<P> The music of Trinidad and Tobago is best known for its calypso music, soca music and steelpan, including its internationally noted performances in the 1950s from native artists such as Lord Kitchener and Mighty Sparrow . The art form was most popularised at that time by Harry Belafonte . Along with folk songs and African - and Indian - based classical forms, cross-cultural interactions have produced other indigenous forms of music including soca, rapso, parang, chutney, and other derivative and fusion styles . There are also local communities which practice and experiment with international classical and pop music, often fusing them with local steelpan instruments . </P> <P> MusicTT was established in 2014 to facilitate the business development and export activity of the music industry in Trinidad and Tobago . </P> <P> The Cedula of Population of 1783 laid the foundation and growth of the population of Trinidad . The island's Spanish possessors contributed little towards advancements, with El Dorado the focus; Trinidad's geographical location made it the center of that focus . Following the Cedula, French planters (accompanied by their slaves, free coloreds and mulattos) from the French Antilles of Martinique, Grenada, Guadeloupe and Dominica migrated to the Trinidad . This exodus was encouraged due to the French Revolution . The Spanish also gave many incentives to lure settlers to the island, including exemption from taxes for 10 years and land grants in accordance to the terms set out in the Cedula . These new immigrants established local communities of Blanchisseuse, Champs Fleurs, Paramin, Cascade, Carenage and Laventille . Trinidad's population jumped from less than 1,400 in 1777, to over 15,000 by the end of 1789 . In 1797, Trinidad became a British crown colony, with a French - speaking population . </P> <P> Carnival had arrived with the French . Indentured laborers and slaves, who could not take part in Carnival, formed their own, parallel celebration, canboulay, which became the precursor for the Trinidad & Tobago Carnival, and has played an important role in the development of Trinidad's culture . </P>

The steel drum known as pan was invented in trindad