Russel Henderson

Russel Henderson

One of seven siblings, Russel Henderson grew up in Port Of Spain, Trinidad, initially learning to play the piano, and subsequently steel-pan. By 1948, at the age of 24, Henderson had achieved a fair amount of success with his jazz quartet in Trinidad and also began taking an interest in steel-pan, this being facilitated by meeting Beryl McBernie, who ran a theatre company and was championing steel-pan, an instrument hitherto stigmatised by its working class origins and association with gangs. On coming to England to study piano tuning in North London he soon began playing in clubs, and also formed a small steel-band with Sterling Betancourt and Max Cherrie. This steel-band achieved considerable success in various formats in the succeeding years and was the first such combo to play for royalty. Other notable musical associations at that time were with the calypsonian Lord Kitchener and trumpeter Leslie Hutchinson. Henderson is also credited as one of the founding fathers of the Notting Hill Carnival, which started as a marching band festival in London's Bayswater Road and Queensway. In 1966 he and his band were instrumental in establishing the Carnival as a national annual event. Reflecting on its initial success years later Henderson joked, "That was fantastic, let's do it again next year!" He is remembered with a blue plaque on Tavistock Road. 

stories,westindians

1924-01-07

Person

6180

TEXT

Russel

Henderson

2015-08-18