SHOCK spread through the chutney/soca fraternity on Monday morning as news circulated of the death of Anil Soogrim, musician and drummer from the band Dil E Nadan.
None expressed more shock than the band’s lead singer Raymond Ramnarine, who said Soogrim was supposed to join him and the band on tour in the United States, now Trinidad and Tobago's borders have reopened.
Tributes have been pouring in on Facebook for Soogrim, who died on Sunday morning. A post on the Dil E Nadan page confirmed his death.
That message read, “Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard but always near. Anil Soogrim a true brother, a team player gone to soon.”
Cross-over artiste Ramnarine, in a voice mail, said he was still in bed, having finished a performance at 2 am in New York, when he was hit with the devastating news.
“I was in Jersey on Saturday and did another (performance) here in New York.
" In my heart I wish I was home, because this is so hard. Anil was not just my drummer. He is a long, long, long-time friend and the brotherhood was just so real.
“He was supposed to fly up here and meet us.
"It was just so sudden. He was cool.”
Ramnarine said he did not know Soogrim to have been ailing.
“He wasn’t sick. He used to control his blood pressure, but I am still waiting on his wife (Cindy Rampersad) to tell us exactly what it was. He took in with a stomach pain, and I don’t know if it was a heart attack or what.”
He said people were speculating on Soogrim's sudden death, attributing it to a stroke and heart attack after receiving the covid19 vaccine. He dismissed those as rumours until an official cause was determined.
"Too much speculation. People would say crazy things. We are just waiting on his family to know what has happened. It's just so sad, so sad.”
Chutney/soca artiste Drupatee Ramgoonai and Nisha B, frontline singer with the band Ravi B and Karma, expressed shock at the passing of their fellow musician and friend.
Drupatee remembered him as a talented drummer.
Nisha B he said although they were competitors on stage, Soogrim also made it a point to congratulate her after a performance.
St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen also took to FB to send her condolences to his wife and family.
“What a shock. The constituency of St Augustine and MP join the music fraternity to mourn the loss of one of T&T('s) most talented trap set players Mr Anil Soogrim.”
Ameen said he was a well-known and a well-liked "hometown boy" of El Dorado and St Augustine.“Anil will be remembered for his kindness and outgoing personality. May God give his family the strength they need during this time of bereavement. May he rest in peace.”
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