The Monsignor Patrick Anthony Folk Research Centre and the national arts fraternity joins the Soufriere community in mourning the sudden passing of our long serving cultural activist, Innocent Aimable, AKA Mabla or Marbles.
Saint Lucia has lost a powerful and genuine cultural soldier.
Innocent “Mabla” Aimable was a community arts and cultural leader based in the town of Soufriere. He was a founding member and pillar of the Soufriere Action Theatre (S.A.T.), a cultural development organization that has been actively serving our communities for over thirty years.
Mabla and S.A.T. were integral to the work of the Folk Research Centre throughout the late 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, specifically in the development and sustaining of a national Popular Theatre movement called Téyat Pèp-la.
The movement comprised of groups based in various communities around the island that used theatre and cultural forms as tools for education, social action community development.
Téyat Pèp-la impacted regionally by being founding and active members of the Eastern Caribbean Popular Theatre Organization (ECPTO) which used and presented theatre across the sub-region for education and social action.
Innocent Aimable and the Soufriere Action Theatre have continued to be vibrant and productive with their cultural activism up to this present day.
Apart from their theatre and drumming performances, they have successfully implemented many projects to document and sustain traditional cultural forms such as the unique Soufriere masquerade tradition called Djab Dèwò.
Innocent Aimable was also a retired teacher having given many years to imparting cultural and technical education to young minds across the southern and western regions of the island.
Saint Lucia has truly lost another cultural treasure with the passing of Innocent Aimable.
On behalf of our national and regional community, The Msgr. Patrick Anthony Folk Research Centre is honoured to acclaim the tremendous contribution of Innocent “Mabla” Aimable to our cultural development.
We further extend sincere condolences to his family and the entire Soufriere and Choiseul communities on his passing. May he rest in joyful and eternal peace.
SOURCE: Monsignor Patrick Anthony Folk Research Centre
