“I HAVE received several accolades for exploits in the field, and I am truly grateful for them; but they did not come without pains or sacrifices.”

Those were the words of Guyanese Steelpan icon Roy Geddes, who, in times gone by, has put Guyana on the map as a land that can hold its own against any state or country producing original steelpan music.

Geddes has received several awards and trophies for his exploits in the field of steelpan music, but, as he observed, his successes “did not come without pain or sacrifice.”

Though for some strange reason we do not hear mention of this steelpan stalwart at most of our prestigious events that reward sterling contributors to our society, one has to agree that Roy Geddes has not only paved Guyana’s way for recognition in the steelpan world, but also signalled to budding artistes that all things are possible as long as dedication, determination and discipline are adhered to and made priority in any aspiration.

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 at3tacked 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 motor car which was waiting a short distance away.

Geddes 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, trimming 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 Geddes was wearing, but the victim put up a resistance. 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 man 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 steelpan music in Guyana, and his accomplishments in the field over the years.

Journey to glory
It all began in 1934, while he was still in his very young teens, growing up in a single-parent home at Leopold and Lombard Streets in Georgetown. Around that time, he was bombarded with steelpan music, since the Chicago and the Casablanca Steelbands were in close proximity to his home.

He played in both bands for about four years, and was also a vibrant force in the Tripoli and Invaders steel orchestras.

As the years passed, his popularity grew, and his natural inborn skills and talents were noticed by the music elites as well as by people in the cultural and entertainment fields.

Thirsting as usual for new heights in anything he does, he soon branched off with the National Steelband of Guyana, and was selected with several others to form the National Steel Orchestra in 1962.

And this was indeed a very prosperous year for them.
The orchestra was selected to play for the Independence Celebrations in Trinidad. The following year, its musical versatility took the members to Cuba, where they toured the many provinces, taking ‘tropical steelpan pleasure’ to many.
Those were years of fame, and Roy reminisced on the thrill and manner in which his adrenaline went to alarming heights when asked to sign autographs and pose for many photos with fans.

In 1964, he teamed up with Guyanese Freddie Massay (leader of the then Mediators Steel Band) and formed the Silvertones Steel Orchestra.

There was competition in the land around that period, but it was the Silvertones Steel Orchestra that was selected to play for the Queen of England, who was visiting Guyana at that time. They were the champions in this field for about a decade, and they also won two Guyana Music Festivals during their reign.

They did not stop there, but moved on to record an album to raise funds for the University of Guyana, in the 1970s. The band also played for many charity events, raising funds for churches and schools as well. Its 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 well, because, in 1984, 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 over time taught him discipline, patriotism, and a sense of responsibility; while it gave him an opportunity to ‘better his life’.
Roy had his sights set on a never-ending string of successes, and in the early 1970s, the Roy Geddes Pan School, situated in his community, evolved to ‘impart musical expertise and offer a trade to single-parent youths and others in the society’.

Achievement
Roy is the recipient of two national awards — the Medal of Service, bestowed upon him in 1971; and the Golden Arrow of Achievement, gained in 1996 for his sterling contributions and excellence as tuner, leader, player and social worker among the youths with whom he was associated.

In 2004, the Pan Podium (Official Magazine of the British Association of Steelpans) paid homage to Geddes, featuring him in that issue; while in 2005, he was again featured in the magazine ‘Celebrating African Achievements’. In that year, also, he was a main feature in the Guyanese magazine GEM, which spoke highly of his growth and development into the phenomenal fame he had already received.

According to this musical stalwart, his successes could not have been made possible without the valuable assistance of his wife and Band Secretary, Pamela Geddes.

Tourists visiting Guyana over the years have developed a keen interest in his steelpan museum, and have visited the site for firsthand information and demonstration on vital aspects of the steelpan art form.
It has also attracted the attention of many schools, youth clubs and other institutions as a reservoir for information.

Scope for development
Commenting on the possibility for upward mobility and further development of steelpan music, Roy indicated that only those directly involved in his promotion and production can ‘bring about an actual change’.
Roy noted that while the steelpan has advanced technologically, the love is not there for the art form, thus hampering its ultimate success and movement forward.

Comparing the steelpan music of yesteryear with that of present day, he noted that, before time, those involved exhibited intense dedication and loyalty, and would spend lengthy hours in rehearsals.
According to Roy, those of today are very reluctant to ‘go the extra mile,’ and would scarcely come to practice sessions.

He further stated that the Culture Ministry alone cannot do much for the discipline, since it is ‘not the money that would make the change’ but a collective, combined effort of sponsors and ‘the panmen’ to take steelpan music to a pinnacle of ‘indefinite stardom’.

Roy, quite naturally, was very excited when informed that the Culture Ministry was forming a National Steelband during the recent Carifesta X celebrations. However, he indicated, he selected five tuners along with himself to make this a reality, but was not entirely satisfied with the outcome.

Roy thinks that tuning of steelpans ‘has gone to another level’, and therefore needs careful and concentrated work of the highest quality. He opined that 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 in the pans, and therefore did not bother with fine-tuning’.
He is of the view that, “in unity, steelpans can become a force to be reckoned with, since no band or band tuner is an island. Each needs unity to survive”.

Roy Geddes Steelpan Museum, has been receiving rave reviews from locals and from the Pan Podium, the official magazine of the British Association of Steelbands.

The steelpan museum houses a vivid and colourful pictorial display of Roy’s success, even as it displays an intriguing showcase of steelpans — from the raw material to the finished products. There is also an abundance of reading materials, while a line-up of trophies, medals and souvenirs speak positive vibes of his successes and contributions to the music discipline in Guyana and abroad.

Roy Geddes has paved the way for an ultimate evolution and maximum development of the art form of steel pan music, but he noted in a recent interview that its success depends entirely on the much-needed dedication, commitment and cooperation of bodies and individuals associated with its existence.

Steelpan instruments were first invented in the last century in Trinidad and Tobago by hard-working, dedicated and committed youths from the ghetto, who never gained the respect they truly deserved.

The only non-electronic musical instrument to be invented in the 20th cntury, the steelpan is now produced in the United Kingdom and the United States of America, threatening to leave its original inventors behind.