Trinidad All Stars marks 90th anniversary with full day of activities

HELL YARD, Port of Spain, home of the iconic Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra, will be a buzz of activities all day on May 21, in celebration of the band’s 90th anniversary.

And even as the band marks such an historic milestone, the 11-time Panorama champion is not ready to retire or fade into obscurity, but is leading the pack as an innovator and trendsetter in the footsteps of its forefathers, especially Neville Jules, whose experimental approach with the national instrument is unrivalled.

Proclaimed All Stars Day and themed Pushing 90, from 6 am on May 21, patrons are invited to share in the magical experience that would include the power of the steel from the senior and youth orchestras.

Cecilia Tomson, director of operations at the All Stars Academy said the band will be digging deep into its musical past to celebrate its present, with genres from classical to calypso, and everything in between.

From breakfast bites prepared by "Tanty" to lunch time specials, homemade wines, an art exhibition put on by the Trinidad and Tobago Art Society, pop-up markets featuring goods and services by members of the orchestra ranging from waxing, nail art, haircuts and styles, plumbing, painting, and souvenir and gift items from the band’s two gift shops, there will be something for everyone.

Known for its sailor mas over the years, All Stars Day will also set the stage for the launching of its 2026 Carnival presentation, Sailors Ashore in Pan. The band holds the record for winning Band of the Year in 2014 and 2015, the only steelband to do since 1963. In 2025, it placed second.

An awards ceremony to honour organisations and individuals who have contributed to the band’s phenomenal history is also on the agenda.

A special space has been created for patrons to view documentaries, sit, chat and reminisce.

Although its genesis was in the area known as Hell Yard in 1935, funny enough, the actual startup date of the band originally known as Hell Yard Boys, is uncertain. The first of every year is celebrated as its anniversary date with thanksgiving.

So why May 21 for this grand affair?

Tomson said it is simple.

“It is the birth date of the father of the steel orchestra, Neville Jules, better known as Cap, who was born on May 21, 1927."

To celebrate his legacy, in 2021, one year after his death in 2020, the street on which the band is located, 46-48 Duke Street, was renamed Neville Jules Junction, in 2021 by then Port of Spain mayor Joel Martinez.

According to excerpts from Trinidad All Stars Building upon our Legacy documented history, Jules, who was awarded the Hummingbird Medal (Bronze) for steelband music in 1970, “Began the process of moving away from back-up rhythm provided by tenor-kettles, cuff booms, and du-dups, to the modern musical instruments that exist today."

He said he took the players from “beating pan” to “playing pan”, with two sticks instead of their hands, and was the first person to voice melody, harmony, as well as rhythm on pans, making it an orchestra.

“Neville, achieving the eight notes of the full musical scale, triggered a creative explosion as numerous pioneers joined the effort to increase the number of notes.”

The history identifies him as the individual who developed the "family of pans" including the guitar pan, the six-bass and tenor bass, specifically for his tune of choice for the 1954 Music Festival, as well as the ‘bomb’ concept identified as the calypso-isation of European Classics, which has become a J’Ouvert morning ritual.

Over the years, the band has grown into an institution, gaining assets and establishing itself as a viable business venture, creating a mall where merchants rent spaces and sell their goods.

To continue its legacy and succession planning strategy, it has also established The Trinidad All Stars Music Academy where musical literacy is conducted for juniors from five to 18, and seniors 18 and upwards. Presently the oldest student is 76 years old, Tomson said.

Its outreach programme is also a key focus of the academy and together with the Catholic Education Board of Management, they provide the curriculum and instructor for the musical education of students from seven schools in the area.

“We also do short courses on the percussion and teach flag waving. Flag waving has to be taught. You don’t just wave a flag. There must be a smoothness to it and a method, because you can hurt yourself. The role of the flag woman is to control the speed of the truck on the road and create the space between the revellers and the music truck," Tomson said.

Although the band claims 90-years of history, Tomson said some people "get their knickers in a bunch" because of several name changes it would have gone through in the past nine decades. From Hell Yard Boys, a reflection of the impoverished area on the banks of the East Dry River, to Second Fiddle, Cross of Lorraine and eventually All Stars that matched the skillset of the players. He said the base has been the same.

“So there is no argument there. The band is 90.”

Player and administrator Dane Gulston who has been with All Stars for 44 years said he was proud of the strides the band has made over the years.

“This is certainly a milestone.

“This is not just a band, not just a steel orchestra when it comes to music. It is an institution. We always strive to be a pillar in the community, to be a trendsetter when it comes to the artform, to positivity and, to always excel.”

Discipline, he said, not the military type, but being able to excel is key to its success to date.

Pointing to the Classical Jewels segment it has mastered, he said playing classical music demands a certain kind of discipline when it comes to practice.

“Similarly with Panorama. Win, lose or draw, whatever genre of music we play. We always strive to please our audience.

“We really did well for the past 90 years,” he said, identifying pioneering figures like Jules, Leon”Smooth” Edwards, former MP Eddie Hart who has been with the band for almost six decades and still plays in the engine room, Jerry Jemmot for their leadership.

“We are still struggling, to get some things done professionally, but we do a lot for ourselves and our own, financially and otherwise.”

Pan Trinbago president Beverly Ramsey-Moore was overjoyed for the band and attributed the flowing water of the East Dry River for constantly purifying the band and causing its outstanding musicality.

“Massy All Stars is old as the steelpan movement in TT. When you look at their track record of service, dedication, excellence, it is an institution that impacts on the development of TT.

“I am so proud of the accomplishment of this steelband coming from ‘Behind the Bridge', grassroots people, the history of their leaders and all they would have contributed. It is a household name in TT.

“I am so proud of the organisation I lead and of those leaders of the steelband movement who have entrenched themselves in training and development, using the pan yard as their safe space.

“I mean 90 years – just thinking about it, that’s awesome.”

Ramsey-Moore who said had she not been involved in the pan movement would have taken to the pulpit full time, bestowed God’s blessings on the band.

“I pray God would continue to bless and strengthen them so they could continue their good work. It is not only about winning, but also about the contribution they have made towards the human capital in grassroots community.

“It is the richest steelband in TT in terms of money and fixed assets. Like other bands, they are financially sound and stable.

She said the Nigel Williams-led band is one of the organisations that has stood the test of time.

“One of those organisations that is on top of a riverbank, where the water constantly flows in the East Dry River. That flow purifies them. Out of their bellies, that river of living water flows, and musically that is what we have been getting from them.”