Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, also known as Despers, formed in the early 1940s in Laventille, Trinidad, initially as the Dead End Kids by young men including Wilfred Harrison and Ivan Bourne. The name changed to Gay Desperadoes in the 1950s, inspired by a film, and later became Desperadoes Steel Orchestra after merging with Spike Jones in the 1960s. Under leader Rudolph Charles from 1961 until his death in 1985, the group evolved from a steelband into a full steel orchestra. The band competes in steelpan music, particularly Panorama festivals, winning their first title in 1966 with 'Obeah Wedding' and securing 12 Panorama victories and 5 Classical Music Festival wins by 2020. Sponsors included Coca Cola in the 1960s and West Indian Tobacco Company thereafter. Desperadoes is known for large-scale live performances at Carnival and Panorama, featuring precise arrangements of calypso and soca on steelpans, drawing crowds with their disciplined orchestral sound.