Benefit concert for Ursula

The event takes place on Sunday, at the WITCO Sports Club Grounds, Champ Fleurs from 12 pm to 9 pm.

The 11-time Panorama champion’s main objective is to assist Tudor with medical expenses associated with injuries she sustained in a recent vehicular accident. So severe were the injuries that she had to undergo surgery.

The executive of Desperadoes will also use this occasion to honour Tudor as one of the longest serving female pannists, who to date, still travels and performs with the orchestra.

Tudor who plays bass, began playing with Desperadoes 47 years ago, after stints with Laventille Serenaders and Fairyland from Morvant.

Altogether she has been playing for over five decades, since she started playing at 17-years-old. However, as with most parents back then, her parents were not pleased with Tudor’s choice. They felt playing pan was a “badjohn thing”. Nevertheless she ran away to play pan, despite their heavy objections.

Tudor’s first Panorama competition with Desperadoes was in 1971, but she didn’t taste Panorama victory until five years later when they won in 1976 with Pan in Harmony. Tudor then began to tour with the band, first to Jamaica, then to Cuba, Texas, New York, England, Africa, Switzerland, China, India and a host of Caribbean countries.

A mom of six (two deceased), grandmother of 19 and great grandmother of nine, Tudor is now 71-years-old. Over the years, the St Barb’s, Laventille resident has been presented with awards from Pan Trinbago and other overseas organisations, one of which was for the oldest female player at the time. Sharing stage with Desperadoes on concert night are a number of this country’s most dynamic and versatile orchestras, instrumentalists and vocalists who have committed to the cause. They include Massy Trinidad All Stars, bp Renegades, Golden Hands, Laventille Serenaders, Pamberi, Ken “Professor” Philmore and Alana and Naomi Sennette.