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You're wrong Soca in the 70s came from all regions of the Caribbean. And you don't know Eddy Grant personals to know how he made his music, he is a family friend,we know his methodology,stop being a low self esteem guyanese as to how he made his music. I will also tell you that Barbados and Guyana has had a long connection to, some Bajans even blame the Obeah traditions to be brought from Guyana.
Most Trinidadian youth do like Dancehall and Reggae, and so do Bajans. But Guyanese are way more serious about Dancehall than these countries, but many national music gets ignored in countries in the Caribbean.
This debate between you and caribny is very intricate with lots of details that I'm not even aware so I can't comment on everything. I can respond to the above in that yes Barbados and Guyana do have a long connection. My mom's side of the family have strong Bajan roots like a significant amount of Guyanese. With the preference for soca and dancehall with GT youth, I find that it's evenly split. People go hard for both of them, though I, personally, am more of a soca guy, though I do enjoy dancehall.
I see when people can't defend their argument they resort to personal attacks. YOU DO NOT KNOW ME SO YOU DEMEAN YOURSELF BY MAKING SUCH IGNORANT COMMENTS!
So are you claiming that huge numbers of Indians vote for the PNC now? Because the PNC gets loads of votes. 41% last time. If Indians aren't supporting them in large numbers than it must be that the vast majority of the blacks and mixed voters are.
LIE#1
PNC has been running any elections for a long time.And they don't have any 41% of the votes. The elections running for president are PPP,APNU and AFC. Most blacks and Indians don't support the PNC this is why you have political parties like the AFC.
Now when there is national assembly APNU would select some former PNC members but really its APNU,AFC,and PPP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
WHY do they support the PNC one can ask? Because the PNC has a track record of excellence? Or an ethnically based fear of the PPP?
Not all Blacks and Black mixed people don't support PNC, this is why you have AFC and GAP now a days. This is why PNC runs to APNU for help.Its not cut and dry anymore. And even historically PNC didn't have a complete stranglehold of blacks, there have always been pockets of resistance from UF and WPA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
Why don't you answer this question? Why don't blacks and Indians live together in NYC.
I already mentioned in some neighborhoods in Queens they do. Go to Richmond Hill Jamaica,Hollis and Queens Village to see for yousefl those are 4 massive neighborhoods all the proof you need.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
No I am not talking about a splinter here and there. I am talking about a DISTINCT Guyanese community as there is a distinct Dominican community.
In Richmond Hill there have always been black guyanese who have moved through around there.
But in any case the Indians and Black guyanese are still Guyanese.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
The vast majority of Indo and Afro Guyanese do not live in the same communities, this suggesting that there is tolerance for each other in Guyana, but in the USA we go our separate ways in the vast majority of the cases. You happen to be an exception to that rule.
You also don't see Chinese and Syrian Dominican living together certain ethnic groups find their niche when they are out and about. Nor IndoTrinis and Afro-Trinidadians living together.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
Why don't you answer this question? Why do we continue to have tribal voting in Guyana if we are all one, and why is there a level of ethnic tension surrounding each election?
This is what I am trying to tell you its no longer tribal, like I keep telling you AFC is in there and PNC is no longer in power period.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
Its a pity that you are left with using criminals operating, but then why do we read rants by Indians claiming that "black man lazy and only want to rob Indians"? Indeed there was a WHOLE editorial in the Chronicle, which I know a PPP supporter like you must enjoy reading.
Alright heres another fact PPP isn't even completely Indian. Many former PNC detractors like Obinga
support it.
This is why I say some of the biggest PPP supporters are PNC members. PNC rooted GDF police shoot on the behest of PPP politicians.
PNC were bigger criminals than PPP, the corrupt PNC cops are proof of this. The rig elections the PNC practcied are still done.
Like I said you have low self esteem and want to play a blame game and want to make Guyanese seem lame because of your own shortcomings.
