Tribute paid to ‘The Man with The Hammer’ — Rudolph Charles

EIGHTEEN years after his death, legendary steelband leader, Rudolph Charles was remembered in prayers and speeches last Saturday at the Witco Desperadoes panyard up the Laventille Hill.

The function attended by mainly elders of the band attracted a small but appreciative audience, including the Member for Laventille West, Eulalie James. Among the speakers was the President of Pan Trinbago, Patrick Arnold who described Charles as not only a great steelband leader, but one who knew how to keep the Laventille community together. “He made sure that Laventille has only one steelband, Witco Desperadoes, and this in itself was leadership of a kind”, said Arnold. Roy Corridon, fondly called ‘Babylon’, Dennis Ash and Percival Pitt who brought greetings from the band, Starlift, all spoke highly of Charles. Rudolph was the ace panman who was an inventor, an innovator and a pan tuner. He invented the rocket pan, the quadro-phonic and the 9 and 12 basses. He led Witco Desperadoes for 24 years until his death in 1985. Tribute was paid to the West Indian Tobacco Company for its sponsorship of Despers, since 1965.