​August is Steelpan month

and, courtesy of the Manette Academy of Music,  today is the first of our 4 part series on the history of the Steelpan. Today we highlight the Mannette brothers!
The Mannette brothers - Elliott “Ellie” Mannette and Vernon “Birdie” Mannette!
Birdie was one of the founding members of the Oval Boys which went on to become the Invaders Steel Orchestra. He was a master tuner and “one of the chief architects in carrying Invaders to the “Everest” of the steelband world in the period 1948 to 1954”** Birdie took over the reigns of leadership of Invaders when Ellie left Trinidad in 1967. He developed and maintained the sweet sound of the band which made an indelible impression on everyone’s consciousness. With his cellos sounding like harps, Birdie created the distinctness for which Invaders became known for over the years. Besides being a tuner extraordinaire, he was also a composer and in fact is the first panman to compose a song for a steelband, named “Birdie’s Mambo”. Besides Invaders, Birdie worked with several steel bands locally, regionally and internationally. He was recognized for his work in 1992 with the Hummingbird Medal Silver. He passed away in 1999.
Ellie Mannette’s contribution to the steelband world is unmatched. After leading the Invaders for some years he left Trinidad and continued to push the Steelpan in the US and globally. He was responsible for much of what is accepted today as the modern Steelpan. He was first to use a 55-gallon oil drum, and first to sink the top of the drum into a concave shape. Other innovations credited to Ellie include the Double Seconds, Double Guitar, Triple Cellos, Tenor Basses and the Quaduet. He was also the first to wrap playing sticks with rubber which produced a more refined sound. He was awarded the Hummingbird Medal Silver in 1969 and the Chaconia Medal Silver in 2000. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of the West Indies in 2000. He passed away in 2018. (Source: The Manette Academy of Dance, Aug 5, 2021)
** The Evening News (Newspaper) March 1959

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