Torrance Mohammed Foundation hosts tribute on May 30

The Torrance Mohammed Foundation will be hosting a tribute to the cultural icon on May 30 at Mille Fleurs, Port of Spain. Foundation chairman Deron Attz said the tribute is being held a year after Mohammed’s death during a robbery on May 24, 2021.

In an interview with Newsday, Attz said many cultural icons have been lost over the last two years, both to covid19 and to crime.

“We lost Mohammed to crime, and coming up to the anniversary of his death, we’re gathering together for a reflection on his body of work, giving people the opportunity to showcase all the things that he loved.

"We did a tribute last year in South, and we are rolling it into North this year for people who may not have been able to come South. His legacy is as a national cultural icon, and he was a lover of Trinidad and Tobago, a true Trinbagonian.

"His close family members will be there, and we thought this was a good time to show and highlight in a positive way that it’s been a year since his sudden passing.”

He said the theme of the show is Reflect and Reminisce and a Return to Innocence

Attz said the event would be a celebration of the things that Mohammed loved, including an art exhibition, a products exhibition, and sweet things.

“He was very appreciative of culture, in all of its ritual forms, folk, drumming, dance, so there will be presentations from different organisations, and we will make presentations to the organisation. Richard Ramirez is donating a book to the foundation. DADL Clothing will be having a fashion show in collaboration with San Fernando Fashion Week. We will be inviting the mayor of Port of Spain.

"Then the foundation will also speak on what it intends to do for the next year in his honour.”

Some of the performers at the event will be National Action Cultural Committee (NACC) Young King Addelon “Banjela” Braveboy, the Ibis Dance Group, NLCB Fonclaire managing director Darren Sheppard, Arawaks Dance Group, Women of Color Scotland, and others.

“Mohammed was a culture lover, he embraced all aspects of culture, he was never one-dimensional. As an Indo-Trinidadian his mantra was to always: holistically embrace all aspects of our culture, and anything we're doing in his name must represent that,” Attz said.

He said the foundation has already carried out some initiatives in Mohammed’s honour since his death, and has plans for more.

“So far we have been able to work along with the San Fernando City Corporation to honour him by a street naming. That was done.

"We are also hoping to go back to his birthplace of Princes Town to lay a plaque and that is in process for later this year.

"So we're touching all of those areas in terms of where he's from, and then he developed himself in San Fernando and by extension Trinidad.

“We will be having the Torrance Mohammed Cultural and Arts Camp: that will start shortly just after the end of CXC exams, when the July/August vacation kicks in. We'll be aiming to identify 30 kids and taking them through the whole process of understanding, appreciation, knowledge skills, dance, theatre, writing, songwriting, culture, what have you. We will try to amplify and refine the consciousness of the culture of TT in the younger people. At the end we'll be getting sponsors to give donations and contributions to the most promising people.”

Attz said the foundation was in a constant process of keeping Mohammed’s legacy going in an area that marries with what he was able to achieve and to continue the appreciation around place, space, culture, and its heritage.

To reserve seating, e-mail torrancemmohammed@gmail.com.