Entertainment fraternity turns out to remember slain VP Records exec

BY CECELIA CAMPBELL-LIVINGSTON Observer staff reporter livingstonc@jamaicaobserver.com

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The skies opened and rains poured yesterday afternoon, but that did not stop a throng of entertainment industry representatives from attending the funeral of VP Records executive Joel Chin.

Chin, who is the grandson of the founders of VP — Pat and Vincent Chin — was murdered at his St Andrew home by gunmen who shot and killed him on August 16.

Among those gathered at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in downtown Kingston was former prime minister Edward Seaga, entertainers Sean Paul, Nadine Sutherland, Gyptian, Mr Lexx, Tanto Mentro, Devonte, Stephen and Chino McGregor, Alaine, Courtney John, Freddie McGregor and Carlene Davis. Other members of the fraternity included Clyde McKenzie, Donovan Germain, Mikey Bennett, Desi Young, Tad Dawkins, Jerome Hamilton, Tommy Cowan, Winston 'Wee Pow' Powell and Joe Bogdanovich.

In delivering the eulogy, long-time friend Timothy Eng, asked those gathered to honour Chin's memory by "being hungry for knowledge, striving for perfection and by developing a love for family, just like Joel would have wanted".

"Joel always wanted to see people working harmoniously, he had so much love in him," were the words from Father Collin Henriques as he spoke about a conversation he had with Joel's family members during a prayer vigil held at his house.

It's ironic that a man who was filled with so much love for life was snuffed out by the bullet, the motive still yet unknown.

In his message Father Henriques encouraged all that they should be careful how they lived their lives, "what counts is not how many guns you have or cars you drive, but how you and I lived the lives we have been given by Christ. How you image the Supreme Being, how you image Jah, whatever the image - it must be something of beauty," he implored.

Henriques bemoaned the changing times as he reminisced on the days when he grandparents could retire to bed without a care in the world, not evening bothering to lock the doors.

"Today you and I need King Alarm and gated communities, we can no longer reason with each other, except we are shooting and killing each other, it's a sad reality."

Earlier in the tribute segment on the programme there were some emotion-filled performances coming from Duane Stephenson who soulfully belted Jimmy Cliff's Many Rivers To Cross; Etana who sang Free, but it was the words from Freddie McGregor's song Somewhere that effectively captured the reality of what was taking place -- Somewhere there's a baby crying, Somewhere as his father's dying...

Joel Chin is survived by a host of family and friends including his six-week-old daughter Maya Juliana.