Man of steel

Steel pan ace Leon Foster Thomas garnered acclaim for his solo work and has joined the band that inspired him. Now, his new album brings it all home

- Kevin Le Gendre

Laventille, high in the hills above Port of Spain, the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, may be a poor part of Trinidad but it has historic cultural riches. Chief among them is Desperadoes Steel Orchestra , a name that speaks of a community battling extreme disadvantage. Active since the mid1940s, the group is known for electrifying performances and the unwavering loyalty of its players. Some sign up for life.

“One of the members just celebrated his 81st birthday, and he’s been in the band since he was a little kid,” Leon Foster Thomas explains. A steel pan player who lives in London, Thomas has been rehearsing with “Despers” for their appearance at the steel band competition Panorama, a key part of Trinidad and Tobago’s annual carnival . “It’s generations and generations of people [in the band]. I’m inside this thing now … It’s kind of surreal. This is heavy, just to get the call to work with them.”

While the chance to temporarily trade winter in Britain for the clear blue skies of the Caribbean would have been enough to tempt Thomas to board the plane, the prospect of working with esteemed arranger Carlton “Zanda” Alexander also made the trip worthwhile. But the opportunity came due to the stature Thomas has gained .