Sterling Betancourt

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, FRSA (born 30 March 1930) is a

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

-born

pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...

, arranger and musician on the steelpan, a major figure in pioneering the Pan in Europe and the UK (1951). In a career spanning more than five decades, he has received numerous awards including his involvement in the origins of the

Notting Hill Carnival The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean festival event that has taken place in London since 1966

in the 1960s. Betancourt lives in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England.

Early years

Betancourt (Trinidad pronunciation: Betancou) was born and raised in Laventille, near

Port of Spain Port of Spain (Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municip ...

, in Trinidad. His father, Edwin, was a musician and a man of all trades, his mother Stella Bowen was a seamstress and a cleaner. At a very early age, Betancourt was involved with music with the Tambo Bambo family band and grew up experimenting with the steelpan, becoming a member of the Tripoli Steel band and Cross Fire. He began his career in the 1930s and became a steelpan tuner and eventually the leader of Crossfire, a steelband from the

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area. He also played a large part in the development of steelpan in Trinidad and Europe.

Move to Europe

Betancourt was chosen with 11 steelpan players to form the Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO) and play in London at the 1951 Festival of Britain, in the same year he toured England and Europe with the band and was the only member of TASPO to remain in England when the others returned to Trinidad on 12 November 1951. Betancourt's calypso "Taspo's Story" features on the ''RASPO Rhythms'' CD by the Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra (RASPO), relates the tribulations encountered by the arrival of the first Steel Band in London: The Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra (TASPO). Betancourt,

Russell Henderson Russell Audley Ferdinand "Russ" Henderson (7 January 1924 – 18 August 2015) was a jazz musician on the piano and the steelpan. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, he settled in England in the 1950s. He is most widely recognised as one of the ...

and Mervyn Constantine, who later on was replaced by Max Cherrie, followed by his brother Ralph Cherrie, formed the first steelband in the UK and performed all over London as well as in radio shows, jazz clubs and the

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. In 1955 Betancourt was taught by Tony Kinsey to play the traps drums to form The Henderson combo.

Notting Hill Carnival

Henderson, Betancourt and Ralph Cherrie, initiated the multicultural Notting Hill children street festival organised by

Rhaune Laslett Rhaune Laslett (15 November 1919 – 28 April 2002) was a community activist and the principal organiser of the Notting Hill Fayre or Festival, that evolved into the Notting Hill Carnival. Biography Rhaune Laslett was born Freda Pulverness in ...

in 1964. A festival that grew to become the biggest street event in Europe, the

Notting Hill Carnival The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual Caribbean festival event that has taken place in London since 1966

Other activities

Betancourt has also taken steelpan to many other countries throughout Europe and Asia, including Switzerland, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Morocco, Indonesia, Germany, Spain, France, Oman, Italy, Sicily, Sweden and Norway. A 1976 performance he gave in a hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, inspired some locals to form their own Swiss group, which they called Tropefieber ("Tropical Fever"), the first steel band in Zurich, followed then by many others.

Nostalgia steel band

In 1985 Betancourt's steel band, "Nostalgia", was born and continued with him as the leader, player, and arranger until 2005."Sterling Betancourt M.B.E., F.R.S.A."
My Panyard.

Awards

Honours and awards that Betancourt has received include: in 1993 Trinidad and Tobago’s Scarlet Ibis award. A

University of East London , mottoeng = Knowledge and the fulfilment of vows , established = 1898 – West Ham Technical Institute1952 – West Ham College of Technology1970 – North East London Polytechnic1989 – Polytechnic of East London ...

Honorary Fellowship in 1996, a membership of the FRSA for his commitment in promoting steelpan culture throughout the United Kingdom, and pioneering steelpan projects in English schools and in the same year, the New York Sunshine Award. He was appointed as a

Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

in the New Year Honours 2002 "for services to the steel band movement". In 2004 he received a Fellowship of the Royal Society, in 2006 a Pantrinbago Pioneer award, in 2010 Pan Jazz Life Time Achievement, 2011 Pan Trinbago Commemorative Plaque for Life Time Achievement. In 2012, on the occasion of the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Jubilee celebrations, he was a recipient of one of the Arts awards recognising citizens who made a positive contribution to the promotion and development of Trinidad and Tobago in the United Kingdom during the past 50 years, given at a gala dinner in London hosted by High Commissioner Garvin Nicholas. In February 2018, Sterling Betancourt recorded his latest calypso, "Brexit Bacchanal Story", with Dik Cadbury singer/guitar/bass guitar/violin, Tamla Batra on steelpan and piano and Betancourt on steel drum and percussion.

References

External links

"TASPO , Sterling Betancourt , The 1951 Festival of Britain"
Sterling Betancourt talks about his experience with TASPO. YouTube clip from BBC2 documentary ''The 1951 Festival of Britain – A Brave New World'', broadcast Saturday, 24 September 2011.
"Betancourt talks about war, rebellion"
''Trinidad and Tobago Guardian Online'', 11 May 2012.
"Sterling Betancourt MBE"
CultureMix.
"Sterling Betancourt & Lord Kitchener Jools Holland London Calling"
YouTube. {{DEFAULTSORT:Betancourt, Sterling Steelpan musicians Trinidad and Tobago musicians Living people Members of the Order of the British Empire British people of Trinidad and Tobago descent 1930 births Bettencourt family Black British men