Music
Island Magic Steelband
on stage,
Image: Maralyn D. Hill
Gibbs agreed that big money could be
had in Atlantic City, Las Vegas and
similar club sites. He is considering
this step up for Island Magic. To
perform in the mainland U.S., they
would have to apply for work permits
and fit in during the off-season.
In addition to talking with us about
the group’s background, Island Magic
provided a Q&A where they really
took time to explain how the steel
drums were made. They are called
a “Steelpan,” and they are all made
by hand. The process starts with an
empty fifty-five gallon steel drum.
The first step includes the bottom
of the drum being stretched to form
a concave shape. This allows space
for the notes and is done with a
sledgehammer with a shortened
handle. The depth the drum is sunk
depends on the type being made.
This is a detailed process, as next,
templates cut in the shape of notes
are placed on the stretched surface
of the drum and outlined using a
pencil. This ensures the notes are
placed correctly and are consistent.
Then the area between the notes is
flattened more. For this, special
tuning hammers are needed, which
forces the notes to protrude a little
and to take on a convex shape.
now defunct cruise line, they started
as a poolside band, playing reggae
and calypso selections. Then, Gibbs
decided to add Broadway and
classical collections. On a trial basis,
they started doing evening shows,
which continued on a number of
top level lines: Commodore; Crown;
Premier; Cunard; Costa; and our
current line, Holland America. They
have been with Holland America
since 2008. Many passengers check
with the cruise line to see on which
ship they will be performing and
book accordingly.
For several years, they performed
at sea for eleven months out of
the year. Now, since all four have
families, they have tried to cut down
cruise time to about six to eight
months out of twelve. The time off
they do take is in the summer so
they can spend as much time as
possible with their families.
Grooving comes next, with
indentations placed in the note
outlines, using a small chisel-like
instrument. It creates an area of
“dead” metal around each note,
which helps to keep notes from
bleeding into each other. Larger
notes are on the outside of the drum
and smaller in the m