00:14For over three decades, Oscar B's voice made the islands jump, shake and wave.
00:20He was the powerhouse behind historic anthems like Soka Tati and Soka Butterfly,
00:25a man who refused to back down from the raw energy of a live band and a microphone.
00:31But as the lights lit up for the final time in his presence on the pulpit at Fate Assembly,
00:36the focus shifted from the Soka star to the private man.
00:40Those who knew him, relatives, friends, musicians and fans filled the space,
00:45unified by a grief that his immediate family calls, love with nowhere to go.
00:51When his children took the podium, they spoke to the thousands of mourners collectively tuning in physically and virtually,
00:59highlighting the different roles the late musician played in the lives of those who loved and regarded him.
01:04How do you summarize a man whose life touched so many people?
01:09The truth is, you can't.
01:13Because every person in this room carries a different memory of him.
01:16Some of you knew him through music, some as a friend, a neighbor, a colleague, a mentor, a brother, an
01:26uncle, a father figure.
01:29And many simply knew him as the man who could brighten an ordinary day with nothing more than a smile,
01:35a joke or a conversation.
01:38Every one of those memories matter.
01:41As they delved into the soul that carried their dad, they pointed to his humor and warmth.
01:47To the global stage, he was a master entertainer.
01:50To the streets of TNT, where he spent 30 years making people smile, he was the life of the party.
01:56Yet, his family reminded the congregation that his greatest, most defining performance
02:02happened far away from the flashing lights and roaring crowds.
02:06His greatest performance wasn't on a stage, it was at home.
02:11In the quiet sacrifices no one else saw.
02:14In the everyday moments, in the way he loved.
02:18We came into his life in different ways, but he never made us feel different.
02:22He never measured family by blood.
02:25He measured family by love.
02:27By loyalty.
02:28By showing up.
02:30Every single day, he chose us.
02:34The 1985 class of Signal Hill Secondary School paying tribute,
02:39outlining that Oscar B's love for music and football took center stage early on in his life.
02:45He made unforgettable memories there too.
02:48One memory that has stayed with us over the years still makes us smile.
02:53The football team trained relentlessly before school and again every afternoon under very strict coach.
03:02Yet, without fail, Oscar would somehow disappear from afternoon training.
03:07Before long, someone would find him not on the football field, but at choir practice.
03:15Coach would shake his head and say, that boy again, like he want to be a singer.
03:21Oscar B's transition from earthly life came with a cruel twist of irony.
03:26A fundraiser at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex meticulously planned to lift his medical burden
03:32after a severe stroke transformed instantly into a tribute concert as he died mere hours before.
03:39However, even in death, he achieved what he always did in life.
03:44Oscar B brought people together.
03:47Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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