By Shirley Thomas
ROGER Hinds (Jnr), also called ‘Young Bill Rogers’ and son of the legendary 20th century Calypso Monarch, Bill Rogers (Snr) is poised to make a big hit on the local music industry once more, with three recently released songs: ‘Chutney Music Nice’, ‘Suicide is not the Answer’ and a hot, hot Soca, ‘Jiggling Bumper’. And there’s a fourth, soon to be released – ‘We want Peace’. Excited about the prospects for an imminent breakthrough, Rogers credits the recordings to reigning Chutney King, Bunty Singh’s Recording Studios – BKVJ at Rosignol, Berbice.
“The work was well recorded, well received and I am satisfied so far with what he has done,” Rogers said.
An innovative producer, with a knack for ‘thinking outside the box’, Rogers has been able to artfully and delectably combine Chutney Music with Bollywood songs, thereby emerging the first to come up with a new and interesting genre which can literally be sold as ‘Bolly-Chut. He recalls that as he was composing his song ‘Chutney Music Nice,’ he got this idea of teaming up with Bunty Singh in a manner as would highlight the unity between Indo and Afro-Guyanese.
“It also showed my versatility in terms of showcasing myself, doing about three Bollywood songs in medley,” Rogers says. And so, presenting his song ‘Chutney Music Nice’ he asserts: “This, I hope, will give my music a plus, thereby capturing the hearts of Indo-Caribbean music lovers.”
Rogers recalls his inspiration came from an Indian wedding he attended, and as he sat listening to the various types of music, he got a premonition to come up with this combination.
Since releasing his songs, he says he has been interviewed live on ‘Guyana Tunes’, a radio station in New York; Pujah Ram and Vee Jay also from Guyana Tunes in New York; Allan Gopie, a DJ at ‘We Thing Radio’ also in New York and D J Bevaughn at Caribbean Jam Radio. He has also shared his songs with NCN 94.1; 93.1 and 89.5 in Guyana.
Chutney Music Nice’ and ‘Jiggling Bumper’ are of upbeat tempo, a demonstration of classic verve on the part of the singer, and certainly put listeners in a partying mood.
However, ‘We want Peace’ and ‘Suicide is not the Answer’ are basically Edutainment pieces and bear strong messages of exhortation. Edutainment is entertainment designed to teach something or get a particular educational message across to listeners. The content is designed to educate and at the same time, entertain.
‘WE WANT PEACE’
The song: “We want peace” bears a message of peaceful co-existence, appealing to persons around the world to live in peace, love and unity and live together as one.
“Every day we hear about so many wars going on around the world – whether it is tribal war, political war, whether its people fighting for land or over ethnicity — one thing is sure – it results in destruction to the human race,” he said.
Rogers said using the medium of television messages, while they are all good and effective, also cost a lot of money. But in using song, the CD/DVD only has to be paid for once, and can be used continuously, each time getting the message across. For example, it presents impacting messages educating persons on the benefits of living in peace as opposed to racial disunity.
“Whatever I do, my aim is to address social issues and send out positive messages,” Rogers said. He bemoaned the fact that a lot of songs today do not have any positive message.
‘SUICIDE IS NOT THE ANSWER’
‘Suicide is not the Answer’ carries a strong message, urging persons not to commit suicide or even to have suicide ideation.
This song, a Suicide Awareness message, even though catchy, leaves powerful subliminal messages in one’s psyche which are the constant reminders why not to commit or attempt suicide and the dangers and other implications of doing so, Rogers said.
He considers it a shame that Guyana should be rated amongst countries with the highest incidence of suicide around the world and is appealing to persons with suicide ideation to be strong and resist the temptation to commit suicide.
“The more it is played, the more likely it is that the message will stick with you: ‘Suicide is not the answer for domestic problems…. There are many ways to solve them,” he admonished.
He said that Calypso or Chutney or Soca are songs that people can relate to and have respect for Guyanese, and moreso, respect for property rights.
“It is disconcerting to know that artistes have to invest so much in getting their music put together and recorded, only to see it within the first few days, being carbon copied and sold out in the streets at rock-bottom rates and the singer gets nothing,” he said.
He bemoaned the fact that when they sing and record a song, invariably they do not only make back the money invested.
“As I said, the corporate laws need to be enforced. Those people out there who are pirating the music need to pay up their dues. Also our radio and TV stations need to play more Guyanese music,” he said.
And to the singers out there, he is urging them to register and copyright their work. He has kudos for Burchmore Simon and others who are piloting the attempt to get copy right laws enforced in Guyana.
“In the absence of that, today it all boils down to singing for the love of it,” he concluded.
The celebrated Roger Hinds or ‘Young Bill Rogers’ has 12 Music Awards to his name.
Now 45, he is credited with being two-time Calypso Monarch (2008 and 2012); two-time Health Competition Winner (2009 and 2012); five-time Shanto Competition Winner (between 2001 and 2007); First-place winner of two Chutney Competitions (Afro-Guyanese in 2013 and 2015).
He recalled as a teenager he would enlist for the Guyana Broadcasting Studios’ “On Show Young Guyana’ and it was then that he developed that confidence to come out on stage and do his thing. By age 20, he recalls, he knew that there would be a career in singing for him. His father died in 1983.