King Short Shirt Archives - Antigua and Barbuda

On November 1^st, 1981, Antigua and Barbuda became a fully independent sovereign state. We celebrate the nation’s 42^nd Anniversary of Independence with a glimpse through the “family album” of text, images, and videos; snapshots of our journey to Independence in the decades leading up to 1981 (and beyond).

Tell us, what images, videos, and memories would make your Independence “family album”?

The 1900s to the present: The journey to the Antigua Recreation Grounds.

The 1940s to present: The journey to the V.C. Bird International Airport.

©Photos courtesy VCBIA/ Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority

The 1950s:

Antigua and Barbuda’s historic place in the development of the Caribbean’s steelpan/band tradition.

Released in 1955, three sixteen-person steel bands—Big Shell, Brute Force and Hell’s Gate—come together to provide a sampling of lively music from Antigua. ↩︎
For this Cook recording, the Brute Force Steel Band of Antigua performs mambos, rumbas, sambas, calypsos and meringues plus a march and a bolero. (Released 1955.) ↩︎
In the streets of Antigua shortly following WWII, The Brute Force Steel Band began as one of the ensembles that would pioneer Caribbean steel pan music. These calypsos, meringues, sambas, tangos and pops were a staple of the annual Carnival, which feature vocals by Calypsonian Herbert Howard and Lord Lally of Antigua (Released 1957.) ↩︎
Trinidadian vocalist Dot Evans joined the Antiguan Brute Force Steel Band for this collaborative project that displays the luxurious melodies and rhythmic rigors of steel pan music and the Caribbean calypso. (Released 1957.) ↩︎

The 1960s:

The Royals visit Antigua (St. John’s, the Holberton Hospital, and Nelson’s Dockyard featured).