Rudolph Charles

Rudolph Charles ( born October 1, 1938 in Laventille, Trinidad; † 29 March 1985) was a musician and instrument maker of the Steel Pan. Most of all, Rudolph Charles was a visionary and pioneer in the steel band movement in Trinidad.

Life

Charles was born in Laventille, an outer district of Port of Spain. From 1961 until his death in 1985, he was head of the Desperadoes Steel Orchestra and Panbauer. Charles developed for this Steelband various instruments, such as the Nine bass, Rocket Pans and the Twelve bass. He also shared the vocal work on a team of Panbauern to send the best possible sonority his orchestra.

Rudolph Charles also strongly committed to the cause of Panspieler and was unionized in 1979 in opposition to the Steelband Association of Trinidad. As a result, no panorama competition took place in the same year, however, the musicians received since higher participation premiums.