Shaka Steel
Shaka Steel is a 12-16 member ensemble that performs the lively, fast-paced music of the Caribbean and Latin America on steel pans, instruments native to Trinidad.
Shaka Steel is BYU–Hawaii’s steel drum band. Formed in the fall of 2001, the band is under the direction of Jennifer Duerden and Dr. Darren Duerden, percussion professor at the university. The 16-member ensemble performs the lively, fast-paced music of the Caribbean and Latin America on steel drums or “pans,” native instruments of Trinidad. Audience members often find themselves dancing in their seats to the authentic sounds of calypso, soca, samba, and more. Along with numerous performances on Oahu, the band has, in recent years, completed successful tours to Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island.
Directors
Jennifer Duerden
Jennifer Duerden (piano) is a special instructor of piano at BYU–Hawaii. She earned her master’s degree in accompanying at Florida State University and her bachelor’s degree in piano performance at Brigham Young University. Having started piano at a very young age, Jennifer has a lifetime of experience on the instrument with her artistic passion in the area of chamber music and accompanying. She has taught at Mississippi Valley State University, Holmes Community College in central Mississippi, and at Leon High School in Florida. In addition to her life as a pianist, she is also active as a performer on the steel pan and as a composer and arranger for steel bands. Her works have been performed nationally and are very popular in the steel band community.