THOUGH he remains behind the scenes, as his secluded demeanour dictates, he certainly has catapulted Guyana into the arena of great steel band and steel pan music, and has become a household name both locally and internationally.His exploits over the years have first awakened, and then kept, the joys of steel pan music alive in Guyana and among the rolling hills and many waters of the Caribbean, even as it invades the terrain and borders of foreign lands.

A beautiful array of tropical trees and flower plants line the lush walkway to the home of Roy Geddes at 190 Roxanne Burnham Gardens, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown. This is accentuated with steel pan souvenirs and other assortments that send the distinct message of ‘a vivid steel pan haven’ secluded in a quiet and serene location at home.

The steel pan museum houses a vivid and colourful pictorial display of Roy’s successes, even as it showcases the making of steel pans from ‘raw material’ to the finished product. There is also an abundance of reading materials, while an array of trophies, medals and souvenirs speak volumes of his successes and contributions to the music discipline in Guyana and abroad.

Commenting on the need for upward mobility and the further development of steel pan music locally, Roy indicated that only those directly involved in this production can ‘bring about an actual change.’ He noted that while the steel pan has advanced technologically, the love is not there for the art form, thus hampering its ultimate success.

Comparing steel pan music of yesteryear with what obtains in present day, he pointed out that, in the past, those involved exhibited intense dedication and loyalty, and would spend lengthy hours in rehearsing.

According to Roy, those involved with steel pan today are very reluctant to ‘go the extra mile’ and would scarcely attend practice sessions.

He is the recipient of two National Awards for his sterling contributions in the field of steel pan music. In 2004 the official magazine of the British Association of Steel Pans, the Pan Podium, recognised his achievements in development of the music genre.

Roy Geddes is indeed a Guyanese icon in the steel pan music industry. His contributions and dedication to the development of the art form is unrivalled and unequalled. For more than 56 years, he has dedicated his full-time energies into making steel pan in Guyana a force to be reckoned with.

And even at age 70, this truly outstanding stalwart is still actively involved in the continued growth of steelpan music. He presently teaches pan music at the Greycoat Training Centre at Victoria, East Coast Demerara, where his services are voluntary.

He is also employed with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport in a venture to educate youths in the field of steelpan music at his home in Roxanne Burnham Gardens.

Tourists visiting Guyana over the years have developed a keen interest in his popular steel pan museum, and have visited the site for firsthand information and demonstrations on vital aspects of the art form.

The reservoir of information also attracts the attention of many schools, youth clubs and other institutions.

Geddes, who has paved the way for the ultimate evolvement and maximum development of the steel pan industry, noted that its continued success depends on the dedication, commitment and cooperation of entities and individuals associated with its existence.

A close associate of Dr Cheddi Jagan, Roy has remarkable praise for the exploits of the revered late President, who he indicated was a close and pleasant friend and a proud admirer of the steel pan tradition.

In 1960, through the efforts of Dr. Jagan, Roy began offering entertainment with the steel pan to folks at Freedom House in Robb Street, Georgetown. He noted that the admirable Dr. Jagan at no time tried to include him into the politics of the country, but instead took a neutral stand in his love and respect for the steel pan music.

He said that Dr. Jagan was an inspiration in his drive for steel pan music, and actually contributed to his strength to continue in this aspect despite constraints surrounding the art form at that time.

“Dr. Jagan was really a nice man who was all about patriotism. He promoted the steel pan music well, and it was he who orchestrated the formation of the first National Steel Band in Guyana in 1963. This band performed at various functions for the workers of Guyana, and (its services were) paid (for) by the state.

“However, when the People’s National Congress came into power in 1964, they knocked out such steel pan performances because of their colonial mentality.”

Performances at Freedom House during Christmas season and on Old Year’s Night were quite a treat for Roy; but though this is no more, he was delighted that through efforts by the Wilderness Explorers entity, some 140 tourists visited his home on December 25, 2013.

They were, of course, educated on the history of the steelpan, and given demonstrations on aspects of the steelpan, for which they were thankful and very elated.

HIS JOURNEY
It all began in 1934 while he was still in his early teens, growing up in a single parent home at Leopold and Lombard Streets, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.

Around that time, he was bombarded with steel pan music since the Chicago and the Casablanca Steel Bands were in proximity to his home. He played in both bands for about four years, and also was a vibrant force in the Tripolo and Invaders Steel Orchestras during his teenage years.

His popularity grew as his natural inborn skills and talents were noticed by the music elites as well as by persons in the cultural and entertainment fields.

