In Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1943, some young men who lived in the Laventille community began calling their group the Morocco/Dead End Kids, after some of them had seen a movie entitled "The Desperadoes" at the Royal Cinema on Charlotte Street.

[3] In the early 1950s, Wilfred "Speaker" Harrison and Donald "Jit" Steadman began bringing out the Mas Band.

[1] Under Rudolph Charles' leadership, the band won Panorama 6 times and Classical Music Festivals on 2 occasions.

[6] Despers also make an effort to educate their community in Laventille, and has hosted Pan Camps with up to 200 children participating.

Besides playing steelpan, the program includes foreign language training, life skills and field trips.

[7] Despers have won the National Steelband Panorama competition of Trinidad and Tobago a total of twelve times in their history.

Desperadoes have won the (Pan Is Beautiful) Steel Orchestra Music Festival of Trinidad and Tobago three times.

Their rendition of "Palaestra" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor" were arranged and conducted by the late Raymond "Artie" Shaw.