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Have you ever witnessed people playing music on seemingly ordinary steel containers? It may sound odd, but they are actually playing a steel drum. Steel drums, or steel pans, are musical instruments made from metal oil barrels. The metal sheet used is typically 0.8 to 1.5 mm thick, and the area struck to produce sound is in the shape of a bowl.

Traditionally, these drums were made from oil barrels. The main difference in modern drums is that they can be tuned to specific pitches. Various oval-shaped points on the bowl produce different pitches of sound, with larger ovals generating lower tones. Through this, a melodious tune is created. Nowadays, various models are available, chosen based on the user’s needs.

When thinking of the Caribbean, you might picture tall, dark-skinned individuals playing drums on a beach. After all, the origin of steel drums traces back to this region, where they have long been a traditional instrument. Steel drums were initially crafted in Trinidad, West Indies, from 55-gallon oil barrels. It is said that Winston Spree Simon created the first steel drum from a biscuit tin. Later on, African slaves used oil drums while working at Carnival.

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