BVI entertainment fraternity mourns death of Stylee Band member

Members of the local entertainment fraternity have expressed shock and sadness over the passing of a US Virgin Islands (USVI) band member who met his demise in a plane crash recently.

Kylo Sylvester, a lead singer of the well-known Stylee Band was among five persons killed in a plane crash in St. Croix last Thursday after the privately chartered aircraft developed mechanical issues.

Humble Soul

Eustace “Boss” Freeman, who is the reigning Calypso Monarch in the British Virgin Islands said he has partnered with the band on “many” occasions and described Kylo as a “humble” soul.

“He was a real humble individual and it is a major loss for the music industry just because of his personality and the way he approaches every event. Even as a person he approaches life like you have to live it. So we are definitely going to miss him around,” he stated.

According to Freeman, Kylo had what he described as ‘the keys to the next generation’  where music is concerned.

“Personally I felt he had the keys to the next generation; he controlled the whole generation. It’s sad because he was so young and I felt that he didn’t reach his full potential as yet as an artist. We did many things together. We did Festival Villages together, we did CD release parties with them. We did many things together with the band. We are going to miss him dearly.”

Shereen Flax-Charles

Local Calypsonian and lead singer of The Secret Band, Shereen Flax-Charles remarked that she was most impressed by the band’s ability to satisfy everyone, adding that Kylo would have made it big in the soca world and beyond.

“They played a variety of music for everybody and that is what I really was impressed with. And, I am saddened and the music fraternity here and abroad, that such a tragic accident has happened with a young man that I felt had great potential to make it big in the soca world and beyond.”

She added, “It is a shame that he was so young but god knows best. He had the charisma to pull in thousands and tens of thousands of fans and that is what we will miss.”

Flax-Charles also had some words of comfort for his fans in the USVI.

“I just want to tell them to stay strong. His legacy must live on and we will help to carry on his legacy,” she said.

Lil Charles

In the meantime, music producer and musician with The Secret Band, Lil Charles said he too was saddened by the news.

“Hearing about the accident it put a dull feeling over me for the whole day,” he admitted.

He also praised Kylo’s musical ability.

“I am a very critical musical producer and musician but listening to his work, I am always impressed and always looking for something even greater all the time. I think he had the potential to have a great future where he would have carried the Virgin Islands name a little further beyond the Caribbean…international because of his style and his whole demeanor” said Charles.