Nesta Steel Drum Band

Watch Nesta Steel Drum Band

Music that is fun & lightheated enough for a backyard party? Yes. Buttery, gorgeous wedding ceremony music? Yes. Dance music w/ an awesome groove? Yes. Great vocals available? Yes. Music light enough for the most discerning company events? Yes. Shredding steel drum performances? Um, yes. But what about truly professional & seasoned musicians? Yes! We are a husband & wife team w/ 2500+ steel drum performances between us; solo to 7-piece band available. All of the other musicians we play with (i.e., bassist, drummer guitarist) are also professional musicians who are exceptional on their instruments and specialize in Caribbean music. Exceptional playing is not just about how well someone can play a melody or chords: at the higher levels of performance in this music, it's about improvisation. Like jazz, Caribbean & Latin music relies heavily on improvisation; this is a talent that takes years of intensive training and experience to develop. During steel drum band performances, well over 50% of the actual music is improvised (by the nature of this style of music - there are few exceptions). So, when choosing a band, or even just a soloist, it is imperative to pay close attention to the sound of the musician(s). Are they simply playing the melody? Or do they have an example of improvisation? Again, at the higher, professional levels of performance, the mastery of the instrument AND music is very much revealed through what else the musician can "do" with their instrument (in other words, improvise) during a song. Improvisation makes it so no two performances are the same, and keeps the music fresh and interesting for musicians and listeners alike. We have been seen on 'Outer Spaces','Ugly Betty, & 'Deal or No Deal.' Dan has also been the steel drum consultant to Steve Carell on a memorable episode of "The Office." Calypso, reggae, soca, ska, Brazilian, jazz & wedding classical styles encompass most of our repertoire. Abby performs vocals, but male vocals are also available upon request. And please, check out our soundclips! We love pan- we have studied, traveled to, and played with many of the most accomplished steel drummers from Trinidad. As musicians, we've been playing most of our lives and are professionally trained & experienced percussionists. Abby and Dan respectively hold Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Percussion from the California Institute of the Arts. In the music community, CalArts is renowned for its magnificient world music program. For performances, we use instruments and audio systems that are of the highest, professional caliber to ensure a clean, well-balanced sound, whether we are playing solo or as a band. Most of all, our passion for the steel pan and music emerges in each performance.

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