A steel pan competition took place in the parking lot of Brooklyn Museum Saturday, celebrating an instrument that originated in Trinidad and Tobago and has become a staple of Caribbean culture.

Audience member Vanessa Lewis of East Flatbush, who was born in Trinidad and Tobago, said it made her feel even more connected to her roots.

“I believe in steel pan,” Lewis said. “That is our culture. That is what we know.”

What You Need To Know

  • A steel pan completion was held in parking lot of the Brooklyn Museum Saturday celebrating Caribbean culture

  • The competition honors an instrument that originated in Trinidad and Tobago

  • The event was held in advance of Monday’s West Indian Day Parade

Organizers say the event was hosted to help build excitement for Monday’s 57th annual West Indian Day Parade. For many in the audience, the mounting buzz has them even more excited for Monday’s festivities.

“I can’t wait for the J’ouvert and then Labor Day Monday,” Lewis said. “I’ve been doing this since 1974 — that’s when I came to this country.”

“I’m not Caribbean,” Neffertia Tyner of north Riverdale in the Bronx, said. “I am from Detroit, Michigan. For me, it’s definitely like a vibe, another part of Black culture experiencing that other side of it.”

Organizers say Saturday’s Panorama competition was held in the spirit of a similar Panorama competition that takes place in Trinidad and Tobago every year during Carnival.

Audience member Joseph Lett said he has been part of bands that have won that competitions in Trinidad and Tobago, and he said it’s a joy to be surrounded by other artists who love the steel pan as much as he does.

“I just love to play my instrument,” Lett said. “Because it’s me. Pan is me, music and you can’t go wrong. You feel it.”