PNC does not have the support of all blacks, that's a fact.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
Guyana is characterized by ethnic tensions, and suspicions between the two main ethnic groups, and this manifests itself in a competition for power. Do people have cross racial friendships? Yes. Is the younger generation more relaxed about racial issues? Definitely. But ethnic division is still a fact of life, and DEFINITELY among Guyanese living in NYC.
And you really need to chat with several Indian females who were disowned by their parents for marrying a black man.
With the influx of Brazilians and Chinese getting citzienship at nearly 10-25% its no longer just black and Indian.Plus the mixed population in 2002 was at 16.2% and now it has with out a doubt increased. Not to mention the Ameindian population being 9%. So 9 plus 16.2 plus another say 15 at the least gives 40%-50% of non-Indian and Non-Black population.
Like I said Guyana will longer black and Indian base politics.
But the don't ever get me twisted just because I am not a dunce and choose not to support the PNC doesn't mean I am a PPP member, you haven't seen me promote them so desist with the bull.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bronxguyanese
If the Guyana political scene is no longer PPP or PNC driven, than why do the PPP still win? Hell even former US President Jimmy Carter one time went down to Guyana to see fair democratic elections along with vote counting. He said that PPP won fair and square. I can say that with the younger population, they are not focused on PPP or PNC anymore and both parties helped ruin the country to what it is today. My family supported Portuguese backed party United Force, but after the murder of the Abraham family plenty of Portuguese ethnics left Guyana for good.
PPP may still have a base but not PNC they're pretty much defunct.Everything is not always ketchup and mustard,sometimes it would go to ketchup and mayannoise. PNC should of been out of power a long time ago but they seek refuge with other political forces in Guyana. The youth is not focused on PPP and PNC cause one is gone(or somewhat on life support) and other is not to be trusted. I am not a fan of PPP but I respect them because they have given the country economic superiority
Interesting fact about the Abraham family why did they get murdered by PNC ?
Lastly, the Human Development Index (HDI) can also be used to determine how poor a country is. HDI separates developed countries such as Canada from developing and underdeveloped countries such as Nicaragua. The figure is derived from data relating to life expectancy, education and gross national income per capita.
Based on such a criteria, the top ten poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere are:
Que Queh is a ritualistic fete, of course its going to have music, but Guyanese culture is not based off of it and neither is Guyanese music. Dude Guyanese are not solely copying everything from Trinidadians.
First of all you're wrong because other islands had Carnivals or something similar to it before Trinidads carnival became known. And if you know anything ,Trinidad is modeling its carnival after Brazil with its costumes,floats ,body paints,and what not. Guyana' MASH isn't full of scantly clad women (athough some are) and wild out this world costumes. Its mainly the most traditional Carnival in the Caribbean.
Does old 70s Trinidadian Soca sound like the Soca they have now. Dominicans are not exposed to Trinidadian music , they are a small island that has at least 3 distinctive musical styles, they basically study their own music. Dominica is part of the old French Francophone islands, like most Eastern Caribbean islands are. The Zouk was always a form of French Caribbean Soca but predates Soca.
Did you not read the story I told of Ras Shorty, it was Ras Shorty inspired by Cadence ,Cadence-lypso,and Zouk. Ras Shorty was on Tour with Dominican artists like the Exhile One ,was taught to play French Carib style music by Masestro to upstart his new Calypso style and had his song mostly written by Lord Tokyo and his musical accomplices that wrote Ras Shorty ''I Petit''.
I already explained that Guyanese have been mixing African Rhythms and Indian Instruments long before Trinidadian artists. Its not by accident the Mootoo brothers taught and trained Trinidadian Calypso artists who would turn into Soca artists and make the first Soca songs. Even the ''Jump Up'' music was started by Tom Charles and Syncopaters,which was a big thing for Soca and Calypso artists in the 70s and till now.
You're wrong Soca in the 70s came from all regions of the Caribbean. And you don't know Eddy Grant personals to know how he made his music, he is a family friend,we know his methodology,stop being a low self esteem guyanese as to how he made his music. I will also tell you that Barbados and Guyana has had a long connection to, some Bajans even blame the Obeah traditions to be brought from Guyana.
