MANGROVE STEEL BAND
Every year, steelbands of up to 100 musicians participate in Panorama, the UK National competition ahead of Notting Hill Carnival. Many people take time off work in order to attend the rehearsals, which in the final weeks go on until midnight. I followed Mangrove member Cristianne Connor to explore her lifelong passion for this music and how heritage shapes her identity. Beyond the competition, the steel pan creates strong bonds amongst the participants and brings the community together.
Before the big day, the band moves the pans to practice the performance in the open air, in the very same street where everything started. It was in All Saints Road where Mangrove was established in 1980 by Trinidad immigrants who wanted to express their cultural heritage. In 2019 the band retained the championship title as the best steel pan band in the UK.
