Photos: Sookdeo Baney

By Yvonne Webb

What a lovely way to spend an evening, Culture Minister Joan Yuille Williams remarked at a recital presented by 13-year-old Adrianna Achaiba on the double tenor on the evening of April 3 at Petrotrin Staff Club, Pointe-a-Pierre.

The seasoned audience, which included Education Minister Hazel Manning, Minister in the Ministry of Trade Dianne Seukeran, House Speaker Barry Sinanan, NP’s chairman Lawford Duprey, NGC’s president Frank Look Kin and Petrotrin’s president Malcolm Jones, and calypsonian De Fosto, all agreed.

Adrianna, daughter of the famous steelband captain Steve Achaiba, who holds the distinction of leading the only south band, Hatters, to win a national Panorama competition, left for Ohio to audition for a place in the School of Creative and Performing Arts on April 5.

The Naparima Girls’ High School student’s dream is to become a lecturer of music while continuing to perform and compose music. She also plays the piano.

Born a musical prodigy, Adrianna has three CDs, the first (Steelband Prodigy at 9), and Merry Little Christmas and Hands of an Angel. She has also won numerous local competitions and has toured England and Canada where she played at the opening of Caribana.

Adrianna has also played with London’s Ebony Steel Orchestra.

Towering over her well-polished chrome pans on Sunday evening, the teenager delighted her distinguished audience with a repertoire of 17 pieces, from soca and samba to classical selections from Bach, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Beethoven and others.

Avion Crooks, chairman of the event, said the very difficult Concerto in D Major by Mozart, which Adrianna beautifully executed, was never performed before by a 13-year-old on any instrument.

The Original De Fosto Himself applauded lustily and shouted “well done” as Adrianna paid tribute to him by performing his 2004 winning Panorama selection, War 2004.

Adrianna said De Fosto has been her inspiration. In fact, War 2004 earned her a third consecutive championship lien in the solo instrumentalist category in the T&T National Arts Festival.

The ease and confidence with which Adrianna executed and delivered her offerings belied her youth and caused Seukeran to remark that while she was a mere 13-year-old, who had not yet begun to fully explore her musical expressions, the audience was hearing a soul that was ancient.

“Consider what is going to happen in the next few years,” Seukeran added.

Yuille Williams thanked the private sector, NP, Petrotrin, NGC and Southern Sales, Adrianna’s sponsors, saying not many people would invest in a young unknown girl in whom they see only potential.

“Your investment in the culture of T&T and in Adrianna is an investment in the future.”

The minister also congratulated Adrianna’s parents—Steve and Candace—pointing out that not many parents see the value in their children choosing careers in visual and performing arts.

Manning, in congratulating Adrianna, said the teenager’s achievement puts into perspective what her ministry is doing in terms of making visual and performing arts compulsory and examinable at CXC.

She said from two schools, this was now happening at 16 schools and soon visual and performing arts would be examinable at all 140 secondary schools.

Star of the moment Adrianna Achaiba is flanked by Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs Minister Joan Yuille-Williams, left, and calypsonian/composer The Original De Fosto Himself.