…taking local music to the next level

Guyana is indeed rich with musical talent, as it is with natural minerals. But ever so often we fail to recognise very talented musicians who are hidden behind the scenes, for one reason or another.

These very talented youngsters, calling themselves ‘Keep Your Day Job!’ are indeed gifted musicians who are poised to take flight to great heights in the music arena.
Keep Your Day Job! the newest addition to the Kross Kolor Records Krew, is a Guyanese punk rock duo based in Georgetown. Its current members are Gavin Mendonca and Ryan Roberts. There was a third member– Clifton

Garraway (Bass/Percussion/Vocals), but he migrated in 2011 to pursue his studies in Canada. Keep Your Day Job! was founded by Ryan Roberts and Clifton Garraway; the two are childhood friends and grew up in primary and high school together.
They both shared an interest in music from their early teenage years, Clifton’s mom was the music teacher at Marian Academy) and together decided to start a band. However, neither of them knew to play any instruments and Clifton was the only one with some knowledge of music theory, but the desire to be musicians is what ignited the flame. They both acquired guitars and taught themselves to play, using videos and tabs on the internet.
In early 2010, the third member of the band, Gavin, came along while they were all studying at the University of Guyana. Gavin had just recently got a guitar of his own, but just like the other two, he did not know how to play at first, so he too later taught himself. After proposing the idea of joining the band, they met for their very first session together and immediately began composing original material, which, after two weeks, landed them their first gig at a Queen’s College movie night.
It was a disaster, but it was the beginning of a bright future for the three young men.Throughout 2010, KYDJ! pushed with writing original songs, including Hope!, Ocean Air, Sorrow and Leaving Home, among others. They also began playing out more, performing at Marian Academy during lunch hours, at UG, at friends’ house parties, and they even managed to perform at Sidewalk Café for a ‘Walter Rodney Memorial Show’. The band was also featured in media articles in Apsara Magazine and Youth Expressions 2012. Ryan and Gavin decided to use their initiative to go hunting for gigs and this immediately found results. They held their first rock show as a duo at the Sidewalk Café. It was very last minute; however, it turned out to be quite successful. The show featured local rock veterans, Brutas. Because of the huge support they gained, another show was held which was an even a greater success. As they continued in their quest, a demo performance was sent to Kross Kolor and immediately the company was interested.
KYDJ! was later invited to Suriname to perform at an event called ‘ Unkies Rock, The Guianas’ which also featured two bands from French Guiana and Suriname. They continued progressively since, having hosted two successful events thus far for 2014 and has performed at many other events, including the recently held Jamzone Summer Break Night Of Jazz, Food and Fashion and ‘Local Palooza 2013’, a show that was held in Trinidad featuring eleven of Trinidad’s best bands.
Gavin is currently in his second year at the University of Guyana, studying Chemistry, while Ryan focuses just about all of his energies towards the band. They are currently half way thru recording their first full length studio , which will be produced by Kross Kolor Records.? Most people tend to say that in Guyana, music must not be a first option, it could only be a hobby, and to survive one must get a day job. This is the reason for the band’s name – Keep Your Day Job! Their motto is ‘Music is our lives, and we will live our lives to the fullest’.

(By Alex Wayne)