Most Trinidadian youth do like Dancehall and Reggae, and so do Bajans. But Guyanese are way more serious about Dancehall than these countries, but many national music gets ignored in countries in the Caribbean.
Every genre changes so what is your point. The Ras Shorty I beat of the 70s was pretty much gone by the mid 80s when Trinidad still dominated soca.
Of course Guyanese would be more serious about dance hall than Trinis and Bajans. Trinis and Bajans like their own music. Guyanese like every body else's. Will you now claim dance hall to be Guyanese? Why not samba while you are at it?
Ring bang is Bajan music and you should stop trying to claim it as Guyanese music. Its getting embarrassing. Like Guyanese cant do anything of their own so should claim every body else's. Guyana rejected Eddy Grant, so he moved to Barbados and collaborated in developing Bajan music.
I think you are smoking a substance. The only soca music that was played in the 70s was Trinidad 90% and Antigua the rest. Barbados wasn't on the scene, nor was St Vincent nor Grenada and I was partying in Guyana in the 70s and if we heard two Guyanese songs all night that was a lot. In fact in those days there was far less material than today because only some reggae got to Guyana, and Trinidad produced fewer songs then than it did by the 80s, and no one else was really on scene. Yes a few songs from Antigua, but not enough to fill a fete, so we mainly had US music.
So what kind of music does Kwe Kwe have. What songs do they sing?
Dominicans have ALWAYS been exposed to Trinidadian music because EVERYBODY in the English speaking Eastern Caribbean was. Indeed in the 60s virtually the ONLY West Indian music which was recorded and widely available was from Trinidad. Everybody knew Sparrow and Kitch. St Thomas right down to Guyana. Even Jamaicans knew of him through Byron Lee.
EVERY single account about cadence ties it to influences of soca/calypso on the French Antillean music. You need to show sources other than what some friend told you.
What ever the Mootoo brothers played it isn't soca. I am not getting into the chutney argument.
Trinidadians have credited Guyanese for being excellent musicians. There is no evidence that they copied any form of music from Guyana. They just credit them for playing TRINIDADIAN music well, and then having the flexibility to play other genres when the crowds wanted a change. You will recall that in those days Trinis listened to calypso/soca from Xmas to carnival and minimally after that. It as unofficially banned in Lent.
LIE#1 I am not a fan of PPP but I respect them because they have given the country economic superiority
?
And yet YOUR OWN DATA shows that Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Don't post material if you don't understand it. Indeed within CARICOM ONLY Haiti is poorer.
And what is indeed embarrassing is the data which you provide shows us on par with Bolivia and BELOW Honduras, two nations noted for their poverty!
Yes 55 years of rule by two incompetent and corrupt parties, sustained only by ethnic distrust will do that to a country.
I said INDENTURES. Indeed at the time most of the indentures were Portuguese and Africans (from Africa) with many West Indian workers as well, but by the 1860s when most of the indentures became Indians the feelings of alarm didn't dissipate. Rather then being anti foreigner the stage was set for Afro vs. Indo distrust which still exists today. While BOTH the PPP and the PNC exploit this they didn't create it. They just do nothing to reduce it.
By the late 19th century there was definitely alarm among the blacks at the size of the Indian population, and indeed the frictions between the Guyanese blacks and the black immigrants weakened as they all feared the consequences of this.
Who do you think that the rank and file policemen and teachers in Guyana were? I happen to be descended from people who became teachers in the 19thC and who have WRITTEN accounts about life in that era.
Guyana was hot, humid, muddy, mosquito, and malaria infested and so legions of English men didn't live in the colony.
So who do you think were the policemen in British Guiana and the teachers?
Burnham left and people like Eusi Kwayana INITIALLY stayed, but then left when it became obvious to them that the PPP had become a race based party. With the departure of Burnham BOTH the PNC and the PPP evolved into the race based parties which they remain today.
