Calasanitus, consolidates his reputation, drawing astutely on his command of jazz as well as Caribbean and Latin music

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“There are people who just don’t think that it’s a serious instrument. Some universities didn’t accept my application because I played pan. I had to get in as a percussion major,” - FosterThomas




More than 70 years ago, three Trinidadians – Sterling Betancourt, Ralph Cherrie and Russ Henderson – were among the first steel pan players to settle in Britain and capture the imagination of an unsuspecting public with an instrument that had never been seen before. They took pan to jazz clubs, Oxbridge balls and ultimately the Notting Hill carnival, creating a steel band movement in Britain and laying a foundation for future generations. Thomas is well aware of this rich history but also knows that he has a duty to extend it.

“The only way people will achieve their potential,” he says, “is if they stand out and do something different.”

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