Rev Tenia at Errol Asche's funeral: Move beyond stereotypes

Dean at the Holy Trinity Cathedral The Very Rev Shelley-Ann Tenia is calling on people to move beyond stereotypes. She was addressing mourners on Wednesday during the funeral for singer and musician Errol Asche at the Trinity Cathedral in Port of Spain.

Asche, 71, the father of former national calypso monarch Karene Asche, died on July 1 after suffering a stroke two days earlier.

Musical tributes were paid by Christopher “Tambu” Herbert who sang Give God The Praise, and Charmaine Forde who sang How Great Thou Art.

During her homily, Tenia said most people determine the goodness of a person from where they live, how much power or connections they have, how much money they have, their education and other external factors.

“But in the kingdom of God, money, power, education – is not how God determines goodness. So no matter the colour of your skin, no matter where you are born, no matter the circumstances, it does not change how God views you.

“Your goodness is determined by the fact that you were born in the light, conceived in the light.

“We need to challenge ourselves to move beyond stereotypes. We need to move beyond the cultural norms that cause us to ask if anything good could come out of certain places.”

She called on people to instead seek to determine goodness through a person’s compassion and wisdom.

She said Asche, who grew up in Barataria and later in his life moved to St Barb’s, Laventille, had the right qualities to determine goodness. She described him as a man who understood wisdom, although he was not a religious person.

He was a man known for his character and his compassion, she said.

Asche was a front-line singer with the band Ed Watson and the Brass Circle and became one of TT’s most popular singers during the 1970s and 1980s. He was best known for hits like Jam Me Hard, Where is the Love, Soca Land, Love Came Knocking on my Door and First Time.

After the service, mourners danced to his music which was played from a car parked on Hart Street.

Asche was buried at the Mucurapo cemetery.