Burial at Lapeyrouse today

In an unprecedented move yesterday, an upset and emotional Jacinta Bostic, mother of soca superstar Onika Bostic, ordered that the cremation of her daughter be stopped. Up until late yesterday, only close relatives and friends knew of the decision by the mother of the dead soca singer. Onika will be buried today at the Lapeyrouse Cemetery. According to reports, around 2 pm yesterday, Jacinta Bostic went to the Port-of-Spain divisional office at Serpentine Road in St Clair, where she told police officers that she had ordered the cremation of her daughter to be aborted. The grieving woman told officers that she decided to stop the cremation based on information passed on to her about the circumstances leading up to the death of her daughter.

She called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation into the death based on her suspicions, but was advised by the police that the autospy carried out by Dr Neville Jankie at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital on Tuesday did not indicate any foul play in the death. She was also advised to proceed with the cremation or burial. In her distressed state, Jacinta forgot her cellular phone at the police station and, up until late yesterday, the phone was still in the hands of the police. Newsday learnt that Bostic’s body was still at Clarke and Battoo’s Funeral Home. The funeral will take place today and will be attended only by her immediate family.

When Newsday visited the Rosalino Street,  Woodbrook home of Onika, her mother was not at home. A close relative denied that the cremation was aborted and refused to give any further information. At the crematorium at Long Circular, an employee said that Onika’s body was taken to the site for cremation around 11 am, but after it was aborted, the funeral home responsible for the body returned at midday and collected it. ACP Mobile Nazamul Hosein said yesterday that he is awaiting the police file on the death. “I cannot prejudge an issue until I am appraised of all the facts in the matter,” he added. Bostic, lead singer of the Antiguan band Burning Flames, died around 9.30 pm on Sunday at the Intensive Care Unit of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. An autospy revealed she died from massive head injuries, and a fractured neck.

Scores of Soca and other artistes attend service

Family pays tribute to ‘Peaches’

By MELISSA WONG

EMOTIONS RAN high at St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church on Maraval Road yesterday, as family and members of the music fraternity celebrated Soca star Onika Vanessa “Peaches” Bostic’s birthday, while bidding farewell to the short life she lived. Bostic would have celebrated her 25th birthday yesterday, but instead, in what should have been a joyous occasion, hundreds gathered inside the heavily packed church for her funeral, leaving latecomers to peer through windows and doors from outside. A small portrait of Bostic was the only reminder of her beauty, as the coffin was kept shut during the funeral service.

Fr Charles offered words of comfort to her family saying, “It is a day of sorrow when parents have to bury their children. No matter how long we live on this earth, our life is always short. Her (Onika) life was cut short, she was taken away from us too soon.” Delivering the eulogy was a friend, Melissa Mc Millan, who was joined by Bostic’s sisters. They described Onika as a person filled with both passion and beauty, and they wished her a happy birthday. Minister of Culture and Gender Affairs, Joan Yuille-Williams, praised Bostic for being one of the few artistes in TT who represented the true meaning of “Caribbean solidarity.”

Condolences also came from Antigua’s Foreign Affairs and Tourism Minister, Harold Lovell, who described Bostic as having a combination of charm, talent and intelligence. “Antigua mourns the loss of a rising star,” said Lovell. On behalf of the music fraternity, Xtatik leader Machel Montano paid tribute to the precious gift “Peaches.” “Congratulations Onika on your successful career. You were an angel among us. ‘Peaches,’ your memory is here to stay,” said Montano.