tidings
Good luck George
TOBAGO is mourning the death of veteran cultural titan Rawle Titus.
Titus, 80, died Monday evening at Scarborough General Hospital.
He was a cultural performer, calypsonian, musical genius and activist who served Trinidad and Tobago in several capacities, including as a teacher, government senator and deputy president of the Senate.
At the age of nine, Titus began singing in his church choir, which ignited his passion for performing.
He was instrumental in bringing the Mt St George Youth Organization and Mt St George Village Council together to participate in the Premier’s Best Village Trophy Competition. He also led Mt St George to the Premier’s Best Village competition in 1970. The group came second in 1971 and won in 1972.
He also co-founded the Buccoo Folk Theater in 1971 and was the featured performer at Best Village in 1971 and 1972. In addition, he was awarded a full university scholarship to study abroad.
He formed the Tobago Folk Performing Company in 1983, served as vice-president of the Tobago Calypsonians Association from 1985-1996 and president of the Tobago Football Association in 1995 and 1996.
Titus was named National Teacher of the Year in 1974 and 1975.
He was chairman of the Tobago Carnival Development Committee 2002-2003, a six-time Tobago Calypso Monarch and a 19-time national calypso semi-finalist. He was also vice-chairman of the Tobago Festivals Commission 2010-2012.
Titus was a well-known composer; music arranger (steel and otherwise); instrumentalist; playwright; choreographer; producer, director and author.
In an interview with Newsday on Tuesday, cultural activist Hyacinth Leander said: “It’s sad – sad to know the wealth of information he had on the culture on the history of Tobago and he wasn’t able to share it with most of us.”
She said he recently started a project where he was doing research in her village, Les Coteaux.
“He confirmed that Les Coteaux, Golden Lane and Colluden is in fact one community and there is a place between us called Killiecrankie. We were in the process of looking into doing an event within that space called Killicrankie.”
She said his death has halted that project as research must continue, “and at this point I don’t know where to start. I have to review what I have so far and try to continue that search.”
Cultural icon Annette Nicholson-Alfred also reflected on Titus’ death. “It’s a touching feeling for me – someone I knew for many years. He has contributed a lot to this island. He was into culture, he was into politics – Axeback was into everything. His death is a great loss, not only to Tobago, but also to Trinidad and Tobago.”
She said Titus had “a wealth of knowledge” which he was not shy about sharing.
“You could have sat and talked to him all day and you can’t – from one topic to another – and I know that the cultural fraternity has lost a great one. He was a good man, he knew how to kill.”
She added: “I know we are late in the registration; I know I’m guilty of it myself – we’re not recording, and Tobago is losing a lot, whatever it has, because things aren’t being recorded. Sometimes I sit and see wrong information drop, but I can’t be bothered with anyone.”
The THA Culture Division, on its Facebook page, has expressed its condolences to the family and friends of Titus. It said his commitment to the island’s cultural fraternity spanned over 60 years and was certainly revered throughout Tobago.
“As a result, in 2019, Mr. Titus was among those honored by the division for his contribution to the Tobago Heritage Festival in the fields of composition, dance, choreography and dramaturgy. His name is forever immortalized in history and is currently mounted among other cultural giants in the Tobago Museum of Icons.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Arts also expressed condolences through an announcement.
Ministry of Tourism Randall Mitchell said: “Rawle Titus will be remembered for his dedication to passing on the cultural history of Trinidad and Tobago to generations after him. His years of work as an educator, mentor and performer have undoubtedly shaped the talents of many within the cultural fraternity today and, as such, we will always be grateful for his outstanding contributions.”
THA Minority Leader Kelvon Morris described the death as “sad and unfortunate.” He said he was privileged to meet Titus at the Lure Cocoa Estate Experience recently, in which he was immediately impressed with his wealth of knowledge and passion for Tobago’s rich cultural heritage, politics and history.
“I learned so much from Rawle in that conversation about the history of Tobago that I even suggested that he find a way to record the reservoir of knowledge he possesses so that it can be preserved for generations to come. I am not quite sure how much of the information has been recorded, but there is no doubt that Tobago is poorer as a result of the death of this outstanding son of Tobago; a former senator and vice president of the Senate, educator, calypsonian, performer and cultural extraordinaire. It chills his soul.”
Dancer Kimmi Potts said the news caught her by surprise.
“I’m so sad because I didn’t expect this – we spoke just before Christmas, the week before Christmas or so, and I had assured him that I would see him when the year was over. That didn’t come to fruition so that’s really sad. I’m really shocked because I didn’t expect him to die so soon, or at least now at all.”
She added: “He had asked me to get a group of like-minded individuals; he said he wanted us to come as he wanted to discuss a dance project. He was working on a book and also wanted the visuals to go along with the book. It seems to me to be such a missed opportunity. I was looking forward to doing that project this year and it’s a shame.”
She said the fraternity continues to lose its knowledge bearers and cultural icons.
“What stands out is that most are dying with their knowledge and not passing it on. We could be in potential trouble if this trend continues.”
She added: “Mr. Titus was very important in documenting his work, he has a lot of information documented, written – handwritten, typed and e-mailed. There wasn’t a time when I reached out to him or if I was doing research and needed concrete evidence to support my points that I couldn’t go to him.”
Another dancer, Zari Kerr, expressed her shock.
“I’m actually still trying to digest the news because Mr. Titus and I had a conversation recently. He gave me one of his books and while reading it, he talked about the rituals in Tobago that we at one time practiced when it came to the death of a person in every community. Not long after reading the book, I had the urge to call him. It’s a bit sad really.”
