Circular No 285

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 21 April 2007. No. 285
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Dear Friends,

Here is an email composite of a conversation that started with a video on a Japanese Steelband group that have become famous.

Music keeps us united.
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Re: THE MAGIC OF BEING A MOUNT BOY !!!!!
Re: Old days of long ago
Norman Smith

Dear all,

What a great surprise!

Nigel, the memory of that Christmas is etched in my mind and heart.

It was so devastating not to spend my first Christmas without my family... but it was so amazing how I felt so welcome and loved in your home.

Thank you and your parents so much!

There is much to catch up on and Roti to eat, that somehow we need to meet in Trinidad again.

We can sit and play with Jeremy.

I'm off to work with a big smile on my face.

Love,

Norman
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On Apr 10, 2007, at 1:35 PM, Rafael Echeverria wrote:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!! ... NIGEL .... YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS !!!! ...

Yes Nigel ... as a matter of fact ... you talk about a small world ??? ... let me tell you a nice story ....

... It was 1964 .... when I arrived at Mount I met Norman Smith and we did not only became best friends ... inseparable... but also learned how to play the guitar together ....

Jeremy De Barry was our professor ... Jeremy and Norman played in a band called "The Interpreters" ... Norman and I got into Beatles real hard.

We formed a Rock Group ...with my brother Gustavo on the lead guitar.... Enrique Gomez on the drums .... Norman was rhythms guitar and I .. of course ... on the bass ....

Paul McCartney would never forgive me if I chose otherwise ... and there we were: the first Rock Band Mount ever had .... Chains ...

We had a great time ... we stood ourselves as being the true reincarnation of The Beatles ... Trinidad Version ....

We eventually played in Venezuela at La Casona ... yes ... the very Presidential Home ...

Raul Leoni was the President at the time .. his son was a Mount Boy and took us there ...

We ... Norman and I ... eventually parted when I went to England ...

he went back home to his family in Colombia and became a true rocker ... member of the most famous band in his country ... toured for two years ... we never knew about each other again ...

But ....this is not all Nigel ... hold on to your seat ... here comes the best part.

... in mid 2005 ... thanks to the Mount Boys Letter and Ladislao Kertesz ... I discovered that Norman Smith was living in Miami ...

I called on that phone ... and there he was at the other end of the line ... I just could not believe it ... after 40 years ...

I had seen this mail from him in the Mount News Letter where Norman was trying to find someone to tell him "...about a guy by the name of Rafael Echeverria ... who was known as CheChe ...." ... can you believe it ? ....

We met that following Sunday at the Mass where Norman was playing the bass .... AFTER FORTY YEARS !!!! ...

This happened a year and a half ago ... can you believe this Nigel? ...

Norman and I see each other rather frequently ... every time I drive "down town" to Miami and stop at his Film Editing enterprise ... The Loft ...

It is all a dream ... Talk about "closing life circles" ... HA !!!!!

.... And NOW .. in addition .... I also have David Boss' email ... and I will get in touch with him again after so many years ...I will copy him as well ..your cousin is the greatest !!!!

I will copy Norman on this mail as well so that you can contact him... he'll be thrilled..

We have been with the idea of getting together again and play .... we in fact did ... briefly ... it was just great ..... as if time had not passed ... all we needed was to be performing at the Mount Students' Hall again ...

The problem is that "distances" in Florida are "criminal" ..

He lives in a beautiful home in the luxurious area of Key Biscayne ....

He has a beautiful family ... a lovely wife and four precious daughters.. and he is already a grandfather ....

I am sure Norman will be delighted to know about you ....

So .... Can you believe this Nigel ???? ....

You see Nigel ... this is THE MAGIC of being a Mount Boy .... and Ladislao Kertesz .... is our WIZARD ... I will also copy him ... I know he will keep doing his magic ...

I'll also Don (the wizard's first assistant) ...my good mount boy friends ...

It was a real pleasure writing this email .. it shows what a BLESSING it is to be a Mount Boy ... yes Nigel ... I feel Blessed ... it is a privilege.... I am so proud of us all .... Mount Boys are blessed ....

Siempre Amigo !!!!!
Rafael Echeverria ... CheChe ....
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On 4/10/07, Nigel Boos <nigelboos@yahoo.ca> wrote:

Man! .

This is really a small world, isn't it!

I hope you don't mind me copying this to David.

I'm sure he'll be happy to know you still remember him and his family.

