Country mourns Aubrey Adams’ death

Adams at 88, was up to the time of his passing on Tuesday, Chairman Emeritus of the Little Carib Theatre. But what really made him famous was his Ambakaila Musical Production and the Trinidad Folk Performing Company. As artistic director, Adams took the production to 33 major cities in the USA and Canada, the Royal Festival Hall in London and Broadway in New York.

All this came after its first showing in 1972 at Queen’s Hall. The production featured folk, limbo, and Arawak/Carib ritual dancing, calypso and steelband music. And so successful was the show that the TT tourist Board succeeded in getting it across the globe.

At that time, serving as Cultural Advisor to the late Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams, Adams gave that international exposure to Trinidad’s culture with performances in a number of countries around the world. He was the first Caribbean producer to have his work presented at the Royal Festival Hall in London and at the City Center Dance Center on Broadway.

The show also went to Bangalore, India, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Belgium, and Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, Israel. In 1980 at the invitation of the UN the Trinidad Folk Performing Company performed at the Human Rights Concert at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York in front of 150 country representatives.

Also in 1980 the show went to the White House during the Jimmy Carter administration and was the main feature in the Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Even though Adams got his first national award the Humming Bird Medal for public service in 1969, he again was awarded the Chaconia Medal Silver in 1989, as Consultant on Cultural Tourism /Artistic Director, Trinidad folk Performing Company/Public Relations Executive Culture.

The cultural impressario, a name that only Adams has gotten to date and Cultural Ambassador for TT, also organised gala cultural events for the TT government on state occasions. One was especially done for the late Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, entitled “Namastay”.

Adams was instrumental too in bringing to our shores, the likes of Johnny Mathis, Jose Greco and his Flamenco Dancers, the National Dance Companies of Senegal and Spain, and the Grand Ballet of Tahiti.Among the many firsts for Adams were, first president of the National Dance Association, a member of the first Carnival Development Committee (CDC) and produced its first Dimanche Gras show in 1958 and produced first Children’s Carnival.

Im 1974 Adams was made a UN Cultural Consultant who lectured on the art forms of TT at seminars in India and attended the first, second and third World Cultural Seminars in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. He also participated in cultural seminars in 1999 and 2000 in Cuba.

Adams was actor in The Company of Four and in 1998 featured in Cultural Delights.

Together with Professor Rex Nettleford, and Felipe Noguera, Adams planned the official funeral for his dear friend Beryl McBurnie in 2000 and also wrote on Astor Johnson’s passing stating back then, “Those whom the gods love die young.” Astor, passed away after a short illness in his late forties.

In 1999 Adams was honoured by the Little Carib Theatre, PoS City Corporation, The TT Red Cross Society and three years later received a Sunshine Friend of the Art Award. Then in 2005 Hilton Trinidad honoured Adams for his contribution to the development of TT in the sphere of culture/Theatre.

Adams leaves to mourn his wife of 52 years Jacqueline, children Barry and Gail Cabral, twelve grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.