Vaya con Dios, Robert Munro

To his friend Ron Metivier, the funeral of Robert Munro, a man he considered a father figure and mentor, befitted the way he lived his life.

"A great gathering, a generous amount of smiles and a musical send-off. It's what he would have wanted," he explained.

Metivier had learnt and played the cuatro alongside the prolific Munro for over 15 years.

Yesterday, he looked on sombrely as Maria-Elena, one of Munro's daughters, read the eulogy at his funeral at the Holy Rosary RC Church, Port of Spain.

A second eulogy was read by Deacon Derek Walcott on behalf of Munro's eldest daughter, Marisella, who lives in the US. Their two siblings, Scot and Felicia, also live abroad.

Munro died on April 18 at the Port of Spain General Hospital, after an illness.

Metivier recalled travelling and playing alongside Munro and his band, Robert Munro Among Friends, which consisted of bass players Ange David and Michael Germain and percussionist Billy Wong.

"We played in places like Mexico, Paris, Canada and up the Caribbean islands, but Robert remained humble always.

"I mean, this man opened his home to me, as a young man from Moruga, who wanted to play, wanted to learn from a teacher who lived in town. He knew it would be difficult for me, so he invited me to stay at his home after practice, many a night."

Everyone who knew Munro would recognise he was a kind-hearted and generous person, said Metivier.

Munro was honured in song by mother and son Denise and Denlis Bertrand of the band Los Alegras Sin Duda (The Joyful Ones, without Doubt). The strains of the song Vaya Con Dios (Go with God), filled the church.

Denlis Bertrand, 27, said he had been Munro's student for the past five years and considered him an uncle. His mother, he said, had been friends with Munro for over 30 years.

Also in the audience were Munro's friends and colleagues musician David Boothman and Miguel Browne, monologuist, storyteller and head of Los Parranderos de UWI.

Boothman remembered Munro as the "Pied Piper of Corbeaux Town," an area of the city which he said produced "several fine minds of the country, in a variety of fields." He said he held Munro in high regard and saw him as a "truly gifted artiste".

Boothman is the founder and director of the Caribbean Renaissance Foundation and master artist in residence at UTT.

Munro's companion Zelnia Kenyatta (formerly Marlene St Rose) stopped alongside his casket, viewed his body and smiled through her tears before leaving for the St James Crematorium, Long Circular Road, where he was later cremated.

As his body was rolled out of the church, a group of Munro's students, friends and family formed a "band" and played a medley of songs.

The commemoration was scheduled to end with a second musical session at Munro's home at Victoria Square, Port of Spain.