‘He saw signs saying No Blacks – but he never got bitter’: Sterling Betancourt, the man who brought steelpan music to the UK

Sterling Betancourt, the Man Who Brought Steelpan to the UK

Trapped in a world that told them to stay away, Sterling Betancourt and his bandmates turned a crowd’s scepticism into an enchanting performance at the Royal Festival Hall in 1951. Armed with steelpans fashioned from scrap, they shattered stereotypes and played music that defied the odds. Betancourt’s legacy lives on through the generations who have followed in his footsteps, proving that music knows no boundaries.

Sterling Betancourt, the Man Who Brought Steelpan to the UK
Moving to the UK in the 1950s, the Trinidadian musician endured racism and built his own instruments from waste. After his death aged 96, his widow recalls his patience and positivity

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