Join the Humboldt Calypso Band on Saturday, May 2, at 8 p.m. at the John Van Duzer Theatre at Cal Poly Humboldt for this milestone concert.
The concert will showcase internationally acclaimed guest artists Liam Teague and Josanne Francis, alongside rising young steelpan performer Jaden Teague-Núñez. They will join the Humboldt Calypso Band for an evening filled with high-energy calypso and soca music, featuring the influence of master artists such as Ray Holman and Len “Boogsie” Sharpe.
For four decades, the Humboldt Calypso Band has introduced audiences to the joyful spirit and deep cultural roots of steelpan music. What began with one steelpan, a dozen musicians, and a vision has grown into a multigenerational ensemble and one of Cal Poly Humboldt’s most enduring musical traditions that now includes students, alumni, and community members.
Novotney says the band’s development reflects a stronger understanding of the art form and a deeper connection to its roots in Trinidad and Tobago.
“I remember so much about trying to get this band started 40 years ago,” says Novotney. He recalls beginning rehearsals in spring 1986 with just one steelpan, promising students the rest would arrive in time. “We used electric guitar and electric bass and substituted marimbas and vibraphones for the steelpans to learn the tunes. That’s why we called it the Humboldt Calypso Band and not the Humboldt Steelband—we did not have enough steelpans to rightfully call it a steelband.”
They played that first concert with one steelpan and all the other instruments that they had practiced on all semester. That first performance, held in Fulkerson Recital Hall, made an immediate impression.
“It was pretty obvious, about 10 seconds into the first song, that people were thrilled,” Novotney says. “All it took was for one person to get up and start dancing, and boom. The whole place was up and dancing.”
That sense of continuity makes this year’s anniversary concert especially meaningful. The lineup brings together internationally respected artists across generations, from established master performers to emerging new talent.
Teague, professor of Music at Northern Illinois University, is widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost steelpan artists. Known internationally for expanding the instrument’s possibilities, he has performed across the globe and collaborated with Grammy-winning musicians.
Francis, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is an award-winning performer, composer, and educator whose work spans performance, composition, and community engagement. She has appeared at major venues including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, collaborated across musical traditions, and developed innovative steelpan education programs in the United States and beyond.
At just 18, Teague-Núñez represents the next generation of steelpan artistry. A recent winner of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artists Competition, he is already gaining attention as a remarkable young performer.
For Novotney, the anniversary concert is not only a celebration of the band’s history but also an invitation for audiences to experience the spirit at the heart of the music.
“What I hope audiences take away from this performance is the exact same thing I hope they take away from any performance of our band,” he says. “That somehow they can tap into the joyful spirit of the music and the joyful spirit of the art form itself.”
As the Humboldt Calypso Band reaches its 40th year, Novotney says he is most proud that the ensemble still carries the same power it did when it began.
“The fact that I still love it today as much as I did when the band started back in 1986,” he says. “The fact that it still has that power and evokes that spirit in the players, and in turn in the people who experience it, is the positive energy. I think that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Tickets are $35 general, $25 senior, $15 child, free for Humboldt students, and can be purchased at the University Ticket Office | Masters of the Steel Drum.
Editor's note: The story has been updated to correctly spell Eugene Novotney's name.