‘Mano’ plays on

There was an air of celebration at the St Joseph RC Church on Wednesday at the funeral of legendary musician Michael Mano Nicetus Marcellin.

Marcellin died last Friday, three weeks away from his 87th birthday. During the service, his recording of Eres Tu blared from a speaker. Before and after the church service, the Prisons band played Christmas music to celebrate Marcellin’s life. Pedro Lezama played Schubert’s Ave Maria on the clarinet.

Marcellin’s nephew Lennox Austin said in his eulogy, Marcellin was a gentleman and a musician, and his life was fascinating. “With the tenacity of spirit, a fear of God and the skill of a guitarist, armed with these competencies, this young man forged a path for himself in this life,” Austin said.

He related how Marcellin’s thirst for knowledge and desire for academic excellence saw him obtain a national diploma in labour studies from Cipriani Labour College.

Marcellin also excelled in football – unbeknown to his father – playing at league level with Corinthians, Malvern, and Rushdale, and was selected to represent the East St George side in a game against Suriname. It was his prowess as a musician that made him a household name.

His musical career started with Remy Savary and his Orchestra, a popular band in the 1940/50s.

Then he went on to play with the likes of the Blitz Trio, Nell Sampson Orchestra, Johnny Gomes, John Buddy Williams, the Hill Toppers Parang Group and others – until he stormed out of the last band he played for and started the Mano Marcellin Orchestra.

In the ten years of the national brassorama competition that began in 1972, Marcellin’s band came first five times, including the first and last year of the competition, placed second twice, and third once in its eight appearances. The band was also adjudged best instrumental band on the road for Carnival Monday and Tuesday, eight times between 1975 and 1982.

Marcellin was also responsible for the introduction of amplified electronic instruments on the road as well as the “big truck” phenomenon. His orchestra toured extensively, performing in Washington, Boston and Brooklyn as well as in Montreal, Winnipeg and Toronto, elsewhere in North America and in the Caribbean.

In 2005 Marcellin was awarded the Hummingbird Medal Silver for music. He leaves to mourn his wife of 63 years, Joyce, musician sons Curtis and Burt, and daughter Debbie, recently retired deputy CPO.

His other son Dave, an international jazz pianist, passed away in 2011. Marcellin was buried at the St Joseph RC cemetery.