Despers moves house again

GARY CARDINEZ

Desperadoes Steel Orchestra is on the move again. On Monday members of the steelband moved onto the former grounds of the Government Printery at the corner of Victoria Avenue and Tragarete Road, Port of Spain.

The band’s assistant manager Martin Caine said, “We moved in on Monday morning to inspect the grounds before we started cleaning. Most of the pan racks are already on location on a paved area on the eastern end. It will take some doing to get the site ready, but we will be going all out.”

Caine said since the band left Frederick Street earlier this year, it had been at Jerningham Avenue in Belmont, on the grounds of the former Ideal High School. On Frederick Street it had been using the site of the demolished Greyfriars Church.

“We approached the government about a space for the band for Carnival since our location was too small.

“We then wrote the Prime Minister about it and the matter was discussed in Cabinet and we got the all clear to move in but the paperwork is still to be finalised.”

When Newsday visited the site yesterday morning, band members were seen hard at work cutting and clearing the space in an effort to make their new home habitable. Despers is the steelband with the most National Panorama wins – 11.