The fact that it happened indicated that there were underlying tensions and distrust between the two groups, because it wasn't inevitable that the departure of Burnham would have meant that almost all the blacks would leave.
Eusi wrote in his book "No Guilty Race" that when the PPP won in 1961 a brigade of trucks packed with elated PPP supporters drove down the East Coast Demerara hurling vile racist remarks at the blacks who they passed. INCLUDING A BLACK WOMAN WHO VOTED PPP and who came out to celebrate.
So blame BOTH if you want to assign blame! The PPP did NOTHING to appeal to the black vote, because they felt that racial voting guaranteed them victory!
I didn't say legions, I said there were indeed English men living in Guyana. As well as Dutch ,Spanish and French men. You do know that Guyana is called The Land Of Six People?What are you harping on about?!
Only a small amount of teachers and policemen were black, most of those title belonged to English and Portuguese, British were trying to keep black marginalized why would they assign blacks to Police officers and Teachers, one of the most powerful positions.
I know the story because many of my family are police officers.
PPP was not a raced based party you had indians and blacks in it, that's why you had Burnham, Eusi Kwayna and other multitudes of blacks who joined.
Eusi Kwayana did not leave the PPP because of the Indo-Guyanese doings, he left because of the British leaning on the PPP,which caused them to suspend the constitution. Mind the constitution was suspended because Burnham fled to seek the help of the British because he the PNC lost the elections. If it wasn't for Burnham Guyana would of had independence before Jamaican and Trinidad.
Listen there were no racially based politics before Burnham came into power ****.Eusi Kwayana was PPP longer than he was PNC, he was only in the party briefly.
Were going to put the blame on both parties but mostly the PNC, because PNC was handed a stable well off economy, that they utterly destroyed. PNC destroyed business , chased away foreign investment, didn't complete any national construction projects,lost 7 crop industries, caused dissention amongst blacks,indians,& Amerindians and cause the devaluation of the Guyanese dollar because of the debt it incurred under the PNC.
Burnham did not have all blacks under the PPP . This is why you had other political parties like the UDP and NLF at the time, stop trying to tell lies and paint your own picture. When Burnham left the PPP he made other alliances with groups like the UF, TUF, UDP and other parties.
The PPP did have the black vote initially because they had blacks, but when Burnham left his only way to gain power was to make it racially based atmosphere. This is why political parties in Guyana were not racially charged before the Burnham era.
Now $TFYU already, you sound like a bafoon.
Stop being a low-self-esteem GT mad at accomplishments of the country you make made because you can't do what PPP did,stop being a crab in the barrel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by njnyckid
This debate between you and caribny is very intricate with lots of details that I'm not even aware so I can't comment on everything. I can respond to the above in that yes Barbados and Guyana do have a long connection. My mom's side of the family have strong Bajan roots like a significant amount of Guyanese. With the preference for soca and dancehall with GT youth, I find that it's evenly split. People go hard for both of them, though I, personally, am more of a soca guy, though I do enjoy dancehall.
I completely agree I know many Guyanese with Bajan connections. But dancehall is rising in the Guyanese atmosphere.
Last edited by PrizeWinner; 09-14-2014 at 02:25 AM..
Check the results of the last election. The PNC won over 40% of the vote. The PPP won just over 48%.
You are a blatant PPP supporter who places 100% of the blame for racial voting on blacks.
This is total nonsense.
I didn't even read most of what you wrote as that claim alone was enough to indicate that the reading rest is a waste of time.
The PNC is no longer in power you dunce. What part about that don't you get or you just want to spew lies.
What part don't you get that just because I hate PNC more does it mean I support the PNC.
You're playing games and making yourself a clown because you can't comprehend anything. PNC was not the representative party for blacks in Guyana, its not the only political party blacks in Guyana supported.
