Mayor remembers ‘Arima Kid’, a humble icon of TT culture

This was how Arima Mayor George Hadeed remembered Holly Betaudier who died on the weekend at the age of 91. The mayor said it was now fitting that the burgesses of Arima honour Betaudier who was affectionately known as the ‘Arima Kid’, having born and grew up in the eastern borough.

The ‘Arima Kid’, ‘Holly B’, as he was affectionately called was a true giant on the Trinidad and Tobago cultural and media landscape.

A very humble man from Arima, who pioneered our local culture featuring artistes from every walk of life, from every part of Trinidad and Tobago. Many of our successful senior artistes can trace their beginning to one of Holly B’s various talent shows.

He ensured everyone had a stage and space to perform; first on the radio and then Trinidad and Tobago television (TTT), stated a release from the Mayor’s Office.

“Starting in the early days at the American Military base in Wallerfield, where he got his first stint as a radio broadcaster, then to Radio Fusion, Radio Trinidad and on to TTT.

He hosted a multitude of local talent shows. On his signature local talent show “Scouting for Talent” you would be able to see, someone singing Calypso, Parang, traditional Indian songs, drummers, limbo dancing, ‘you name it’, there it was on “Scouting for talent”.

He carried the flag of Arima and T&T far and wide here at home but internationally wherever he visited to host live shows with our local acts,” the release added.

Mayor Hadeed said that on a personal note, he and Betaudier’s son Holly Betaudier Jr attended Holy Cross College in Arima.

Meeting Holly B Snr,the mayor said, when I visited their home was always a great pleasure. “He would set us down and share his wealth of knowledge on the history of Arima, Trinidad and Tobago and all things cultural.

Once it was cultural there were no barriers to his involvement and he was able to speak volumes on these topics.” Hadeed recalled Betaudier’s passion for parang which helped to preserve this aspect of the country’s culture, referring to his television programme ‘Holly B Parang Bandwagon’, where Betaudier and a television crew would visit different areas of the country to highlight the Parang culture and Parang bands.

Hadeed also credited Betaudier’s ‘Scouting for Talent’ show with giving Parang the national attention it deserved.

For his part, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley yesterday hailed Betaudier, as “a cultural icon and a walking encyclopedia of our music and dance.” In extending condolences to Betaudier’s family and friends, the Prime Minister said Holly B was, “a walking encyclopedia of our exploits in music and dance.” “More importantly as this reservoir of experiences, he was always so eager to share his library with the nation and encourage young talent.” The Prime Minister added that, “He (Holly B) and his daily interventions will be sorely missed by all who knew him and his life’s work.”