SoMiSPO
Southern Miss Steel Pan Orchestra – Tues., Feb. 7 • 7 p.m.
The Southern Miss Steel Pan Orchestra was founded by Dr. John Wooton. The group started as a six-piece ensemble including drum set and percussion. Since then the band has grown to 30 people in all. SoMiSPO has several different voices in the steel band instrumentation family, including lead pans, double tenors, double seconds, guitar pans, cello pans, tenor bass pans, bass pans, drum set and various percussion instruments known as the “Engine Room.” Their repertoire consists of traditional calypso and soca tunes, as well as popular tunes, classical, Cuban and jazz music. Most of SoMiSPO’s instruments were created and tuned by Dr. Ellie Mannette, the “Father of the Steel Drum.” Mannette built the first metal instrument from a 55 gallon drum in 1946 in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The steel drum is the only chromatic acoustical instrument created in the 20th Century. Suitable for audiences of all ages.
