Veteran masman Neville Aming passed away on Friday at a nursing home where he spent his latter days. With his chaplet in hand, his family said he peacefully left to the songs of praises, prayers and recitals of the Holy Rosary. Aming was 96 having celebrated a birthday in August. His son Bobby Aming yesterday told the T&T Guardian his father was not ailing but rather grieving.
“He was just tired. He got to a point where he could not take care of himself,” he said, adding his father took his last breath at 9.20 pm.
He said while the family awaits the arrival of other friends and family from abroad, the funeral is tentatively set for next Monday (October 2) or Friday (October 6) at the Church of Assumption, Maraval.
Aming was born in 1922 in San Juan and began his career in 1958 with his first presentation Reign of the Mings. From there on he continued to present up until 1984 with his last presentation, Ceremonial Dancers. Yesterday, long time friend Arden Knox said it was hard to say which of Aming’s presentation was better than the other as he always tried to do great work.
Knox vividly recalled the 1963 presentation by Aming titled Court Jester and the Baby Dolls and another presentation called The Golden Age of China. Aming, together with other band leaders like deceased George Bailey, Stephen Lee Heung, Harold Saldenah and Cito Velasquez, was instrumental in forming the Carnival Band Leaders Association (CBA) in the late 1950s. The association made representation to government on behalf of band leaders for better venue conditions, pay etcetera. Their recommendations at the time were made to the Carnival Development Commission (CDC) which was run by then T&T’s first Prime Minister Dr Eric Williams.
Knox said Aming was also among one of the earliest masmen to export T&T Carnival abroad, again along with Bailey, Velasquez and his brother, music band leader Choy Aming, to countries like Bermuda and the US. Aming was a recipient of the Humming Bird Silver for his contribution to the vibrancy of T&T mas in 1996. Knox said after Aming bowed out of mas making he remained active in the Carnival as an advisor to current masmen.
He expressed condolences to the family and told the T&T Guardian he will surely miss his old friend, who will be great loss to the mas fraternity.
“We were very close. Last of his era now is Edmund Hart, Frank Smith and Jason Griffith. He will be missed,” Knox said.