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The Humboldt State Calypso Band was founded in the Spring of 1986 by Dr. Eugene Novotney, Professor of Music at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. Originally, the band was formed as an extended percussion ensemble, consisting of marimba, vibraphone, drumset, percussion, and a single tenor pan playing the melody. Most of the early arrangements performed by the band were simple versions of traditional calypso songs. The name, Humboldt State Calypso Band, was chosen, both because of the bands repertoire, and because of the groups original instrumentation. Now the band is over 25 members strong and is comprised of a full orchestra of steel drums of every size and range. All members of the group are students of Humboldt State University, and the group rehearses weekly as a class in the HSU Music Department.
The Steel Drum, or “Steelpan" as it is called in Trinidad, is a highly developed instrument formed from a 55-gallon oil barrel. The barrel is hammered, measured, scribed, grooved, fired, and then fine-tuned by an expert craftsman. Through the use of single, double, and multiple combinations of barrels of different depths, the full symphonic range is reproduced. The music performed on these instruments has been called both festive and inspirational, and the steelpan drum was, in fact, the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century.
The Humboldt State Calypso Band prides itself in maintaining an accurate and authentic connection to the Caribbean roots of the steel band movement and the innovative musicians of Trinidad, the island on which this unique percussion phenomenon was born. Present and former members of the Calypso Band have traveled to the West Indies, where they performed with some of the best steelbands in the world in Trinidad’s National Panorama Competition during Carnival. In turn, Panorama music from Trinidad has greatly influence the band's repertoire and instrumentation.
The Humboldt State Calypso Bands Steelpans are built by Clifford Alexis, a Trinidad native who directs the steel drum program at Northern Illinois University. In essence, the band owes much to Clifford Alexis, for it is not only his instruments, but also his spirit, which has helped the group grow from its infancy to its present state of orchestral maturity. The band is dedicated to the performance of traditional and contemporary music from the Caribbean, Africa, Brazil, and the United States. In addition to its regular performances at Humboldt State University and throughout Northern California, the band has undertaken tours to San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Sacramento, Seattle, Stockton, Fresno, Oakland, and Los Angeles.
For Sponsor and Booking Information, please contact Dr. Eugene Novotney by visiting http://www.humboldt.edu/~mus/faculty/enovotney.html Thanks for your support.
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