Karlos’ cultural journey

By Cheryl Harewood

He was born to be on stage and to lend his natural skills and expertise to those in the arts, entertainment and cultural industry.

That’s exactly what Karlos Cobham has spent the better part of his life doing. His name recently made the news when he worked alongside Emmy Award- winning actor Robert Ri’chard, while the two promoted the film, My Brother’s Keeper, recently. The Barbados premiere took place on April 3, at Limegrove Cinemas, and was opened to the public on April 5, at the Globe Drive-In and Olympus theatres.

Karlos, a product of Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School and Queen’s College, where he was deputy head boy, is also a graduate of the University of The West Indies Errol Barrow Centre For Creative Imagination, and York University in Toronto, Canada. He studied film and theatre at both learning institutions.

The Weekend Nation caught up with the Water Hall Terrace, St James resident recently. It has been three years since his return to the island, after spending six years as youth minister and director at the First Holiness Church in Massachusetts, US, where he was tasked with developing programmes for young people.

Karlos’ cultural journey was actually birthed at Queen’s College. He represented his school during the 2005 inter-school pageant, and walked away with the top prize for his singing, dancing and acting.

“While at Queen’s College, I was passionate about the arts. It was there that I was given the opportunity to sing before Don Pooh, the CEO of Atlantic Records in the US. He was responsible for launching the career of Mary J. Blige and other artistes. I also represented Barbados in 2006 during CARIFESTA in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Karlos’ journey also took him to Santo Domingo where he represented Barbados in dance, song and acting, while still a student at Queen’s College.

It was on leaving Queen’s College that he enrolled at the Errol Barrow Centre For Creative Imagination.

During his time there, he completed a one-year exchange programme at York University in Toronto, Canada.

Karlos described his experience in Toronto as fantastic.

“It truly was a fantastic opportunity to experience different seasons and connect with renowned film-makers and artistes who encouraged me in my acting and performances. I also did some studies at New York Film Academy and at Berkley College of Music in Boston.”

During his sojourn in the US, Karlos visited First Holiness Church, and performed the song, He Is Able.

His presentation was so well received that he was asked to take up the position of youth minister at the church. Surprised and amazed at the invitation, Karlos, however, returned to Barbados, and produced a 20-minute film, Transcend. Plans are now afoot to turn this film into a movie.

In 2012, he entered the Pitch UK Film Contest which was being introduced to Caribbean competitors for the first time. Transcend won the top spot in the Caribbean segment, and Karlos was invited to the UK where he met top film producers, actors and actresses.

Nominated

“I recall flying back home from the UK a day earlier, because I was nominated for a Barbados Music Award that year,” Karlos said.

While he did not win an award, Karlos started performing at concerts and working closely with the Community Development Department. He also participated in Dancefest, and was part of the group, Rush, which won the first Dancefest competition.

Karlos launched his company, Kwest Productions, in 2010. In 2012, through Kwest, he started a summer arts programme for persons interested in the arts. His first production through Kwest was a drama presentation called, Turning Point, which was later locally filmed and recorded.

“Kwest today continues to be all about young people getting the opportunity to learn, create, and produce theatre and music,” Karlos shared.

Not satisfied that he could fully chart his way in Barbados without spreading his wings beyond the island, Karlos decided to take up the offer he had been given to join the team at the First Holiness Church. He left Barbados in 2013 and for the next six years, worked as the church’s youth minister/ director. This involved creating various programmes and productions for the youth. He also introduced his Kwest summer youth programme to the church.

In 2019, the father of one, transitioned to Georgia.

“It was kind of a rest I was going through,” he said. “I worked in Georgia for a while, until I returned home at the end of 2020.

“I honestly did not know what I was going to do. I had gotten accepted at the Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary to complete my master’s degree in divinity and I had started that, but I decided to come home.”

Today, Karlos has registered Kwest Radio in the US and Barbados. The idea behind the non-profit company is to create a kingdom awareness in the lives of people, using the arts.

It was through Kwest International that he also decided to screen My Brother’s Keeper, in partnership with Mans/Mackie Studios out of the US.

“I have been managing getting the film into Barbados. I have also been using funds to help create a scholarship for creative arts practitioners in Barbados, so these individuals can study arts in the US through an arts exchange programme. I believe this will help create a hub for the arts in Barbados.

“I knew there were not many creative opportunities for me when I graduated from UWI, and not many creative entities support arts in Barbados,” Karlos added.

Working with Robert Ri’chard to help boost the local arts industry is another delight for Karlos.

Karlos, the producer of the United International Arts Expo which is produced by U.I.A.E Limited, the profit arm of Kwest, said, “I see myself continually developing the relationship with Robert and Mans, who are both keen on developing arts in Barbados. Robert is gearing up to return to the island in September to be part of the expo, and will be bringing various celebrities to the island while, working with local cultural practitioners.

“Our goal is to create positive content for young people in the arts; to propel the creative arts industry by empowering the youth, men, women and families and to provide job opportunities for those in the arts through the hosting of shows and events,” Karlos added.

Karlos Cobham’s cultural journey has taken him from Barbados to Britain and

the United States. (GP)