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The 420-year community and very first capital/town of Trinidad, St Joseph, originally called San José de Oruña, is renowned for its richly diverse culture and glaring prominent landmarks such as the oldest cross—one of the biggest in T&T—and the oldest cemetery.
Other deeply-embedded landmarks include schools and a medical centre, a park that’s “dead centre” and a 200-year-old church, St Joseph RC Church, situated on lower Abercromby Street.
“The pealing of the bell every 6 am and at other periods of the day, has contributed in major ways towards the culture of the community,” informed born and bred St Joseph resident, artistic director, promoter, music tutor and musician, Dr Louis Nurse, who elaborated that his great-grandfather, Percival Dudley Nurse, came to Trinidad in 1872, settled in and never left St Joseph.
“My mother, Francilla Nurse, who died last year at 100, was the district registrar for the community for 54 years, and the 120-year-plus Brimsmeed upright piano that my grandmom enjoyed playing, and very-first one I learned to play from pre-teen, is still at the residence as a most beautiful piece of antique.”
Producer and director of The Renaissance - The Experience concert and main act, Louis Nurse.
In an interview with Guardian Media on October 4, Nurse elaborated upon his early active music-playing days.
“I continued playing music all through my secondary school era while attending St Mary’s College (CIC), Port-of-Spain.
“In my class were students who were also music lovers, and who all advanced to be outstanding musicians and band leaders. On the list are Robin Imamshah, Carl “Beaver” Henderson, Colin Lucas, and Mose Lewis who resides in Canada, and not to be left out, Carl Jacobs, but he was in a different class.
“We all formed a band led by me called, St Mary’s Combo.
“In my hometown, music was like a lifesaver from idling, and one day, the late distinguished musician and band leader, Mano Marcellin, gathered all the young musicians, and that was the birth of my band, Louis and the Lynx.
“I am very concerned and passionate about everything in my hometown from entertainment to food to sport to family to religion. I am a staunch Catholic and grew up in church. Over the years, I have been assisting in whatever way to help the community churches maintain beauty and life, hence the reason for the St Joseph RC Church’s Restoration Concert carded for October 8.”
Proman Starlift Steel Orchestra, performs with pianist, Dr Louis Nurse, during the 2019 Renaissance restorative concert for the St Joseph RC Church.
Come October 8, at 8 pm at the NAPA, upper Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain, in collaboration with Proman Starlift Steel Orchestra (PSSO), Dr Louis Nurse and the Lynx will present, Renaissance—The Experience. Doors open at 6 pm.
The first half of the concert caters to full orchestration with Louis and the Lynx, while the second half offers Louis on piano accompanied by the PSSO, Nigel Rojas on his rock guitar infused with piano and pan, and Sharlan Bailey to deliver some of his dad’s crowd pleasers, among other acts.
PSSO will take patrons down memory lane with their signature classics. The church is undergoing a careful process of restoration, and part proceeds of this concert will go towards the fund.
