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Boscoe Holder was born in Port-of-Spain,
in the 1920's. As a young boy he started a career as a musician, playing
the piano professionally at functions for the wealthy French Creole, Portuguese
and Chinese families. In his teens, he started painting seriously and
also formed his own dance company. When the Americans established a base
at Chaguaramas, he had a programme called "Piano Ramblings"
on the US Naval Armed Forces Radio Station. Boscoe Holder's dancing interpretations
and his paintings reflected the Afro-Caribbean experience.
Mr. Holder left Trinidad for
England in 1950 to pursue a career as a dancer. He hosted his own show
"Bal Creole" on BBC Television, and is credited with introducing
the British public to the steelpan by playing it on his television show.
He performed at popular clubs and theatres in London, England, France
(Paris, Nice), Monaco (Monte Carlo), and Belgium (Ostend), where he had
the privilege of performing with the renowned dancer, Josephine Baker.
However, he continued to develop his skills as a painter and held impromptu
exhibits on his dancing tours. He returned to Trinidad in the late 1960s
and made a name for himself as a painter with exhibits throughout the
Caribbean. In 1973 he was awarded the Humming Bird Medal (Gold) for Dance.
In 1981 Sir Ellis Clarke presented one of Mr. Holder's paintings to Prince
Charles and Lady Diana as a wedding gift from the Republic of Trinidad
and Tobago. Mr. Holder had the honour of painting Wendy Fitzwilliam prior
to her winning the Miss Universe Competition in 1998.
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