PANG Instruments - Precursor to the Hang: History

While the Hang are ultimately a descendant of the steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago, another group of instruments stands between them and the Hang, in the story of their evolution into their current form.  Because even before the early generation Hang came something else, a group of instruments named by PANArt their creators, as the "PANG’’ instruments.

Formed from PANArts experiments with a new type of steel with a high Nitrogen content, came: Ping, Peng, Pong, Pung, Tubal, Pangglocke, and Orage.  A mish-mash of resonant steel instruments, including a mixture of steel pan, bell, gong, gamelan, and cymbal  (like) creations.

And so it was that through PANArt’s extended research with resonant steel, combined with a percussionist friends desire to combine the sounds of their PANG drum with a Ghatam-like instrument that could be played with the hands, that the Hang was eventually born.  An instrument that would ultimately retire its forerunners, to enable PANArt to concentrate solely on perfecting what has become one of the most revered and sought after instruments of recent years.

To see a picture of the PANG instruments, and to read a more in depth history, visit: HERE

Update: You might also find the following of interest: The Caribbean Steel Pan and Some Offsprings 
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