25 years Panart

We present you an insight to the development of our instruments made with Pang composite which has an inner energy higher than steel. A challenge.

In 1976 the steelpan arrived in Bern. In 2016 PANArt introduced the Hang Bal. From the “round the neck” steelband via the Hang to the “round the shoulder” Hang Bal Spiel.

With footage and photos from PANArt's archive, Basil Rohner's video gives us an overview of 40 years of work on the ring of steel.

A Documentary by Thibaut Castan and Véronice Pagnon

© Copyright by Thibaut Castan and Véronice Pagnon

The Trinidadian people gave a gift to the world: the sweet sound of steel. Each individual has to find out what is meant by this gift. You have to live it, to eat it, do digest it. In 1994 the steel orchestra Original Bernese Oil Company organized the first international Panyard in Europe. It was an insight into the nature of this gift from Trinidad, into the nature of human beings. This is a glimpse of the closing party. Enjoy!

In 1989 I made a steelpan out of an barrel from 1979. This old barrel, aged under the Hungarian sun, produced a wonderful warm sound, much better than the sound from a fresh new barrel from the drum factory. This was the beginning of a long period of research that led us to the Pang® composite, an artificial aged metal.

If you would like to get to know the musical instrument Gubal®, we suggest you read this article. Here you can find out what this instrument is about.