By: Precious Mills
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Thursday 11th June 2026) — For a few memorable minutes on the morning of Thursday 11th June 2026, traffic patterns in Basseterre appeared to turn back the clock as the pre-funeral procession of calypso legend 73-year-old Elston ‘King Ellie Matt’ Nero made its celebrative and emotional journey through the capital, including going down Fort Street. In a fitting tribute, sections of the city’s normal traffic flow were temporarily adjusted to accommodate the procession, allowing fans, supporters and onlookers to line the streets and follow along in paying their final respects to ‘the Maestro.’
The procession departed the Jenkins Funeral Home at Market Street before making its way along Central Street, turning onto Church Street, proceeding east along Cayon Street and then making its symbolic descent down Fort Street — the one-way street flowing in the opposite direction to normal, as authorised by traffic police. “Ellie Matt going down Fort Street like he crazy!” one excited supporter exclaimed, referencing the calypsonian’s hit song ‘Going Down Fort Street.’ As vehicles slowly moved through the streets of Newtown, classic King Ellie Matt songs — including ‘Makazema,’ ‘Sugar City Jamming,’ ‘Going Down Fort Street’ and ‘I Love St. Kitts-Viva’ — blasted from car speakers, transforming the solemn procession into a nostalgic celebration of life. A tribute stop was made at his old residence area by the breadfruit tree. Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew said: “We are here to give our love and respect not only to a man, but a movement that he led. A man who held a microphone but the movement which he helped to lead held the people together. St. Kitts and Nevis is the subject of his life’s work.” King Ellie Matt was laid to rest at the Springfield Cemetery in Basseterre.