One Guyanese artiste shares how he is pursuing his passion of helping others

WHETHER it is strumming soulful cords on guitar, creating infectious beats on the bass or striking up Mozart and Beethoven on the piano, Danny Dazell seems to have rhythm, melodies and music flowing through his fingertips.

Raised in church as the son of a pastor, Danny’s music comes from a place deep within him. Daring to see music as more than a pasttime and pushing the boundaries of Gospel Music, Danny has dedicated himself to the art. After finding himself in music, he has now turned to helping others develop what musical skills they may have embedded within them. With the simple touch of the piano key, Danny can create immersive melodic tunes. And he wishes to teach others to do the same.

The Pepperpot Magazine sat down with the inspirational young man during a visit to his hometown of Sisters Village. He sat down with us at his father’s church, where he shared the challenges he has faced in pursuing his passion. Brought up on the West Bank of Demerara, Danny spent his childhood in Sisters Village before his family settled in Patentia. He comes from a family strong in religion and endowed with an extraordinary sense of kinship and genuine togetherness. As rich as the family was spiritually, Danny expressed that he and his siblings were no strangers to difficult financial situations.

Being brought up among family, however, made a great impression on Danny. He expressed that although new school terms did not see him with new supplies like his peers, the time spent with his family made his childhood as special as it was. “We grew up renting a house. My mother never used to work, and my father worked at the Wales Sugar Estate. Honestly, it was not a bad childhood. We had cousins living in the area. I grew up having fun with my friends and family, but if I was to look at it from the point of luxury, we did not have it,” Danny said.

It is often said that destiny chooses us long before we have a choice. This certainly seems to be the case for Danny. The church he was brought up in once boasted a full band of notable musicians from all around Guyana. After some time, however, the church group disbanded, and left the service to be carried on by the choir’s voices. Danny’s father, the new pastor at the time, took up the mantle in an attempt to reignite the fire within his congregation by learning to play the keyboard.

Then, ten-year-old Danny began playing the keyboard at his father’s request. He admitted that initially, he was reluctant and a bit opposed to the idea. But more than 18 years later, Danny has found solace in music. Danny recalled the first song he played on the piano and the moment that would set a spark that has kept on burning. “I remember a day I went home, and I sat at the piano. The piano has built-in music in it. I recall it was around Christmas time, and I remember playing ‘Joy to the World’, and I developed an interest in music from there,” he said.

Although inspiration had set sail within a young Danny, it would take perspiration for him to become noticed and appreciated for his music. Playing among the other band members of his church, a young and inexperienced Danny did not seem to have what it takes to make music. “When I used to play, I was the back-up man, and people did not really like my music,” he said. He further recounted the moment that both broke his heart but built his determination: “During one of the church’s services, me and the other musicians were playing. And in the middle of the service, the drummer came off the drums, plugged my keyboard out, and said I was playing nonsense.”

This experience marked the beginning of a lifelong dedication to developing his abilities. Looking back now, Danny’s greatest hurdle was his lack of exposure to musical training. This, of course, did not stop him, as he learnt to play by listening to songs, and amazingly recreating pieces across various genres. We often get lost listening to music, but it is unique for someone to become immersed in the music they play themselves. Yet, it is something all good musicians achieve. “The aspect that was challenging was the whole concept of allowing my hands to think independently. Even though your brain knows what you have to do and what keys you have to press, having your body follow that is what makes it difficult,” Danny shared.

Danny has come from being able to play a single song as a young boy to playing music across genres. Today he can play jazz, blues, classical music and any song that speaks to him. He has composed a few pieces over the years, and hopes to continue his work in music. Danny currently works as an air traffic controller apart from music. He does hope to move forward with his music career, but his next endeavour will be that of a music school.

He shared that he drew inspiration to teach others from his own hurdles with being self-taught “A few years ago, right before the pandemic, I started a music school. I noticed that here in Guyana, music is not really emphasised, so, I embarked on starting the school, and really giving back from what I went through.” Danny founded Gifted Hands School of Music, which he had planned to launch this month (January). Danny has high hopes for his school, and has gotten a good reception. Music has long been an escape for Danny, as it has been for music lovers all around the world for centuries. Whether you play it or listen to it, music in Guyana deserves to be placed at the forefront. So, we can have more musicians and cultivate more of our own tunes as a country.