The weather may be cold and wet outside, but on Saturday Nov. 27 the Howe Sound Brew Pub will feel the heat of the Caribbean with steel-pan drum player Abbla Banji.
Born and raised in Trinidad, the multi-talented Banji migrated to Canada in 1971, bringing a wealth of island rhythms along with him.
"I've always been playing music," he said. "In Trinidad the influence of music was heavy. You couldn't ignore it. It became a passion."
Although it was not his first instrument, Banji said he was always attracted to the steel pan drums.
"My first instrument was a harmonica," he said. "We always had different instruments around the place. My auntie taught piano. But I was born in 1947 and steel drums came around in 1946, so I was brought up with steel drums, and we had steel drum bands in our village."
The steel-pan actually evolved from a communication device to the musical instrument it is used as today.
Drumming was once used as a form of communication among enslaved Africans and was subsequently outlawed by the British colonial government in 1783.
The instrument's invention was a specific cultural response to the conditions present on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
By the late 1930s all-steel bands were seen at Carnival and by the late 1940s it had become the preferred Carnival accompaniment of young men.
Pubs are not a usual venue for Banji, who usually entertains crowds with his blend of Soca, reggae and rhythm and blues at shopping centres, parks and dining lounges or performing for corporate functions or summer time company luncheons, in addition to music festivals around 小蓝视频
"He's a lot of fun," said Erin Werner, manager at the Brew Pub. "We've had him here before and everyone really loved his steel-pan playing."
A multi-instrumentalist, Banji also sings and plays other instruments while bringing the sounds of Trinidad and Tobago to audiences.
"He's a one-man-band," said Werner. "He plays ukulele, harmonica and the steel drums."
Along with the different instruments, Banji also sings and plays to backing tracks he records at home.
The 63-year-old Banji said he plans to get the Brew Pub audience dancing with a mix of calypso and reggae.
"The people at the Brew Pub, last time they wanted to dance," he said. "So, I know what they like."
"He's really a lot of fun," said Werner. "He really works the crowd, talks to them and gets everyone moving."
Abbla Banji plays the Howe Sound Brew Pub Saturday, November 27 at 9:30 p.m. and best of all, there's no cover.
