ST. CROIX — If you arrived at Miracle Revival Deliverance Tabernacle, located in Beeston Hill, just minutes past 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, there was no parking to be found at the church, nor the nearby Beeston Hill Health and Fitness Club, or even the Beeston Hill Medical Center.<\/p>\n
Your best chance would be Hermon Hill, as Virgin Islanders from near and far, visitors, family, friends and dignitaries — among them Gov. Kenneth Mapp and Lt. Gov. Osbert Potter, former Delegate to Congress Donna Christensen, Senators Sammuel Sanes, Novelle Francis and Positive Nelson, and former Senator Adlah Donastorg — gathered early at the church, packing its lower floor of over 500 seats, and overflowing to its second floor, to pay final homage to a man deemed a legend of Virgin Islands music, with an influence that affected all the industry’s circles.<\/p>\n
Alwyn Alexander Baptiste, Sr., died of Sarcoma cancer on February 25, at the age of 62. And while the loss remains a difficult reality for family and those who were close to Mr. Baptiste, the funeral service yesterday was intentionally celebratory. Mr. Baptiste’s brother, Dean Baptiste, who MC’d the homegoing, gave lighthearted jokes throughout the event, eliciting laughter from the crowed.<\/p>\n
As was expected, an assortment of artists and musicians played and sang throughout the service, many of whom had recorded in some fashion at Backyard Studios, Mr. Baptiste’s popular recording house where reggae, soca, calypso, dancehall, gospel and other genres of music have been recorded. Mr. Baptiste was noted as being very generous as well, and at one point the crowd burst into roars of laughter when Mr. Baptiste’s brother, Dean, said that those who still owed recording fees should pay those monies to him.<\/p>\n