At the intersection where talent, Saint Lucian identity and folk music meet, stand the figures that sustain the traditions and stories that can only be told from this 238 square-mile rock. Patrick Gilo Bernadin will always be remembered as one of those people.
Gilo passed away on January 27, 2025, at the age of 70. But his legacy as an illustrious folk singer and member of the groups Avot Sevis, the Vieux Fort North La Rose Group and Kwi folk band—the latter two of which he served as the leader singer—lives on.
To celebrate his memory, arts and culture enthusiasts, musicians, family, friends and members of the Belle Vue, Vieux Fort community convened for a tribute at his residence on February 9, just a day ahead of what would have been his 71st birthday.
Mourning the loss of the music virtuoso, Gilo’s nephew, Soca Monarch and singer of the currently leading patriotic anthem, Damn Proud Lucian, Sylvanus Sly Charles shared with the St Lucia Times, “[He was] a very strong influence in my musical background. I remember the times when he used to sit there and sing his original songs to me, and it would just inspire me to work on my own.”
According to Sly, Gilo was affectionately known in the family as a skilled cook, able to make a good meal out of anything. He said his uncle’s charisma was something he wholeheartedly loved.
“He performed! Performed with passion, with drive and everyone felt his connection with the music,” he said.
Gilo’s grandson and last year’s Youth of the Year awardee, Trevon Richard also praised his grandfather’s passion, pinning him as an inspiration to many.
“My grandfather was always passionate about everything that is culture— not just the music but the lifestyle as well, and he always promoted it in the way that he lived,” Richard stated. “He was an amazing musician that inspired so many musicians that came out of the community of Belle Vue…. He touched a lot of lives, he made a lot of people laugh, he’s just a great man altogether.”
At the tribute, Moses Jn Baptiste, Parliamentary Representative for Vieux Fort North and Minister for Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs, who is also a relative of the late musician, reflected on Gilo’s body of work, saying it is brimmed with history and anecdotes showcasing realities of life in Vieux Fort.
“He was also a humanitarian who gave everything to families in need, and families who lost loved ones,” said the minister. “Gilo was truly a great artist and a great poet. We are really going to miss him. The whole family will miss him.”
Jn Baptiste, who shared that on several occasions he also played music and sang with Gilo, told St Lucia Times, “We have lost another very strong, spiritual community man. Farewell. I know his spirit is there, strong as ever, so one love to the rest of the family. We will hold strong and try our best to keep the traditions alive.”
