WOMAD

RASPO- Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra

From United Kingdom

RASPO stands for Reading All Steel Percussion Orchestra and is a South East UK based steel band with two ensembles and an orchestra of up to thirty players.

Steel pans were first introduced to the UK on 26th July 1951. Trinidad, as part of the British Commonwealth, took part in the Festival of Britain at the newly built South Bank Centre in London.

The twelve piece band were called TASPO - Trinidad All Steel Percussion Orchestra, providing inspiration for Reading's new steel band to call themselves RASPO to celebrate an important moment in the history of this twentieth century musical invention.

The orchestra was born out of a Berkshire based carnival workshop project set up in 1999 by CultureMix Arts founder and artistic director Mary Genis with
support from Arts Council England and Reading Borough Council.

The company is now one of the UK's leading lights in steel pan music education, entertainment and carnival culture with RASPO tutors introducing the steel pan
instrument to thousands of schoolchildren through a highly respected bespoke music service.

With live television appearances on BBC and ITV RASPO's popularity continues to grow, amazing and delighting audiences with their eclectic repertoire of Trinidadian calypso, pop, reggae, jazz, soul and classical music.

RASPO's collaborations include working with Afro Brazilian percussion group Yle D'Egba and Sierra Leone's Milton Margai Blind Choir. The company provides
orchestras and ensembles for functions, carnivals and festival events around the world.
(Biography supplied by artist management)

Click here to sample RASPO's sounds
RASPO's Website