LEGENDARY reggae musician Marisana Carlos Djedje (73) was laid to rest on Sunday, 24 December 2023 at the Heroes Acre in the West Park Cemetery, Joburg.
The funeral service was held at Saulsville Arena in Tshwane.
Gloria Ramonyenyiwe (51), the daughter of the later legendary reggae musician who died on Monday, 18 December, said they are still in great pain after losing their father.
She said Djedje loved all his children and grandchildren.
"This is painful. We were too close to him. I'm his first child," she said.
Gloria said she last spoke to her dad in September 2023. She said he asked her when her birthday was, and she told him it was in May.
"He told me that I was old and just laughed," she said.
She said that whenever she asked to visit him, he would say, "no, don't come. I will call you".
"I thought he didn't want me to see him in pain. When I heard about his passing, I cried," she said.
She said when she was growing up, her dad would call her "my baby" and say, "Don't cry. Everything would be okay". She said her last words to her father were: "I love you".
ALSO READ: Nazo, this province is the place to be
Joseph Moshidi, a family representative, said he was his producer.
"His seed will spread all over the world. We travelled the world together. The continent has lost an irreplaceable artist. Artists never die, their legacy lives on," he said.
He said Djedje was not an ordinary musician but an an icon.
"The family says thank you very much. Let's enjoy this man," he said.
Reggae musician and best friend James Mange said he was said to be starting a new life without him.
"We will always be together in spirit until join together again. I will continue with the good fight for justice, freedom, and better life for people."
James said he would reassert the identity of African people to break the chains of colonialism and free people from mental slavery.
Ntsako Mogobe, the technical advisor of the Gauteng MEC of Sport, Arts, Culture Morakane Mosupyoe, said he was more than a musician but a beacon of hope.
"This platform was one he used to shed light on community issues. Today, we are bidding farewell to this icon," he said.
Music promoter Kennedy Mabe said they would continue to honour and celebrate Djedje.
"We want Saulsville Arena to be named after Carlos Djedje," he said.
Family friend and musician Rea Malatji described Djedje as an advocate, teacher, and beacon of hope in music.
"He remains a catalyst for change. He was a genius. He wanted to bring change of injustices," she said.
He is survived by a wife Segerine Djedje and three daughters.
