The Government of Saint Lucia joins the local cultural community in the expression of grief and shock at the recent untimely death of local cultural activist Athanasius Laborde. Mr. Laborde’s sudden death has robbed Saint Lucia of a committed and outstanding Artiste. As a Master Drummer, Mr. Laborde was able to use his special skills to impart and nurture the art of drumming to many.
His outstanding drumming skills contributed to the formation and development of many cultural/entertainment entities in areas such as dance, drama, conventional musical, drumming, etc. His involvement over the years brought him into association with rich and diverse experiences through groups and events such as Petite Ste Lisi Dance Troupe, Lapo Kabwit Drumming Group, Saint Lucia Jazz and Calypso.
Mr. Laborde has represented Saint Lucia at various regional and international cultural events including Carifesta, the World Drumming Festival and Expo 86. Government is saddened at the lost of this resourceful individual in the area of drumming. Mr. Laborde through his passionate and persistent devotion to the art of drumming has helped to keep alive drumming as an expression of our African Heritage.
Government extends sympathy with the Saint Lucian cultural community, the family and friends of the late Athanatius Laborde. We have no doubt that the contributions made by Mr. Laborde will live on as a legacy in the history the island’s cultural development.
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Our archangel Lalas (Athanasius Laborde)
Kokuma Performing Arts is an African-Caribbean Dance Theatre Company based in Birmingham, England. Lalas, together with Malachi Yarde joined Kokuma in 1989. Together, they brought the Caribbean spirit of St Lucia to dull old UK and the Caribbean flavours of his music enhanced the rhythms of Kokuma at the time, and still does today.
Lalas became Musical Director of one of our productions ‘Still We Rise’ (with Malachi writing the poem Still We Rise for the production), bringing in a new and different spirituality into the Company. The two most memorable pieces were ‘Ettu’, an African retention kept alive in Jamaica, where, Lalas played the Atsimevu (master drum of the traditional Ewe drum set of Ghana), and ‘Flirting is Fun’ played to mento music, and one of the most popular dance pieces which almost always received a standing ovation even though the whole dance theatre piece had not ended. Imagine that -standing ovations were usually at the end of a show!
The Black Dance Development Trust’s Summer School 1989 gave us all the opportunity to look at the cross fertiisation of African and Caribbean dance cultures, sharing creativity whilst at the same time uniting the whole diaspora of UK, USA, Africa and the Caribbean. Lalas contribution was instrumental in ensuring that happened.
Kokuma means ‘This One Will Never Die’. Kokuma disbanded in 2004 and reformed this year after performing for a fundraising event for Haiti. Lalas passed on the anniversary of the same day as another great person, Michael Jackson, therefore we will always remember 2 great people who passed on the same date, 25th June.
Lalas – Anthanasius Seon Laborde – your spirit will be with us forever. Just like Kokuma, you will live on in our hearts forever.
ONE LOVE!
From Kokuma