For almost six decades, Desperadoes has stood atop the pan world, cementing its reputation as the best steel orchestra in the world.
From the hills of Laventille which overlook Trinidad and Tobago's capital city of Port of Spain, the sound of Desperadoes has echoed across the world, captivating audiences and winning loyal fans.
Led by the legendary Rudolph Charles, Desperadoes began its ascent to pan supremacy in 1965 with the Prime Minister's Best Village Trophy; followed up in 1966 with the first of 12 (as of 2020) Panorama championships; Triple Crown (also in 1966); Champion of Champions (1967 Steelband Music Festival); a three-peat (1986/1988/1992 Steelband Music Festivals).
The band is also the recipient of a national award for its contribution to the development of the artform.
The name Desperadoes is now synonymous with excellence and accomplishment, and as a result, the band has become a symbol of national pride, people from east to west, north to south recognizing that substance always trumps style, and that longevity--staying at the top of one's game and doing so with distinction for what looks like forever--is the true measure of greatness.
Despers, as the orchestra is fondly called at home, has also spread its reputation beyond the shores of Trinidad and Tobago.
It has performed at major concert halls abroad--Carnegie Hall, Apollo Theater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Philadelphia Academy of Music and Kennedy Center in the United States and Royal Albert Hall in London.
American sociologist Dr. Nelson N. Foote observed in 1970: "The Despers have inspired emulation by other steelbands of the tones they achieve on their advanced instruments, of the sophistication and brilliance of the arrangements they play, but above all, of their distinctive style...
"What they do with popular rock tunes makes rock a delight to all other generations; what they do with the classics brings youth back to the grand tradition.
"Indeed, it is not unusual when the Despers have applied their fresh genius to some old warhorse like Finlandia or the William Tell Overture to see entire audiences brought to their feet with cheers and tears of unrepressed emotion."
After Despers brought the Carnegie Hall audience to its feet in the spring of 1987 with Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld, Skitch Henderson, conductor of the New York Pops Orchestra confessed: "I have a tough orchestra, but my guys dropped their jaws and never closed them until Despers finished playing."
He added: "I used to think the instrument was limited, but not anymore. Despers is the Rolls Royce of this presentation of classical music."
"Where do the Despers go from here?" Dr. Foote asked rhetorically in his review. His assessment is as instructive now as it was then.
"The audiences who have already heard them," he said, "know they should reach many more. The audiences who have not heard them simply cannot believe what they hear about them. There seems to be no substitute...As countless people exclaim after a concert, they must be heard to be believed."
Since that review, Desperadoes musicians have been winning new fans with their unique brand of music. And they continue to dominate major competitions, like the 2020 Panorama in Trinidad and Tobago.
