Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra
The Trinidad All-Steel Pan Percussion Orchestra was formed to participate in the 1951 Festival of Britain, having its first performance on 26 July at London's Southbank Centre. The group was the first steelband to travel abroad from Trinidad and Tobago, presenting the newly invented steelpan to an international audience.
Members
Lieutenant Joseph Nathaniel Griffith was the conductor of the band. Griffith was originally part of the Trinidad Police Band.| Player | Band | DOB | DOD |
| Cecil “Coye” Forde | Invaders | 1928/09/14 | 2012/12/25 |
| Orman "Patsy" Haynes | Casablanca | 1930/02/22 | 1985/10/29 |
| Elliot "Ellie" Mannette | Invaders | 1927/11/05 | 2018/08/29 |
| Belgrave Bonaparte | Southern Symphony | 1932 | |
| Anthony "Tony" Williams | North Stars | 1931/06/24 | 2021/12/21 |
| Carlton "Sonny" Roach | Sun Valley | 1924/08/06 | 1986 |
| Philmore "Boots" Davidson | City Syncopators | 1928 | 1993 |
| Sterling Betancourt | Crossfire | 1924/03/01 | |
| Andrew "Pan" de la Bastide | Chicago | 1927/12/01 | 2002/11/17 |
| Dudley Smith | Rising Sun | ||
| Winston "Spree" Simon | Fascinators | 1930 | 1976/11/18 |
| Theophilus "Black James" Stephens | Free French | 1933/11/04 | 2001/11/06 |
On 6 July 1951, TASPO left Trinidad for England on the SS San Mateo. Carlton "Sonny" Roach fell ill and was left behind in Martinique. The steelband performed at the Southbank Centre, London, on 26 July 1951, as well as elsewhere in Britain and in Paris, France. TASPO returned to Trinidad on 12 December 1951, the only exception being Sterling Betancourt, who stayed in London. Betancourt had been vitally involved in building up Notting Hill Carnival.
On 26 July 2022, the anniversary of TASPO's 1951 "introduction of Steelpan to the world" during the Festival of Britain was celebrated with a Google Doodle.