Jit Samaroo’s funeral today

Saturday, January 9 2016 - Trinidad Newsday

THE funeral service for late pan icon, Jit Samaroo, takes place at 1pm today at the Aramalaya Presbyterian Church, Cochrane Street, Tunapuna. Samaroo’s remains will then be taken to the Surrey Village Public Cemetery, Lopinot Road, for burial. Members of the steelband and cultural fraternity as well as officials from BP Trinidad and Tobago are expected to attend the service.

Samaroo, 65, died at his home in Mausica, D’Abadie, around midday on Thursday after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.

The gifted arranger led BP Renegades to nine National Panorama championships, three of which were consecutive victories, from 1995 to 1997. He is survived by his wife, Balmatie, and four children.

FROM PASTOR VEROLD MATTHEW AND FAMILY BROOKLYN NEW YORK

My first encounter with Jit was when we played together in the Lever Camboulays Steelband in Monte Grande Tunapuna. Jit was the first virtuoso pannist that I encountered and his musical skills evolved and transfigured to the point of excellence on the national and international fronts. Jit fine-tuned steel pan musicology to its apex, leading Renegades to 9 Championship titles, and when competitors failed to reach his level, he competed with himself. Last month, not anticipating his imminent passing, I told my wife that one of the things I regretted was when Jit invited me to play double second in his family band "Samaroo Jets," when they placed second in National Steelband Music Festival, that I did not participate because the denomination I worked with as a pastor at that time had issues with pan. Afterwards I matured to keep pan alive, until now, in my life and ministry. I told Jit, some years ago in the Renegades Panyard, that there will be pan in heaven. Jit called some of his colleagues who were standing nearby, and said to them " Pastor, Verold said that there will be pan in heaven, and you know, I'll be in that. Well Jit, the angels will play harps and we will play pan.

See you in Glory my Brother, Master Arranger and Pan Musicologist.

Replies

Carlton E. Munroe January 11, 2016 at 1:22pm

May he (R I P) Rest In Peace. aka: Curly/Tahzann
Verold Matthew January 9, 2016 at 2:40pm

May God cause us to follow in Jit's footsteps with racial harmony and cultural commitment and family togetherness and excellence in all our endeavours.

Pastor Verold Matthew

Brooklyn, New York
Verold Matthew January 9, 2016 at 2:33pm

FROM PASTOR VEROLD MATTHEW AND FAMILY BROOKLYN NEW YORK

My first encounter with Jit was when we played together in the Lever Camboulays Steelband in Monte Grande Tunapuna. Jit was the first virtuoso pannist that I encountered and his musical skills evolved and transfigured to the point of excellence on the national and international fronts. Jit fine-tuned steel pan musicology to its apex, leading Renegades to 9 Championship titles, and when competitors failed to reach his level, he competed with himself. Last month, not anticipating his imminent passing, I told my wife that one of the things I regretted was when Jit invited me to play double second in his family band "Samaroo Jets," when they placed second in National Steelband Music Festival, that I did not participate because the denomination I worked with as a pastor at that time had issues with pan. Afterwards I matured to keep pan alive, until now, in my life and ministry. I told Jit, some years ago in the Renegades Panyard, that there will be pan in heaven. Jit called some of his colleagues who were standing nearby, and said to them " Pastor, Verold said that there will be pan in heaven, and you know, I'll be in that. Well Jit, the angels will play harps and we will play pan.

See you in Glory my Brother, Master Arranger and Pan Musicologist.
- Gerald Lewis > Verold Matthew January 9, 2016 at 5:50pm
  
  Angels will be playing pans too!
WerNer January 9, 2016 at 8:36am

Dear Samaroo family,
I would like to express my sincere condolences.
I will always remember Dr. Jit Samaroo as the one who opened my ears and my heart to steelpan music.
Very sincerely, Werner M. Weidensdorfer
Bertel Gittens January 9, 2016 at 7:41am

RIP

This reply was deleted.