– Son of talented Guyanese musical entertainers charts his own course  
By Ravena Gildharie
STANTON Joshua Duff is a young songwriter and singing sensation promoting his music under the name Tactyle. His passion for music knows no boundaries, and while most persons with such talent are eager to impress promoters and land lucrative record labels, Tactyle is simply focused for now on enjoying his music and creating songs that can connect with people in the warmest of ways.

“You can say music is in my genes,” Tactyle said with a chuckle during an exclusive interview with the Pepperpot Magazine. Both of his parents, Candace Mercedes Field and Stanley Duff, better known as ‘Busta’ who operates his own ‘One Man Band,’ are well-known Guyanese musical entertainers.

Candace is famous for her talent to take any stage by storm as she artistically belts out the highest notes during her covers of Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey songs, but many would recall that she was also known locally for cover renditions of many of Celine Dion’s most difficult songs. She frequently sings with the Majestic Band at the Pegasus Hotel on weekends and at varying times independently at other private functions and public events. Meanwhile, Tactyle’s father, the older Duff, who is more drawn to reggae, soca and oldies, still performs his band in New York and New Jersey where he now resides.

Tactyle migrated with his dad when he was 11 but, even now at age 19, the young man still seems fondly grounded to his homeland, Guyana. Currently, he is in the country promoting his first song “Love yuh Girl,” which he wrote and released this past summer. It is an R&B/reggae fusion with lyrics that describe the varying feminine personalities to which young men are attracted. The song was released on social media and is also being promoted on local airwaves. Tactyle has been doing a series of radio interviews and public appearances to popularise his song.

The young singer/songwriter is already working on other songs that are to be released shortly. In the meantime, he does local performances at public and private functions and events with the Majestic Band, and at the Pegasus and Princess Ramada hotels during their live weekend entertainment shows.
“Growing up as a child I saw both of my parents singing and going about their music separately but, I was never really interested up until I was about age nine or 10 when my mom bought me an iPod shuffle,” Tactyle stated. His passion for music quickly escalated, and with the support of both parents, his experience keeps growing in the industry. He can now also write and produce his own music since he is skilled in the engineering of sounds and vocals.

He can play the keyboard well and has a good understanding of one of the structural pillars of music- harmony- which is the simultaneous sounding of three or more notes making up what are called chords.
“I am just about enjoying my music. I love it and I see myself continuing it, and if it is meant to take me further, it will happen. If I am destined to reach great heights in my music, I will, but for now, I am putting my all into and enjoying it,” Tactyle indicated.

Connecting with people through music
He was born and raised in Georgetown and lived briefly with his mother on the East Bank of Demerara before he migrated to the United States. Almost every summer, he flies back to Guyana where he enjoys working with his friends and associates on producing more music. Tactyle recently attended the Medgar Evers College in New York studying for his Associate Degree in Liberal Arts.
When not writing songs and making music, he enjoys family time with his mom, twin brothers, and one baby sister.
The name, Tactyle, he explains is specifically crafted from the word, tactile, translating to tangible. “Just like the meaning of the word, something that can be touched, I want my music to touch and connect with people,” the young singer related. So far, he has been impressed by the response, encouragement and support that his music has been attracting from the public.

For his mom, Candace, it is delightful and natural that Tactyle is following in his parents’ footsteps. She noted that he has inherited a fusion of passion for the different genres of music his parents perform even soul and R&B, which she enjoys. Candace and ‘Busta’ were both members of the Sherriff Deputies Band which reigned supreme in the local entertainment industry during the 1990s. With the band, Candace toured various countries including Canada and Brazil, while performing at various private and public events/functions across Guyana too.

However, though she has made quite a name for herself in the entertainment industry and has released at least two music videos of her own, Candace never advanced her musical career fulltime. She developed professional capabilities in the English and Communications fields and holds a Bachelor’s Degree. She related that singing is only done now as a hobby. She also enjoys foreign languages especially Spanish. Dubbed ‘the singing baby’ in her family, Candace always had a passion for singing. She made her debut public appearance at age 16 when she competed and won the ‘Guyana Star Search 1993’. The prize was $30, 000 and a trophy and it propelled her to national fame as a talented singer; a feature she still maintains to this day.