Memories - George Bailey - Trinidad Carnival
A Film by Aldric G. Bailey
In 1959, Your Uncle George, the most famous of all the bandleaders, had produced Relics of Egypt...
To me, Relics Of Egypt was a continuation of Cecil B. De Mille's "The Ten Commandments"
and then he went on to win 3 more consecutively, that would be '59, '60, '61 and '62
But... In your Uncle's band...
There was a... an individual who to me is the greatest individual in the History of Carnival, throughout The World...
Because he is the first and only person ever, to produce a costume, that transcends all civilizations...
Which is really the concern of all men...
Stipulated when the reknown English poet Keats, said, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty,' —
that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.”
John Keats - English Poet
1795 - 1821
Well, the individual, Terrence Evelyn, more popularly known as "Terry", produced a costume called, "Beauty in Perpetuity"
Obviously, it would be difficult nay, nearly impossible, to produce a costume like that even every ten (10) years, but, to me, that is where we went, (I don't want to say "wrong") but we didn't try at least to keep up, with what that fella was saying...
That the most important thing on the Earth is "Beauty"
That is what, I think, we have lost...
Carnival needs, people like your Uncle, Evelyn, get Minshall, back into the arena...
Because no one I t hink, would like to go to Madrid and go into The Bullring, and then you are told, "The best Bullfighter isn't facing the bulls"
Which is what we are really seeing here... People come to Trinidad and Minshall isn't producing a band and he is alive, people come here and Evelyn is not on the stage and he is alive...
[It] comes back again to what I had mentioned, what Uncle George say... "Tears of The Indies"...
I, again, like I say, I'm on the outside looking in... and I was born in a time when, with respect, you know 15 Buller Street... I don't need to tell you, there used to be the empty lot behind... Several costumes have gone over that wall to make their way up to the savannah to compete, King and Queen of the Bands...
I've also heard stories of 15 Buller Street, being a Mecca of craftsmanship, Everything used to take place from screen printing to leathercraft to papier mache to macrame to, you know, all of these crafts...
It was like... Ummm... A University of sorts, a repository of creative genius...
That is where, when your Uncle decided to play The Realm of Fancy Bats and Clowns, it was from that, call it, potpourri, that Evelyn would choose to play "Beauty in Perpetuity"... so... you have to give...
Something went on in 15 Buller Street, it's there that Evelyn I understand, would sit down and be making these circles and circles...
So 15 Buller Street needs to be investigated and I don't mean 15 Buller Street alone, but all who came out of 15 Buller Street, like, the young boy, Stephen Derek, who is a, who is the main product of your father... So that... That's why I told you in the beginning Aldric, I really don't know...
Replies
I remember that costume 'Beauty in Perpetuity" I followed it around town all day both days. I have not been able to get it to of my mind since then and I am 76 years old now. That is the most earth shaking, transfixing costume I have ever experienced. Does anyone know of a picture of it?
Terry Evelyn and George Bailey were geniuses as is Peter Minshall. I hope Trinidad and Tobago understand what we have missed in these beings and find a way to unearth them as samples of our potential.
Jennifer: YUH LEAVE OUT HAROLD SALDENAH!!!
"El Dorado, City of Gold" -- THE BEST MAS TO EVER PASS THROUGH TOWN!!!