Trinis beam with pride at Caribana

It was a night of national pride for many of Toronto’s Trinidadians. Decked out in red and black, they watched with joy as the city’s best cut their chops on Trinidad’s national instrument, the only percussion instrument to have been invented in the 20th century.

“We’re trying to keep it alive here in Canada so kids will have a feel for where their forefathers came from,” said Miley Duke, leader of the New Dimensions steel band.

“In Trinidad, it’s a part of you - it’s what baseball and hockey are to a Canadian kid.”

But Pan Alive isn’t just about Trinidadians celebrating their culture. It’s also a chance for Canadian kids to get exposed to an instrument they wouldn’t normally pick up.

In fact, many of the teenagers playing the concert weren’t of Trinidadian or Caribbean origin at all.

Just ask Sylvia Kim. Her family has no cultural connections to the Caribbean — but she’s one of the Metrotones group’s best young players and discovered the joys of steel pans early on.

“In elementary school, it was either band, strings, or steel pan,” she said. “And it just seemed a lot more fun to bang on the drums.”

Still, steel drumming could well become a family affair for Kim. Her older brother, Jason, also plays in Metrotones.

“And I spent so much time with them now, they’re pretty much like my family anyway,” said Kim of the band.

The Kims and Metrotones were up against ten other bands from across the GTA and one from Montreal.

Competitors were judged on two songs: A traditional calypso, and one bomb song, which is a tune from another genre adapted for steel drums.

Early in the night, a leading contender was New Dimensions, who delivered a heart-felt rendition of Marvin Gaye’s classic song, “What’s Goin’ On.”

Symphonyx also impressed with an inventive version of Scott Joplin’s great, “The Entertainer,” otherwise known as the theme from the movie The Sting.

But on this night, the consensus was that Afropan was the band to beat. After all, they’ve won the competition 26 times in the last 33 years.

“They’re really good,” said the Metrotone’s Junior Price.

Earle La Pierre Sr, Afropan’s band leader, doesn’t have a problem being the man to beat.

“It’s great,” he said. “But all I want to do tonight is have fun.”

By no means, however, were Afropan’s members the only talents present.

Glen Lynch, a member of Salah Wilson’s band, said he was impressed with the competition.

“They’re all pretty good,” he said. “But nothing I’ve heard compares to our band.”

Talk to Wilson though, and he’ll tell you that last night was more about learning than anything else.

Like La Pierre in Toronto, Wilson has been the driving force behind getting steel drums taught in schools in Montreal in the last 15 years.

“I’m more of an educator,” he said. “I came to Canada 33 years ago and all I’ve been doing is teaching steel pan coast to coast.”

But for Wilson, Friday night was also about the chance to pay a tribute to one of calypso’s greatest.

“We’re playing ‘Dis One for You Bradley’ and it’s dedicated to Clive Bradley, one of the great steel pan arrangers,” said Wilson. “I played under his band in Trinidad, so it’s fitting.”

Wilson’s tribute was well played but it wasn’t enough to take home a trophy. Even the mighty Afropan was “bested” by last year’s winner, Panfantasty.

It was an emotional victory for band leader Al Foster. “This means so much to me,” he told the crowd after being handed the 2006 Pan Alive trophy. “Seventeen years ago today, I lost my dad and I dedicate these to him.”

Foster said he was proud to take home both the bomb competition and calypso competition trophies. But in an interview after his big win, Foster made sure to spread the wealth.

“I think we need to appreciate all the steel bands,” he said. “There’s just a world of talent out there.”