In the 70s Walter Rodney and Eusi Kwayana were WPA members that led the charge against the PNC. They themselves alligned with the PPP as a matter of fact.Not to mention Burnham had backstabbed D'Guiars and the UF was an enemy to the PNC. So the UF,PPP,and WPA were against the PNC.
But again the WPA was one of the strongest and had a strong black support in Guyana. Something you know nothing $TFU
PNC is no longer in power.they are Under umbrella of APNU ,which is composed of the WPA party ,definct PNC party,some PPP,NFA and GAP. So hush with alll the rhetoric,there is no PNC in office or the National Assembly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
And yet YOUR OWN DATA shows that Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Americas. Don't post material if you don't understand it. Indeed within CARICOM ONLY Haiti is poorer.
And what is indeed embarrassing is the data which you provide shows us on par with Bolivia and BELOW Honduras, two nations noted for their poverty!
Yes 55 years of rule by two incompetent and corrupt parties, sustained only by ethnic distrust will do that to a country.
No **** its one of the poorest nations but it has fell back to the 5th poorest. And of the many reasons it became poor is because of Burnham.
Look I would rather give kudos to a political party that is responsible for economic growth of country that was dying, then a political party(PNC) that inherited a totally vibrant and prosperous country that mangled all of its economy, educational system and its infrastructure.When walter Rodney and Kwayna sought to work with the PNC on some matters the PNC denounced them. PNC helped blacks, PNC killed any blacks trying to help with anything. This is why Father Durke,Shirley Rigfield,Ohene Koana,and Edward Dublin in Linden.
So that shows you much the PNC cares for blacks. Not to mention the police force which is majoirty black and majority PNC brutalizing Afro-Guyanese. I have no time for your bull**** lies.
The PPP has caused Guyana to prosper somewhat since it came into power, at least done something to a sinking ship. PNC inherited a Cruiseline of a Country and wrecked the crap out of it and almost caused it to sink.You do the logic.
Last edited by PrizeWinner; 09-14-2014 at 01:47 AM..
This debate between you and caribny is very intricate with lots of details that I'm not even aware so I can't comment on everything. I can respond to the above in that yes Barbados and Guyana do have a long connection. My mom's side of the family have strong Bajan roots like a significant amount of Guyanese. With the preference for soca and dancehall with GT youth, I find that it's evenly split. People go hard for both of them, though I, personally, am more of a soca guy, though I do enjoy dancehall.
Plenty of Barbadians moved to Guyana and intermarried with the Afro Guyanese population during the late 19th and early 20th century. Come to think of it plenty of African Americans even have Barbadian origins since Barbados was once a British slave depot, and slaves from Barbados where purchased and shipped to the British North American Colonies. Even Panama has a significant population of Barbadians since many helped build the Panama Canal. Barbados had a big impact on Guyana especially with its culinary such as blood sausage which originally brought to Barbados by Irish and Scottish migrants and Sause.
Every genre changes so what is your point. The Ras Shorty I beat of the 70s was pretty much gone by the mid 80s when Trinidad still dominated soca.
Of course Guyanese would be more serious about dance hall than Trinis and Bajans. Trinis and Bajans like their own music. Guyanese like every body else's. Will you now claim dance hall to be Guyanese? Why not samba while you are at it?
Ring bang is Bajan music and you should stop trying to claim it as Guyanese music. Its getting embarrassing. Like Guyanese cant do anything of their own so should claim every body else's. Guyana rejected Eddy Grant, so he moved to Barbados and collaborated in developing Bajan music.
I think you are smoking a substance. The only soca music that was played in the 70s was Trinidad 90% and Antigua the rest. Barbados wasn't on the scene, nor was St Vincent nor Grenada and I was partying in Guyana in the 70s and if we heard two Guyanese songs all night that was a lot. In fact in those days there was far less material than today because only some reggae got to Guyana, and Trinidad produced fewer songs then than it did by the 80s, and no one else was really on scene. Yes a few songs from Antigua, but not enough to fill a fete, so we mainly had US music.
Hold on , you're going to tell me that that Passa Passa and Dancehall in Trinidad is Trinidadian own music, do they like it more?
