By Robert A Emmanuel
“If there was no Antigua, there would be no ‘Vagabond’, there’d be no ‘Professional’, there’d be no ‘ID’, there’d be no me.”
As a Ricardo Drue 2016 interview on his connection to Antigua and Barbuda and his journey to soca stardom played at the Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) on Tuesday night, many were brought to tears as they celebrated his life.
For many, the sudden death of one of Antigua’s biggest cultural icons last Tuesday felt like a fake news story after Drue was reportedly found unresponsive at his family home.
The candlelight vigil and remembrance concert was held in collaboration with Drue’s management team—Drue World Order (DWO)—and the government of Antigua and Barbuda, and had people from across the region expressing their profound sadness that their friend and colleague had passed.
As some of those closest to the late soca artiste, members of the DWO team were still in tears and too emotional to speak as they walked on stage.
They revealed that Drue’s final act before that fateful Tuesday morning was putting the final touches to his latest album ‘My Year’, to be released on January 18.
“In life, we don’t cherish each other enough; Drue had some big plans for 2024, we were about to be touring all year next year, we had so many gigs, so many bookings for so many new places in 2024, that I can’t believe we aren’t going to be doing that together again,” TJ, who is Drue’s official DJ, said.
The remembrance concert was also emotional for the artistes that Drue collaborated with, mentored and competed against.
Soca artist Tian Winter, who sang a rendition of ‘Go Light Your Candle’ as a tribute to Drue, expressed that despite past tensions between the two, he was having difficulty processing the news of the 38-year-old’s death.
“I couldn’t understand, and everybody know me and Ricardo had a little vibe over the years and I couldn’t help myself—tears just came down my eyes—I couldn’t understand it.
“Let this be a lesson to all of us: that life is very unexpected and so live your life to the fullest. Don’t hold no grudge nor malice with anybody,” Winter said.
Claudette ‘CP’ Peters tearfully thanked everyone for showing their support, stating that “a lot might say different that now he died, but at the end of the day, he is Antiguan, he is human, he did contribute to Antigua…he did touch a lot of lives, whether it be through music or just bare friendship”.
And as the organisers played tearful tributes from persons throughout the music world, few in the crowd held any tears back.
In a personal touch, Taeco “Psycho” O’Garro spoke of his appreciation for Drue’s mentorship as he made his own path in the music industry, paying tribute with a personally written poem entitled ‘Carnival in the Sky’.
Carnival in the Sky
By Taeco “Psycho” O’Garro
Gone too soon, you’re a star, always shining;
You made it to the top and still kept on rising.
The man outside the fame to know you was to know joy;
A grown yet small man that acts like a little boy.
A giant on the stage—why, now, why you?
I keep asking myself, hoping all this isn’t true.
More than a mentor, more than a friend;
You treated everyone like family until the very end.
Always smiling and laughing and always wan lime;
I remember you, broski, all the good times.
When your spirit fly high, I won’t pout, I won’t cry;
God called you home because you must have a carnival in the sky.
