When the British police in Trinidad-then part of the British West Indies-banned traditional bamboo stick bands around the time of World War II, young Trinidadians improvised, and the steel drum was born. (The instrument is actually not classified as a drum but is made from a steel drum container.) As Pete Seeger describes in the liner notes, the steel drum does not produce a pure tone. However, when it is played for street parades or other outdoor celebrations, the dissonances cancel one another out, and the total effect of a steel drum band is "overpowering." the second half of the album provides instruction for aspiring steel bands: each track separates out the individual instrumental parts for easier learning.