The idea of using lengths of bamboo to create the rhythm machine that is required to drive the revellers at Carnival time and other celebrations was the African population’s ingenious answer to the banning of the use of drums imposed by the Colonial authorities, ever fearful of the power of the drums as a means of communication.

The addition of the metallic sounds of pots, tins and the like led to the discovery of metal drums as a source for the creation of melodic notes and the possibilities of the use of discarded automobile bits to provide the ringing iron that underpins the sound of today’s steelbands.

Historically, a number of the better known steelbands in Trinidad are descended directly from their Tambour–Bamboo forerunners. Hell Yard Bamboo Band became Trinidad All Stars; Desperadoes were derived from the Laventille Dead End Kids Tamboo Band, Destination Tokyo evolved from the John John Tamboo Band while the Gonzales Bamboo Bands grew into the legendary Casablanca Steel Orchestra.

One can see and hear Tobago’s villagers continuing this rhythmic tradition at the people’s celebrations of Carnival J’ouvert, Heritage Festival and Charlotteville Fishermen’s Fete.

Once emptied of their original contents, these bottles would be partly filled with water at different levels and played by rapping with a metal spoon. The result was high-pitched range of musical tones which kept both time and rhythm to the tunes being sung or played.

The bottle and spoon of the early days is an example of the ‘iron’ (usually an old motor-car brake drum) in the present day steel orchestra in keeping the rhythm of the tune. The tamboo bamboo and the bottle-and-spoon are ancestors of the rhythmic instrumentation found in today’s steel orchestras.