When Desmond Smith’s brother was fatally shot in February this year, he dealt with it the best way he knew how: by writing a song.The musician, who goes by the stage name Rivah, penned reggae tune ‘Luv You Brah’ as a tribute to Colford Ferguson, who became Bermuda’s first murder victim of 2011 on February 4.“He was one of my biggest friends,” the 37-year-old said of his younger brother. “The same day he died I just wrote out my feelings in a book. It took, like, three pages.“When I read it back, it was the song. I just put a guitar part and started producing it. That’s what really helped me with the trauma of him dying the way he did.”The song title comes from a favourite phrase of Mr Ferguson, who would holler it whenever he saw close family and friends.Father-of-three Mr Smith said such loving behaviour was typical of his brother. “He was always cracking jokes, laughing, was fun-loving. He didn’t take no ignorance.“If something was hurting him, he’d let you know. He was really down to earth and to the point, a big-hearted person. He’d give you his world, he’d give you his last.”Mr Smith, of Hamilton Parish, is one of Mr Ferguson’s five siblings on the Island. The others are Rochelle, Aretha, Kirk and Jomel.Their mother Melodine Ferguson died when Mr Ferguson was a little boy and their grandmother stepped in to raise the children.Mr Smith, a Marine and Ports employee, said: “The rest of our siblings’ fathers did stay on the Island. Me and Colford were the only ones that didn’t even have a father [in Bermuda]. He really did struggle with that. I had him living with me when I was 18.”The brothers remained close and Colford, 29, was a much-loved uncle to all his nieces and nephews.He spent the evening with Mr Smith at the Mid-Atlantic Boat Club the evening before he was shot, waiting for another brother who was celebrating a birthday.Mr Smith said: “Colford had a big thing about birthdays. He was the type of person that would call you up days before your birthday, ask what you were doing and if you aren’t doing something, he had to be there.“My birthday in July was difficult. It was really messed up. I was crying all day. His birthday on August 3 was a hard day for me.”He still finds it hard to believe his brother has been murdered and trusts in God to deal with those responsible.“The Father has always got a plan,” he said. “I’m hearing all these stories about people know who it is [who shot Mr Ferguson]. I’ve got children home and I can’t get my mind boggled up into that.“I’m going to want revenge if I know. I have to leave it in the Father’s hands. Those who done these crimes will be judged in different ways, even if the Lord don’t catch them.“They’ll be haunted with blood on their hands. I just pray for the children of those guys who are out there doing these things.”l To hear Mr Smith’s song and watch a slideshow of Colford go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZtrUQ4cF6U.