Trinidad and Tobago steelbands: Cognitive ethnomusicogy of an orchestral memory

Based on an ethnographic approach of Trinidad and Tobago steelbands, this article is rather a multi-disciplinary study of the memory of repertoire in this context. It presents several hypotheses explaining the impressive mnesic performances of the musicians from those orchestras: without any theoretical background nor score-sheets or regular practice, they perform by rote, at very fast tempos, challenging symphonic-like tunes. The argument emphasizes on visual coding and mental images, the implicit understanding of the instrument's intervals by the player, and the mimetic aspects of the performance.