Priest: Politicians cannot unite TT

POLITICIANS cannot unite Trinidad and Tobago and only artistes can harness the spirit of the people. This was the declaration yesterday by Fr Garfield Rochard as he spoke at the funeral service for musical icon Andre Tanker at the Church of the Assumption in Maraval. Tanker, 61, died last Friday of a heart attack.

Fr Rochard told the mammoth congregation that Tanker was very similar to the legendary King David of Israel. He said 3,000 years ago, David realised that political patronage was not enough to unite the 12 tribes of Israel and discovered that music was the means to achieve that objective.  Rochard added that “32 years ago, Andre attempted to put the the Good Shepherd’s Psalm into our music”. Music, he explained, highlights the highs and lows of a society and brings people together. “Political unity is not enough. Politics will not unite us. Politics will make a poor showing of it. We have a task to unite the spirit of this country,” the priest declared. Rochard said the church would work together with the nation’s artistes to uplift and unite the people. Fr Rochard also lamented the country’s continuing “tendency to reject its icons”. “We don’t beat people in their weak moments to a frazzle. We have to lift them up,” he said. The assembled congregation was a virtual who’s who from the nation’s political, economic and cultural circles and other notable personalities. Among those present were Culture Minister Pennelope Beckles, Junior Culture Minister Eddie Hart, economist Lloyd Best, former Attorney-General Anthony Smart, celebrated author Derek Walcott and former Road March champion Austin “Superblue” Lyons.