THERE was a time when many thought that hard core reggae ballads, stirring love songs, pulsating pop selections, and riveting dancehall hits were reserved only for the raunchy singers of Afro-descent; but many have lived to see that it is not really so.

Just a few years ago, a very dashing East Indian youth silenced tongues and had heads wagging in shame and dismay as many were forced to eat their words and learn from the best. And the best, of course, is the multi-talented ‘Mystic’, who caused mouths to drop open in shock when he filled the auditorium at the Sea Breeze Hotel (Georgetown) with his rich, melodious and stirring voice; melting hearts and leaving knees shaking with desire.

He was then just the plain and simple Romeo Nirmal, who was attempting to make a name for himself at the first ever 2006 TV Reality Show that was hosted in Guyana to discover and unleash the rich, young vocal talent across the Land of Many Waters.

At that time, young Nirmal had just the voice, but many could sense the pent up energy inside that was dying to be released. Like every young and nervous singer, he was a bit timid, and certainly needed the healing hands of time and well acclaimed experience to blossom nicely, like he has done today.

When he left the stage after several Star Guyana performances, there were many hushed whispers of “this East Indian boy is definitely talented.” Others dubbed him “The Indian boy who broke down the barriers and invaded the English music world”.

Mystic was knocked out of the Star Guyana Search before the finals, as initially he did not realise that contestants had to have three talents — singing, dancing and acting. This show was eventually won by the sexy and captivating Lisa Punch, who is doing wonders on the local shores.

There were many other talented youths at the reality show, who, after failing to place, would have disappeared off the scene; but the language of music was calling to ‘Mystic’, and he followed, heeding its beckoning.

He is one of the most unlikely reggae singers around, but when his groovy vocals are combined with some deep romantic or gut-wrenching lyrics, listeners are commanded to stop and pay attention, and wish they were wrapped up in the arms of their loved ones, or they hold their heads and shed tears for the sufferings of others. His songs certainly set one in the mood.

JOURNEY TO STARDOM
Fuelled by his love for music and a desire to be famous, Romeo Nirmal took his diamond voice to the studios of the Brutal Traxx Recordings, and, of course, they readily welcomed his presence and talent. There it budded even more as an artiste, and quite soon he became known far and wide as “Mystic, the new sound in town”.

This singer is always proud to declare that the stage name ‘Mystic’ was selected because of the mysterious allure that surrounds his person and rich voice. And he had more to tell on why he is just comfortable with the name.

This reporter bumped into the singer just recently, and he was ready to chat, since it was this reporter who actually gave him his first media spread.

Mystic said that before choosing his moniker, he looked it up on the Internet and fell in love with what it signified. Today, ‘Mystic’ has become like honey on the tongue of every music lover. Today, with all the spice and entertainment finesse he brings to the platter, one would want to believe that he has had extensive international exposure, but that is not the case.

Romeo ‘Mystic’ Nirmal is a voice to be reckoned with on the international musical front

As a youngster, he sang lustily with his family in church in Black Bush Polder on the Corentyne; and, years after, when he moved to the city, he ensured he meddled with “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” since he felt that would make him a balanced artiste and enable him to garner fans in every nook and cranny of Guyana.

As a growing youth, friends and supporters at Central High School used to marvel at his talent. “I used to like singing at lunch time, and persons would give me money and I would buy lunch. They just marvelled at my voice, and would sit and listen as if in a trance,” he recalled.

‘Mystic’ was, of course, inspired by singers like Beres Hammond and Glen Washington. Although he is not such a staunch ‘church goer’ now, Mystic still remains deeply rooted in his belief that ‘love is within any language’, and he certainly dictates that with his upbeat lyrics and soothing tempos. He of course believes in ensuring that every song delivers a positive message to listeners and fans.

Like any other Guyanese artiste, ‘Mystic’ was plagued by his fair share of hard-core negatives, which have engulfed almost every Guyanese musician trying to make it big time, and he was very deterred and frustrated by them. When it was not unfriendly and malicious rivalry, it was the plight of not being paid handsomely for musical exploits.

He was so sorely affected that at one point he gave up on the music industry altogether and returned to the Corentyne to venture into barbering. But the fire never died in his soul, so he never gave up on the dream of attaining ‘musical supremacy.’

This dude also composes, writes and performs his own original pieces. He said that while he has not had any formal voice training, he has worked on his vocals over the years, and is definitely at the point of perfection.

Amongst his very hot releases are songs like “No Love”, “Don’t Give Up”, “GT Party”, “My Life”, and “Cry”. The last mentioned song, he said, is one of his favourite pieces because it was inspired by the heart-wrenching story of a young Sudanese boy in a refugee camp. That story was featured on the Oprah Winfrey show.

His performance at the last Temperature Show, which featured Tarrus Riley and Gyptian, coupled with being the opening act of Akon’s Carifesta show and having a performance with Natural Black in Berbice are some of the most memorable public appearances for Mystic.

To date, he has worked on several new releases, which he said can be expected in the near future.

This publication applauds the dynamic and versatile Mystic on all his accomplishments, and predicts that he has a far way to go in the field of musical success.