As Panazz: The Story is celebrated in Washington, DC, on Tuesday to mark World Steelpan Day, former Panazz leader and musical director Barry Bartholomew is reflecting on the unlikely journey that transformed a Harvard school assignment into an internationally acclaimed documentary. The group was a Trinidadian jazz Steelpan ensemble formed in 1992 that featured Bartholomew, Gulston and renowned pannist Natasha Joseph, among others. “It was just an uncle helping his nephew with a school project,” Bartholomew recalled. The hard work paid off when Panazz: The Story captured the People’s Choice Award at the Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival. The upgraded version premiered in August 2024 to coincide with World Steelpan Day, receiving an enthusiastic response from audiences impressed by the improvements.