Even according to you Soca is music started in Trini so do Bajans like music not of their own?
I never claimed Ring Bang is Guyanese,I said Guyanese artists helped fuse it but of course its Bajan.Guyana did not reject Eddy Grant you clown, since PNC wrecked Georgetown ,there was no proper recording studio so he went to the UK and then to Barbados, he still helps some up and coming Guyanese artists.
You tell lies, do your research SOCA was played all over the Caribbean and different artists from the West Indies got play all throughout the Caribbean.But you made a point about Reggae , most places in the WI were listening to Reggae. But remember Jamaican Mento was big in the Caribbean too, that kind of dissolved into Soca.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
So what kind of music does Kwe Kwe have. What songs do they sing?
Does it matter, I am not the one saying Queh Queh has music your the one that is trying to say much of Guaynese culture comes from Queh Queh.
Quote:
Originally Posted by caribny
Dominicans have ALWAYS been exposed to Trinidadian music because EVERYBODY in the English speaking Eastern Caribbean was. Indeed in the 60s virtually the ONLY West Indian music which was recorded and widely available was from Trinidad. Everybody knew Sparrow and Kitch. St Thomas right down to Guyana. Even Jamaicans knew of him through Byron Lee.
EVERY single account about cadence ties it to influences of soca/calypso on the French Antillean music. You need to show sources other than what some friend told you.
How is Cadence-lypso Trinidadian ,when when Ras Shorty himself asked from at least 3 Dominiquens different artists how to make a Cadence-lypso song? Its music of their own stop trying to harp on about made up lies. Don't make yourself look illiterate Cadence-lypso is from Dominica that's recorded in history.
If Cadence-lypso was influenced by Soca music, Ras Shorty wouldn't of asked for pointers from Dominican artists.
What ever the Mootoo brothers played it isn't soca. I am not getting into the chutney argument.
Trinidadians have credited Guyanese for being excellent musicians. There is no evidence that they copied any form of music from Guyana. They just credit them for playing TRINIDADIAN music well, and then having the flexibility to play other genres when the crowds wanted a change. You will recall that in those days Trinis listened to calypso/soca from Xmas to carnival and minimally after that. It as unofficially banned in Lent.
You're having a hard time following me, I said Guyanese like the Mootoo Brothers were the first to fuse African and Indian instrument,rhythms, and chords into their music. Some of the top Calypso artists recordings were done by Mootoo brothers.You do understand that this is Ras Shorty's claim how Soca was started in Trinidad because it mixed Indian and African elements into their songs right?Well Guyanese artsist have long been doing it and they actually taught it to Trinidadian artists who would teach it to the forerunners of Soca.
The hell are you talking about the never were influenced by music from Guyana, I already told you even the term Jump Up Music was started by The Syncopaters. King Fighter was also very influential and so was Bill Rogers. Please stop being a self-hating person trying to negate out contributions to Caribbean music and musical accomplishments Guyanese have made.
Guyana is located on the north eastern coast of South America, bordered by Suriname to the east, Brazil to the south and Venezuela to the west.
In 1595, when Sir Walter Raleigh made his voyage to the New World, he gave accounts of EL Dorado, which is believed to be in and around Guyana. European settlement of this area started in 1615 with the Dutch who brought West African slaves to work their cotton and sugar plantations that they established along the coastline. The French and the English also laid claim to various parts of the region using African slaves to work on their plantations. The influence of the Dutch, Amerindian, British and to a lesser extent the French can be seen in names and places to this day.
The British became a major player in the colonization of this region around 1781 and in 1814 the Colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice were ceded to Britain. They were merged in 1831 to become British Guiana.
After the abolition of slavery in 1834, most of the Africans moved away from the plantations and the British replaced this labor force with indentured workers from India. Immigrants from Europe and China were also lured to this flourishing new British Colony.
