Steel band music at Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival was born when community activist, Rhaune Laslett, invited the Russell Henderson Steel Band to a street festival in 1964. The aim, of course, was to highlight the multi-cultural richness of the area. Under those circumstances, the festival ended up with a parade that the band instigated itself. The musicians knew well the joys of playing ‘pan roun’ neck and parading Trinidad Carnival-style. Straightaway, iIt was a sensation and the local people followed the band dancing behind them in the street. So, despite the fact that the Notting Hill Carnival wasn’t officially born until 1966, it was undoubtedly conceived then by Russ and his band which included Sterling Betancourt and Ralph Cherrie.
It was not until the mid-80’s until some of those Windrush generation players really got back to playing regularly at the Notting Hill Carnival, however. Subsequently, some Solid Steel band members then individually joined them playing ‘pan roun’ neck’ on the road. But Solid Steel is a small professional band typically in great demand elsewhere over an August Bank Holiday weekend, so hasn’t taken part in a long time because of that- despite its Notting Hill Carnival heritage.