TRISHA CEE : THE VOICE OF HOPE GONE SILENT
“Trisha Cee taught me that with unity, the blood of a Dinka can easily flow into the body of an Equatorian.“
By Stelios Peter.
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN: “Trisha Cee taught me that with unity, the blood of a Dinka can easily flow into the body of an Equatorian” That was a message AK Dans-a comedian from the Dinka tribe and one of the first people to reach the hospital and donate blood for Trisha told the grieving crowd during the funeral prayers, words that sent the crowd into more tears for they were once again reminded of the personality of a person who was no more.
Monday’s have been normal in Juba with nothing much to write home about but this week’s Monday was different. It is one that will be edged forever in the minds and hearts of South Sudanese. At 4:00PM CAT, social media was awash with reports that Hillu Beatrice Cosmas alias Trisha Cee was involved in an accident and was in dire need of blood. The post did not only garner repost and prayers for her safety but it drove many who volunteered to save her life to the hospital. Family, friends, fans, colleagues and well-wishers were all in sight.
For hours on end, they crisscrossed medical centers for a solution. It was a battle that had to be fought and won for a human, a young, kind, talented and a resourceful soul was in danger and nothing would come in between to save her life. They did all they could but nature had other ideas.
At 7:00 PM, the most feared news popped up, an occurrence that many would pay to avert. After several hours of struggle, Trisha and all who came to help lost the battle. The diva breathed her last surrounded by her loved ones. A painful death for so many reasons.
Her demise has left many in shock, hopes shattered and dreams lost. But her death marked a turning point in the history of this nation. The following day, a peaceful demonstration ensued. The youth took to the streets to demand for justice for the late. A rallying call for the government to fix a few wrongs to ward off the ever increasing deaths by accidents on the streets of Juba that could be avoided if some institutions did their jobs right.
Mobil roundabout, the crime scene had a sight to behold. The concerned citizens took the initiative to say enough is enough. They want change so the roundabout was filled with their tired- grieving bodies. The frustrations on their faces were as visible as charcoal on snow and the voices that were already suffering from the cries were still audible enough that the men in uniform got scared. They held onto their placards and were unbothered by the heat that was filtrating under their skins with the help of the mourning black clothes they wore.
Even when the men in uniform tore and confiscated some placards and ID cards, none was fazed for they were only asking for justice for their compatriots from their own government. In the process, some were arrested, whisked away in police cars at breakneck speed and detained for good hours.
In a country where the citizens are afraid to demonstrate over excessive inflation, hunger and killings, the singer will forever be remembered for giving hope to many and being the trigger for demand for justice and reforms, something so rare in this country, South Sudan.
As a result, it is reported that the traffic police in Juba have started compulsory road tests to water truck drivers in a bid to curb the rampant accidents caused by water trucks in the city and a few are said to have had their driving license and logbooks confiscated for failing the test.
While meeting activists after the death of Trisha, the mayor of Juba City Council Kalisto Ladu Faustino is quoted to have said the movements of big trucks will be restricted in Juba during the day to reduce traffic congestion and lessen risks of road accidents. He also revealed plans to enact public policy that would regulate business ownership.
Hillu as an artist has done a lot of songs that resonate with the problems that the citizenry face; education, unity, love, peace. From her debut in music, she has worked with different people in the music industry and beyond and something everyone who has been around her will tell you is her kindness and humility and unity with all.
In one of her songs Nihaya Sunu loosely translated as “What’s the end,” she says “I was born in war, grew up in war and may even die in war and I don’t know whose fault it is. I’m not gonna wait for peace to be gotten because I know peace is with us. Let us forgive from the heart because Dafadafa (payback or revenge killings) will finish Junubin.”
At her funeral prayers, Gen. Mido, an artist, said the messages Trisha laid in her songs are more profound in comparison to some politicians. As a result, the Pojulu community has been asked to include the singer among the heroes and heroines of the Pojulu tribe for her contributions to the nation as a whole. Not many knew her personally but they have heard her voice in her songs that found soft spots in people’s hearts.
Trisha Cee who was an orphan and the only daughter of her mother Mama Jokudu Joyce passed on the evening of 29.03.2021 at Chinese Peace Hospital in Juba while waiting for blood transfusion before she could undergo operation after she was knocked by a water truck at the Mobil roundabout in Juba. The accident claimed the lives of the 27-year-old and three others. She was laid to rest on 01.04.2021 in Joppa residence in Juba.
The late will be missed for her calm demeanor, talent and how social she was to her friends, colleagues and fans alike a reason they all turned up in large numbers to pay their last respect. As much as she is no longer among us, she left for us her voice in rich music and her visuals that will live with us now and for generations to come.
FARE THEE WELL, EMPRESS.
Such a painful death: My sincere condolences to Trisha Cee’s family, friends and entire South Sudan’s music industry.