THE ORIGIN OF GUYANESE MUSIC
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British Guiana gained Independence from the British in 1966, and is now called GUYANA and as a result of its history the population is comprised of 6 ethnic groups and is the only English speaking country in South America.
The population of Guyana is made up of 40 percent Africans, 51 percent East Indians and the balance Chinese, Portuguese, Europeans and Amerindians .
Regardless of the make up of this society, African heritage has always been the dominant culture which is displayed in their music and folklore while mimicking their European masters who were famous for their grand marching band parades and Sunday concerts in the Botanical gardens.
In the early twentieth century, most former slaves were now living in the capital city of Georgetown working as paid laborers and part time musicians. As slaves, they were accustomed to celebrating the end of the crop season when their masters would allow them to play drums, dance and sing. This is called Quek Queh or Masquerade Music in Guyana and in other parts of the West Indies it is known as” Junkanoo”.They would also sing songs about their devilish masters and make fun of the way they dressed. To their delight , their masters were amused and threw them coins. The Masquerade band is a permanent fixture in Guyanese culture. Singing songs about their former owners shifted to singing songs about everyday life and experiences. Some Africans learned to play the guitar most likely from their European counterparts. Now they were playing chords and singing simple songs about life and sometimes making fun of each other. This was the beginning of Shanto in Guyana, an early form of Calypso.
THE MAKING OF GUYANESE MUSIC
Georgetown, British Guiana at the beginning of the twentieth century, was now set to become the musical capital of the British West Indies.During this era, big dance bands emerged such as Tom Charles and the Syncopators who were famous for their Creole “jump up” music.Harry Whittaker played alto saxophone with the Syncopators Orchestra and was recognized as the best saxophonist in this region until his passing.He is remembered for his fantastic solos on GEMS recordings,but mostly by his work on “Cool Dive”(Jazz) an Al Seales composition recorded in the early 50’s on which the performances are remarkable to this day.The Famous Mootoo Brothers were early East Indian musicians who attempted the fusion of Indian music with Afro rhythms. They were the back up band for many of the Trinidadian Calypsonians who came to Guyana after Carnival including the Mighty Lion. They moved to Trinidad and it is believed this is the origin of “soca chutney “ another form of calypso played on the island of Trinidad . Then there was the talented Al Seales,leader of the Washboards, a true musical visionary who always thought that Guyana’s music should also express their Latin American influence even though they were bound economically and culturally to the British West Indies.He used Latin percussion instruments in all of his arrangements.
This was an early fusion of Latin and American dance music which is what the Washboards played at the time.
The arrival of Bill Rogers singing Shanto and his appearing at local Vaudeville Shows was the beginning of a new musical dimension. He is the most famous Shantonian to come out of Guyana and one of the first to sign a recording contract with a known British Gramophone Record Company “PARLAPHONE RECORDS” where he recorded BEEGEE BHAGEE, DADDY GONE, and SIGHTSEEING IN THE U.K to name a few.It was “Beegee Bhagee” that went world wide after Harry Belafonte allegedly used the song on one of his albums.
By 1940 Carnival in Trinidad was set as an annual festivity. However, in Guyana, the VAUDEVILLE Shows were featuring regularly local and foreign entertainers like Bill Rogers, Lord Sweet Dreams, Lord Coffee, King Fighter, Lord Canary, Mighty Sparrow , Lord Melody, Lord Cristo and many others who came to Guyana after Carnival to learn and improve their performing skills.
.COMMERCIALIZATION OF EARLY GUYANESE MUSIC
In 1950, Al Seales, leader of the Washboards Orchestra started GEMS Recording Company. This is the earliest Recording Company in the region to create a complete production from musical arrangements recorded locally on tape, to the manufacturing and distribution of gramophone records, through MELODISC RECORDS of London, England. His first commercial release was “Jumbee Jamboree”. This song was later recorded by the Andrew Sisters and Harry Belafonte of the USA.