Best regards,

Nigel

P.S. I understand that you were friends with Norman Smith.

He was a kid just starting off in Form 1 when i was leaving in 1960.

I was his Patrol Leader (Woodpeckers) and one year (was it 1959 ?) when there was an airline problem in Colombia, he stayed at our home in St. Augustine until we could get him on another flight.

Great kid.
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On 10-Apr-07, at 10:35 AM, Rafael Echeverria wrote:

I know Nigel ...

David and Tina .. were our goooooood friends ... of my wife Norma and I .. in fact, Norma and Trina were school mates in Maracaibo .. they cared for each other very deeply ....

We went maaany times to David and Trina's home to have Roti ... prepared by David .. he had the most wonderful curry you've ever tasted ...

Trina's tragedy was a hard blow for us all.... it was a serious impact on the whole community of Maracaibo ...

Trina's family were very well known by all and David and her were a model of marriage for all ...

shall never forget that funeral Nigel ... we tried our very best to be of some comfort to David and his children, the burden left on David has been hard ... specially the little girl

.... David has lived one of the most dramatic family episodes I have known of in my whole life ... he is true HEROE ....

I have not seen him a long time though but I have seen his brother ... your cousin too ... in my brother in law's home as I refereed in my earlier mail.

I was at Mount after you .. 1963-67 when I went to England ... did my GCE A Level at that time ... then came back to Venezuela to study at University ...it was around 1969 - 1970

I hope to meet with David once again some time in the future ... I care for him a lot ... and eat his Roti .. THE BEST EVER !!!! ....

am now here in Florida USA .... have been here for the past 4 years ... I am an attorney .. I work in International Contracting

Well Nigel .. it is so great chating with you ... really ... take good care man !

Siempre Amigo !

Rafael Echeverria / CheChe ....

19555 E Country Club Dr., Apt 102
AVENTURA, FL, 33180
Phone: 305-407.8667
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On 4/10/07, Nigel Boos <nigelboos@yahoo.ca> wrote:

Hi Rafael.

Nice to hear from you. Can't say we've met, but i do see your name appearing frequently on Ladislao's emails.

When were you at Mount?

FYI, I attended MSB 1955-1960 and have the most wonderful memories of that old place.

Sorry to see that it's all about to disappear, with the passing, eventually, of the monks. There are so few new vocations to the Benedictines, these days. . . .

David, my cousin, still lives in Maracaibo.

His wife, Trina, died some years ago and he's raised his 3 kids alone.

Not too bad.

Regards,

Nigel

95 Warwick Ave.,
Ajax, Ontario
L1Z 1L5
CANADA

(905) 426-8999
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On 10-Apr-07, at 9:50 AM, Rafael Echeverria wrote:

INCREDIBLE !!! ...

THOSE JAPANESE KIDS ARE REALLY SOMETHING ....

HEY !!!! ... BUT YOU ALSO NEED TO CHECK OUT MANY OTHER VIDEOS ON THE SAME U-TUBE CHANNEL .. GUYS FROM TRINIDAD IN NEW YORK .... AWESOME !!!!!!!!

IT BROUGHT SUCH GREAT MEMORIES ....

THANK YOU NIGEL ... YOU BROUGHT ME BACK TO THE BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE !!!!

RAFAEL ... CHECHE ....

PS. ........ By the way NIGEL it's been a long time I have not seen your cousin David in Maracaibo ..

I saw his brother though .. at my brother in law's home ... they are good friends .. we had a parrilla (barbeque) together ... we had a great time and he told me he was your cousin ... ha has a farm in the outskirts of Maracaibo ... in a region called La Caniada de Urdaneta ...

it's beautiful ...
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On 4/10/07, Nigel Boos <nigelboos@yahoo.ca> wrote:

Have a look at these Japanese kids.

They'll blow your mind.

Apparently, they've been going to Trinidad for the past few years already and have been learning to play pan, to the point where they're even been invited, as I understand, by some of the well-known steel orchestras to play with them at our Panorama Festival.

So, here they are, on their own.

Nigel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ja478HP1sY

and here's some more:

http://www.panonthenet.com/classics/panoramasteelorch.htm
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This is for now, keep well

God Bless

Ladislao
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Photos:
59NB0001NBOGRP, Norman Smith and Roger Ames
59NB0098, unknown
59NB0097MPR, Manuel Prada
59NB0096MFE, Matias Fedak