WHO WOULD have thought that right here in Guyana resides not just a veteran entertainer but a consummate filmmaker as well.
Yet, not enough is known of this man and his struggle to keep the music industry in Guyana alive when it had faltered and begun to die. Here is the story of a patriotic Guyanese who ‘Never says Never.’
Bunny Alves was born in the village of Agricola.  He’s lived there all his life, and is proud of his place of birth.
There was a rich heritage of music in his family. His father and brothers were all musicians. In the village itself, there were two bands and two singing groups. ‘Ewing and the Penguins’, led by Winston Ewing, and the ‘Cosmonauts’ ,with Lennox Dettering were the bands,  and ‘The Vicounts’, led by Jerry Jackson Jr. was one of the singing groups. The second has been lost to memory.

Scenes from ‘Deception’ and ‘King of Drums’

These were the foundation and motivation for Bunny’s interest and devotion to music. As a boy, he admired his brother, who was a lead singer in one of the groups. He was determined to follow in the footsteps of his family members.
At that time, Agricola was a very musical-minded community. With plenty of energy always available in the village, music became the channel for constructive activities. Bunny became the leader of a band called ‘The Lynks’.  From this humble beginning, he has been involved in this art form for forty three years.
His first professional gig was at the young age of thirteen. This experience fueled his appetite, and he has never looked back. His track record seems to suggest that he is a foreign entertainer and not Guyanese. With professional performances in 23 countries, he sees the highpoint of his career as performing at the Apollo Theater in the USA, and jamming at the Millennium Concert in Tobago, which was broadcast live by the BBC and produced and hosted by another Guyanese entertainer, the renowned Eddy Grant.
He has played in, and toured with, bands like Music Machines, Brass Mechanics, Curtis MG’s, and the Yoruba Singers. He has won eight Road March Titles as an arranger, and written the winning pieces for three calypso monarchs.
He’s also been the producer of two monarchs, and written and arranged the winning song for the ‘Song Contest of the Guianas’, a regional contest involving Suriname, French Guiana, and Guyana. He remains the only Guyanese to have ever won an International song competition as an arranger.
Bunny Alves works out of his own studio, ‘SSIGNAL’. The success of the brand shows the caliber and competence of the man. For Mashramani 2011, his studio raked in two first places, two seconds, and two thirds. The Junior Calypso Monarch and Road March were the two firsts. The two seconds were Senior Calypso Competition, and the Health Song Competition, sponsored by the Ministry of Health.
He remembers when the music industry in Guyana was dying after the departure of men like Vivian Lee.  With support from Eze Rockliffe and Charmaine Blackman, the music was kept alive. The reception by Guyanese audiences was not always appreciative, but he kept going.
Since then, the industry has grown considerably, but has scope for much more. With the arrival of many new and young producers, the prospects are limitless. Though some of the newcomers do not fully appreciate the hard struggles faced by their predecessors to have the industry as vibrant as it is today, Bunny feels strongly that every input is vital to the continued success of Guyanese music.
Some time ago, he decided to broaden his horizons and started to focus on movie-making. He saw the need for Guyana to move into the film industry in a big way. With his vast experience in the entertainment industry, he saw the enormous scope and reach of movies, using many popular mediums such as Music, Art, Drama and the Visual Arts.
Again, his pioneering spirit kicked in, and he has produced and directed four one-hour movies, and two animated ones. In the line of movies, he has: The Will to Live (which has as its central theme the subject of HIV/AIDS); Right Choices (also centred on HIV/AIDS); King of Drums (which highlights some aspects of the African culture, such as the power and significance of the African drum) and Deception (which uses Kung Fu to get across its message). In the area of animations, he has to his credit A Little Help Goes a Long Way   and Dinner Fu Who , both of which are of 10 minutes long.
Although he sees these new ventures as a way of challenging himself, he also thinks that it’s what Guyana needs right now. 
Work on these productions, he agrees, is difficult, and not very rewarding financially. “I have had to spend my own money, and find people willing to invest in a small way. Many of these investments come in the form of resources, talent and skills. Novice actors had to be hired and trained.”
His latest movie ‘Deception’, a Kung Fu thriller, was successfully produced with the assistance of members of the Black Hawk Karate Club. This club recently won 19 world-title belts in their international association.
The movie, ‘King of the Drums’ was conceived during an ACDA (African Cultural Development Association)-led Emancipation Day cultural presentation on August 1, 2009.
Impressed by the performance of a group from Linden called ‘Flame of the Heart’, Bunny approached them and the members expressed their frustrations with not having enough outlet to showcase their talents.
It was while speaking to these young Lindeners that the idea for a film emerged. That very day, he began writing. The film script was completed a month later. Bunny then travelled to Linden, brimming with excitement and anticipation. He made contact with the group from the mining town, and began shooting scenes for his movie. He worked tirelessly to make the film one of a very high quality.
The next six weekends were spent in Linden filming, and all editing was conducted during the week at his studio in Agricola. Ten weeks later, the movie was completed.
Making  movies proved to be very expensive ventures. ‘King of the Drums’ was no exception. So far, that and all his other movies have been done at a financial loss. Sponsorship continues to be few and very far apart.
‘King of the Drums’ depicts the art of drumming in African culture, and its strong links to African folklore and its real-life role in the African Diaspora. It tells the story of drums being used as weapons in a bitter feud between two families. The highpoint of the movie is the confrontation between two rival drums, which causes fatalities to members and followers of these two clans.  
Most of the scenes were shot in Linden, taking full advantage of some spectacular scenery.  Most of the cast members for this film also come from Linden, and much work was done in order to ensure that each scene was perfect. There were three showings of the film in Linden, but the expected turnout did not materialize.
All of his movies, Bunny says, have received great reviews.  The four one-hour productions have all been contracted by the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation in Barbados. Transmitting their signals to 23 countries, including North America, Guyanese movies are on the move.
‘King of the Drums’ has had two series of showings in the Caribbean. It was shown eight times during the Christmas season.
“So far, I have received support from Channels 9 and 11. Both have shown all my movies except the new one, ‘Deception’,” Bunny said, adding:
“The Sidewalk Café has made a major contribution to this effort.  Each Wednesday in March, ‘Deception’ will be shown at 8p.m.  I am hoping for more support, and look forward to the business community coming on board in this new wave of entertainment.”
The government has shown a keen interest in his endeavours. “I have begun to receive some measure of recognition; the government has given me and four other Guyanese moviemakers a project sponsored by His Excellency, President Jagdeo. It is a twenty-minute production, and work begins within two months,” Alves said.
Meanwhile, he continues to produce music, and movies of a high standard, and deserves the recognition, financial support and sponsorship of corporate Guyana. The Government can only do so much.