Tobago Correspondent
When professional steelpan player Leslie Jordano and his band received an invitation to perform at a high-profile event in October 1996, he had no idea it would lead to a memorable connection with billionaire businessman Donald Trump.
Now, almost 30 years later, as Trump reclaimed the US presidency yesterday, Jordano said he was honoured to watch his inauguration and reminisce on their unique encounter with a mix of nostalgia and pride.
“I’ll walk with the photo when I visit the US again,” Jordano told Guardian Media.
“But I know he’ll remember me.”
He was hired to play at Trump’s daughter Tiffany’s birthday party in Malibu, Florida. It was meant to be an ordinary performance but a phone call during the event turned Jordano’s evening into something extraordinary.
“My fiancée, who was pregnant, went into labour. I couldn’t call her back from the venue, so I rushed to a nearby mall to get a call. When I returned, everyone told me, ‘Donald Trump is looking for you.’ I wondered, ‘What could he possibly want with me?’”
Jordano recalled Trump personally approaching him moments later and shaking his hands.
“I apologised for not being there earlier and explained that I was checking on my pregnant fiancée. Trump laughed and said, ‘Oh, so I’m going to be an uncle or godfather?’”
But the conversation didn’t stop there. He said Trump’s curiosity shifted to the steelpan. “He was fascinated. He even asked if the steel drum was patented. I told him it was patented in Trinidad, but he wanted to know if it was patented in the US.”
Jordano remembers Trump’s interest went beyond casual conversation.
“He hit a few notes on the pan and said, ‘This is wonderful.’ He talked about using his connections, particularly through his sister, who was a senator during Ronald Reagan’s administration, to push the instrument further.”
As a token of appreciation, Jordano gifted Trump his tenor pan with the Trinidad and Tobago national flag on it.
“I’m sure it’s somewhere in his basement. Not sure if he’d find it 30 years later, though.”
Jordano felt the brief interaction left a lasting impression on them both.
“He wasn’t just a businessman; he was a thinker. He told me, ‘In business, it’s better to be feared than loved. When people fear you, they stay away from you.’ He also said that when you make money, you should give back to charity.”
Trump’s advice encouraged Jordano to take a leap of faith.
“Shortly after that, I registered my own business. It’s something I’ll always be grateful for.”
Jordano’s career in music spans decades. He began playing the steelpan at age 19, joining the iconic North Stars steelband in 1958.
Reflecting on his encounter with Trump, Jordano sees it as more than just a chance meeting.
“I realised he appreciated the culture and art of the pan.”
As Trump steps back into the political spotlight, Jordano hopes to reconnect with him.
“I’d love to congratulate him again and talk about how pan has developed over the years. I’m proud to have shared the steelpan with someone who appreciated it on such a level.”
For Jordano, the photo of him and Trump is proof of the power of music to bridge worlds.
