BYNOE-EWIDA, ESLA

A funeral service was held Aug. 6 at Christ United Methodist Church, Jersey City, for Esla Bynoe-Ewida, 81. She passed away July 31. Born in Princess Town, Trinidad, she started her musical training with the piano at three years old and started singing at 11. At 19, she formed and conducted the Balamoor Choir in Trinidad and also was the first conductor to combine ‘Voices and Steel’ in concert in Trinidad. After graduating from Government Training College, Esla moved to Venezuela to teach English and Music and also conducted the Olympic Choir. While in Venezuela, she married Belgian born Richard Andriolo and lived there for many years. In 1968, they moved to Belgium. Here she taught English and continued to spread the joy of music with everyone she met. In 1971, Esla came to New York, studying and receiving degrees from Queens College and the Graduate Center/City College of New York. Esla moved to Jersey City in 1981 and has taught music at St. Peter’s College then Jersey City University until 2009. She has played and conducted at Christ United Methodist Church for 20 years. In Brooklyn she formed and produced many concerts of the ‘Chacconia Caribbean American Chorale’ continuing the ‘Voices and Steel’ tradition. She is survived by four brothers, Lennox and Hugh of West Palm Beach, Florida; Lancelot and Claude in Trinidad; sisters-in-law, Grace, Lydia, and Retie; nieces and nephews, Haydn, Jerry, Lisa, Stacey, Clint, and Gail; and many friends and her church family. Services arranged by the Evergreen Funeral Home, Jersey City.

© 2000, Newspaper Media Group