The Calypso Gypsies Steel Drum Band

In 1982 the Percussion Ensemble at the Fine & Performing Arts Center in Akron Ohio received a new member, Tricia McKinney, hailing from sunny Tampa Florida. During the next 8 years Tricia would become one of the few professional woman steel drum players in Northeast Ohio. Drummer & percussionist, Rod Lubline, joined the percussion ensemble in 1984, thus starting their long standing musical association.Currently, we perform as an acoustic duo, with steel drum and percussion, all the way up to our seven piece "Big Pan Band" with full instrumentation. By choosing the proper size group you will ensure that the dynamics of the music is a perfect fit for your event and entertainment budget.Proudly, we can boast that all of the musicians in the band are highly respected and talented players in northeast Ohio. We all have a wide range of musical experience and various backgrounds with involvement in regional and national acts that have toured throughout the United States, Europe and Japan.As members of the Akron Federation of Musicians Local 24, we're also involved in the area's public school systems by presenting the music of the steel drum to students of all grade levels. It is always quite a memorable & fun concert when teachers and students alike exit the auditorium dancing under the limbo stick or playing various hand percussion like cowbells, maracas and tamborines.