Once again in the growing excitement of Carnival the culture has lost another great warrior, I don’t know how this skipped the radar, but Trinidad Carnival legend Alvin Bailey passed away on the last week, Alvin was the brother of Albert Bailey and the late legend George Bailey.
Thank you for the memories Alvin Bailey.
May he rest in peace.
Kimoy Leon Sing
Nichelle Jones, daughter of the late Alvin Bailey, yesterday lashed out at ’opportunists’ who were ’obsessed’ with being a part of the Bailey legacy but were not there for him in his final days. She made the comment during his funeral at the All Saints Anglican Church in Port of Spain.
Bailey, 71, died last week at the Port of Spain General Hospital, after a long fight with a stomach illness. Last year, he launched the Alvin Bertram Bailey Snr and George Aldwyn Bailey Museum to document the Bailey family’s contribution to mas.
Yesterday, Jones talked about the final days with her father: ’On the pamphlet it says I am to read a Psalm, but I can’t do that. I feel I must speak my mind. It hurts me to have a responsibility to bring some sense of closure to everyone, but I think this is what Daddy would have wanted.
’When I came down last December I could see daddy was not happy. I came for four days in December and most of that time Daddy spent with me. I would not go into everything we talked about, but I promised him I would come back down for Carnival.’
Recapping some of her fondest memories growing up with her father, Jones said what she has since learned of her father’s final days made her determined to see her father’s legacy remembered and represented the way he wanted.
Bailey, 71, died last week at the Port of Spain General Hospital, after a long fight with a stomach illness. Last year, he launched the Alvin Bertram Bailey Snr and George Aldwyn Bailey Museum to document the Bailey family’s contribution to mas.
Yesterday, Jones talked about the final days with her father: ’On the pamphlet it says I am to read a Psalm, but I can’t do that. I feel I must speak my mind. It hurts me to have a responsibility to bring some sense of closure to everyone, but I think this is what Daddy would have wanted.
’When I came down last December I could see daddy was not happy. I came for four days in December and most of that time Daddy spent with me. I would not go into everything we talked about, but I promised him I would come back down for Carnival.’
Recapping some of her fondest memories growing up with her father, Jones said what she has since learned of her father’s final days made her determined to see her father’s legacy remembered and represented the way he wanted.
’My dad could have been more successful than he was and I knew he wanted to change. He was trying to sort things out but felt it was out of his control, since he was surrounded by opportunists. We all know of dad’s accomplishments, but that is not the museum he would have wanted.
’I knew he grieved that he did not bring out a band this year. But there were people who wanted to be a part of the Bailey name.’
She added, ’I called him the week he died. I called twice and someone told me that my dad was in a meeting. And then on Sunday at 5 a.m., I was woken up by a call saying my father passed away. I did not know my dad was in the hospital for two days prior to his passing. I wondered if I got a call of his passing why was I not called when he was in the hospital, so I could have held his hand in his final days. But that’s okay because the memories we have of him will live on.’
Saying she will ensure his legacy continues, she said, ’Daddy’s legacy will live but it may be different from what people think they know. But we will make sure that it lives on.’
Masmen Rudy Piggott, Senor Gomez and Canute Spencer were among those at the funeral, Spencer delivering the eulogy ’Appreciation of Life’ at the funeral.
Spencer made an impassioned plea for history to be respected: ’Our society’s failing is that we fail to appreciate history. Alvin saw that failing and recorded his brother’s history to Carnival. May we learn from this; record and respect history.’
It was also announced that the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA) and National Museum will pay tribute to the late Alvin Bailey with a display of his work on Ash Wednesday from 4.30 p.m.
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’I knew he grieved that he did not bring out a band this year. But there were people who wanted to be a part of the Bailey name.’
She added, ’I called him the week he died. I called twice and someone told me that my dad was in a meeting. And then on Sunday at 5 a.m., I was woken up by a call saying my father passed away. I did not know my dad was in the hospital for two days prior to his passing. I wondered if I got a call of his passing why was I not called when he was in the hospital, so I could have held his hand in his final days. But that’s okay because the memories we have of him will live on.’
Saying she will ensure his legacy continues, she said, ’Daddy’s legacy will live but it may be different from what people think they know. But we will make sure that it lives on.’
Masmen Rudy Piggott, Senor Gomez and Canute Spencer were among those at the funeral, Spencer delivering the eulogy ’Appreciation of Life’ at the funeral.
Spencer made an impassioned plea for history to be respected: ’Our society’s failing is that we fail to appreciate history. Alvin saw that failing and recorded his brother’s history to Carnival. May we learn from this; record and respect history.’
It was also announced that the National Carnival Bands Association (NCBA) and National Museum will pay tribute to the late Alvin Bailey with a display of his work on Ash Wednesday from 4.30 p.m.
read
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