recording of one of their practice sessions, which was created into a jingle and heard frequently on the Drive Time shows.

Glissando at UK Panorama with Rudy ‘Two Lef’ Smith as musical arranger.

Over a five-week period, Glissando was involved in a project entitled the Children of Yaa. The project gave youths between the age of nine and nineteen the opportunity to produce a show at a professional venue. Wil Joseph of the African & Caribbean Music Circuit organised the costume, dance, drama, drumming & storytelling, music and steel band workshops between Glissando’s pan yard, Paddington Arts Centre and Yaa Asantewa Arts & Community centre. Christine De-Gallerie and Joy Joseph taught pan classes in the Glissando pan yard. The children learnt how to play the steelpan instrument and its history from the beginning to present day culminating in a performance at the Tabernacle, Powis Square, London.

Nestor Sullivan (Deceased) playing with Glissando at UK Panorama

Glissando have won many coveted awards including the first GLC Capital Radio Music Festival in 1983 and went on to capture the title for the next two consecutive years. Around that time Glissando Steel Orchestra’s Youth Section had tours in Switzerland and Ireland. Glissando have performed at the Hawth, Crawley and the South Tyneside Festivals. Glissando Steel Orchestra breams with talent, innovation and professionalism. Glissando also perform at charity events for pensioners and the disabled and entered Panorama consistently from the inception of Panorama in the UK in 1978 straight up until 2007 placing as high as 2nd in 1997 with a Rudy Smith arrangement ‘One for the savannah’.

Glissando Steel Orchestra is a leading light in the Caribbean community in Britain. The Orchestra is recognised as being talented, innovative and highly professional. It is also a focal point for the youth, not only as a music resource but also as a place to come together and communicate and have a very strong family oriented ethos within the band, Sunday practise is always followed by a meal(cooked by Parris) where all members sit, chat and enjoy each other’s company and are dedicated to the community, providing FREE pan classes to anyone interested in playing pan.Glissando continues to hold steel pan classes in their pan yard and is fully supported by the Venture Community Association. They are proud to be the only steel orchestra, which has the first purpose, built sound proofed pan yard in Britain.

Glissando performing at Steel The Show 2023.

Groups range from Kids to adult beginners to adult advanced(stage side). The band is extremely excited this year as they are in preparations for returning to the road for Notting Hill Carnival 2024.