This was the most flourishing period musically in Guyana with Al Seales recording some of the Caribbean’s best Calypsonians and local Artists like Doreen Greavsande who was his favorite female vocalist. She is known best for her recording of an original song “Dig Me” on GEMS label . Lord Melody’s “The Devil” and “BooBoo Man” were recorded at GEMS, but again it was Harry Belafonte’s version that was played worldwide, e.g “Boo Boo Man” was originally recorded by Lord Melody on a GEMS label # SM-002A 78 r.p.m gramophone record. This became one of Belafonte’s cover songs and and was also done by the Andrew sisters. GEMS was the vehicle for all popular Caribbean Music during this period and most of their productions were licensed to American Recording Companies without their knowledge or proper agreements.
Al Seales was a musician and a talented artist who hated legalities and was therefore denied his rightful share in a business that exploded into something bigger than he could ever imagine.
Vivian Lee of ACE Records recorded the performances of talented Guyanese artists who appeared at the Vaudeville shows. Billy Moore’s Four Lords, made their debut on this label and went on to record with GEMS Records one of Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s most famous original Christmas songs “Happy Holiday”.
Vivian Lee was a talented entrepreneur who ran a successful advertising company and with the emergence of commercial radio he monopolized this new media to promote his music productions and vaudeville shows. This brought about some dissatisfaction and concerns about equal exposure of all Guyanese Music but these concerns were never addressed by the board of directors of the radio station who were mostly the upper middle class in Guyana and cared less about the development of local music in Guyana.
Vivian Lee went on to produce one of Guyana’s best known popular singers, Johnny Braff, who had a string of hits in the 60’s that sold very well locally.
By the end of the 60’s , big band music had disappeared since most of the accomplished musicians had migrated to greener pastures in the UK or the USA.
The electronic age had arrived and small combos using electric instruments and keyboards mushroomed across the land playing music from the US and UK. Pat Blakney’s Rhythmaires and Des Glasford’s Combo Seven were the most popular Electric combos during this period with more than twenty bands in Georgetown alone. Now Guyana was no longer the musical powerhouse it once was and by the end of the 80’s the small electric combos had also disappeared and Guyana fell into a musical coma and remains there to this day.
CONCLUSION
There are some signs of recovery in local music, but most of Guyana’s music today is imported from other Caribbean islands such as Jamaica’s reggae and Trinidad’s soca. Guyana’s Dave Martin, leader of the Trade Winds calypso band, has been around for more that three decades and continues to make remarkable musical contributions to the Caribbean. Eddie Grant, a Guyanese music celebrity, recently remigrated to the region from London and set up his recording company, ICE Records , in Barbados. Maybe this is a sign of things to come.
Guyana is still a nation of six ethnic groups living together with endless unexplored possibilities more than any man could imagine ,but the harmony is missing.
Until they find that perfect harmony and a way to share their feelings and thoughts Guyana will never be able to create, play or do anything outstanding together. Music is love and the only international language that exists on earth .I pray that they find that C-E-G (perfect harmony) to recapture their past glory.
By Ray Seales
Last edited by PrizeWinner; 09-14-2014 at 03:27 AM..
Plenty of Barbadians moved to Guyana and intermarried with the Afro Guyanese population during the late 19th and early 20th century. Come to think of it plenty of African Americans even have Barbadian origins since Barbados was once a British slave depot, and slaves from Barbados where purchased and shipped to the British North American Colonies. Even Panama has a significant population of Barbadians since many helped build the Panama Canal. Barbados had a big impact on Guyana especially with its culinary such as blood sausage which originally brought to Barbados by Irish and Scottish migrants and Sause.
Populations have always went back and forth from Guyana to Barbados. I am not sure if there is strong Bajan population in Panama but there is a Jamaican popultion there and that's why so many Caribbean Panamanians trace their roots there.
Black Pudding is not the same as Blood Sausage, and if it was brought by Bajan Irish and Scots it would be from Ireland and Scotland.
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The elections running for president are PPP,APNU and AFC. Most blacks and Indians don't support the PNC this is why you have political parties like the AFC.