He soon branched off with the National Steel Band of Guyana, and was selected along with several others to form the National Steel Orchestra in 1962.

That year brought pleasant tidings, and the orchestra was selected to play for the Independence celebrations in Trinidad. The following year, their musical versatility took them to Cuba, where they toured the many provinces, bringing ‘tropical steel pan pleasure’ to hundreds of thousands.

Those were the years of fame, and Roy reminisced on “feeling like the celebrity Michael Jackson” when he was asked to sign autographs and pose for photos.

In 1964, he teamed up with Guyanese Freddie Massay (leader of the then Mediators Steel Band) and formed the Silvertones Steel Orchestra. There was high competition in Guyana back then, but it was the Silvertones Steel Orchestra that was selected to play for Queen Elizabeth II, who was visiting Guyana at that time. They were the champions in this field for about a decade, and also won two Guyana Music Festivals during their reign.

They did not stop there, but moved on to record an LP to raise funds for the University of Guyana in the 1970s, also playing for many charitable events and raising funds for churches and schools. Their many concerts in the rural areas can be remembered as events that offered much entertainment for those residing in the ‘countryside’.

Roy’s talent and well-earned popularity paid off in 1984, when he was selected to travel to Tanzania and was consigned to make steel pans for the Tanzanian National Service.

According to Roy, his affiliation with the Silvertones Steel Orchestra taught him discipline and patriotism, and to have a sense of responsibility, while it gave him an opportunity to ‘better his life’.
Although Roy was “going places’, he had his sights set on playing a more instrumental and personal role in the improvement of pan music, which he also saw as a vehicle to transform the lives of many people. So, in the early 1970s, he established the Roy Geddes Pan School, situated in his community to impart musical expertise and a trade to single-parent youths and others in the society.

Roy was recipient of the Medal of Service award in 1971 and the Golden Arrow of Achievement in 1996 for his sterling contributions to pan music and excellence as tuner, leader, player and social worker among the youths with whom he was associated.

In 2004, the Pan Podium paid him homage and featured him, while in 2005 he was featured in the magazine ‘Celebrating African Achievements’. GEM Magazine also featured his successes in 2005.

The musical stalwart was pellucid that his successes could not have been possible without the valuable assistance of his wife and Band Secretary, Pamela Geddes, to whom he has been married for over 45 years.

In an effort to preserve and further educate on the values of the art form, the Roy Geddes Steel Pan Museum was established 12 years ago; and, to date, is the only such institution locally.

Roy, quite naturally, was very excited when the Culture Ministry called on him to help them establish a National Steel Band to perform during the Carifesta X celebrations.
However, he indicated that he had selected five tuners to accompany him to make this a reality, but he was not entirely satisfied with the outcome. According to Roy, tuning of steel pans ‘has gone to another level’, and therefore needs careful and concentrated work of the highest quality.

He said there was no coordination in the music supplied at the various Carifesta X events, since many put to do the job “were not serious about producing the best sounds from the pans, and therefore did not bother with fine tuning.”

He said his greatest desire is to see respectability and commercialisation of pan music.
While there is dissatisfaction with many aspects of what currently exists, Roy views himself as successful in bringing about enlightenment, improving the knowledge base, and putting Guyana on the map in terms of highlighting expertise in this regard.

Describing success as “a journey rather than a destination,” Roy remains optimistic that steel pan music will be returned to its former glory.

In a recent interview with the celebrity at his Roxanne Burnham Gardens home, Geddes seemed a bit more remorseful than when we visited him in 2008. Part of his lack of jubilation was generated by horrid memories of his being beaten and robbed at his home in February of this year, when he was attacked by a lone gunman who beat him on his head with a handgun and robbed him of two gold chains worth about $160,000, then made off in a car which was waiting a short distance away.

Roy was tending his flower garden and trimming the parapet outside of his yard when the gunman struck. He recalled that at the time he was in a bending position as he trimmed the parapet, and suddenly he felt a blow to his head. Spinning around, he saw a man with a ‘big gun’ and a vicious look on his face.

The intruder grabbed the chains Roy was wearing, but Roy resisted him, and for a brief moment there was a scuffle. But the bandit, being armed and younger and stronger, dealt Geddes about four blows to his head with the gun butt, causing him to fall to the ground.

The elderly Geddes, however, managed to rip the bandit’s shirt off, and later turned it over to the police.

Roy has gotten over that ordeal now, and seems more interested in talking about the importance of steel pan music in Guyana, and his accomplishments in that field over the years.

By Alex Wayne