SOURCE: Caribbean Camera- There’s a drumbeat in the distance, and it’s coming for you. The bright, ringing tones of the steel pan are led by Antigua and Barbuda’s Khan Cordice.

Cordice will share his artistry and insight as Keynote Speaker at the 44th Antigua and Barbuda Independence Gala on Saturday, November 8 at the Toronto Grand Convention Centre.

Music wasn’t Cordice’s first love. Growing up in Antigua and Barbuda, he stumbled into the steelpan yard by chance, accompanying a friend after school. But the moment his hands met the pan, his talent was unmistakable. By 19, he was the youngest arranger ever to win a Panorama, Antigua and Barbuda’s national steelpan competition.

With his Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra, Cordice went on to win 11 more Panoramas, including back-to-back victories in 2024 and 2025, an Antigua and Barbuda record. He also claimed Trinidad and Tobago’s 2025 Panorama title with the Republic Bank Exodus Steel Orchestra.

Cordice’s influence goes beyond music. A former teacher and now Antigua and Barbuda’s Director of Culture, he champions his country’s artists across the Caribbean, North America, and as far as Japan.