Guyanese steelpan legend Roy Geddes poses with his medals and one of his trophies.(By Alex Wayne) An array of beautiful tropical trees and flower plants line the lush walkway accentuated by steelpan souvenirs and other assortments that send the distinct message of ‘a vivid steelpan haven’. The haven is secluded in a quiet and serene location at 190 Roxanne Burnham Gardens, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.Many may find it hard to believe, but this eye-catching spectacle is actually the walkway that leads to the famous Roy Geddes Steelpan Museum, which has been receiving rave reviews from locals and from the Pan Podium, the official magazine of the British Association of Steelbands.The steelpan museum houses a vivid and colourful pictorial display of Roy’s success, even as it displays an intriguing showcase of steelpans — from the raw material to the finished products. There is also an abundance of reading materials, while a line-up of trophies, medals and souvenirs speak positive vibes of his successes and contributions to the music discipline in Guyana and abroad.Roy Geddes has paved the way for an ultimate evolution and maximum development of the art form of steel pan music, but he noted in a recent interview that its success depends entirely on the much needed dedication, commitment and cooperation of bodies and individuals associated with its existence.He has received several awards and trophies for his exploits in this field, but he noted that his successes ‘did not come without pain or sacrifice’.It all began in 1934, while he was still in his very young teens, growing up in a single-parent home at Leopold and Lombard Streets. Around that time he was bombarded with steelpan music, since the Chicago and the Casablanca Steelbands were in close proximity to his home.He played in both bands for about four years,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, and was also a vibrant force in the Tripoli and Invaders Steel Orchestras.As the years passed, his popularity grew and his natural inborn skills and talents were noticed by the music elites as well as by people in the cultural and entertainment fields.Soon after, he branched off with the National Steelband of Guyana, and was selected with several others to form the National Steel Orchestra in 1962.That year brought pleasant tidings. The orchestra was selected to play for the Independence Celebrations in Trinidad. The following year, its musical versatility took the members to Cuba, where they toured the many provinces,Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale, taking ‘tropical steelpan pleasure’ to many.Those were years of fame, and Roy reminisced ‘on feeling like the celebrity Michael Jackson when he was asked to sign autographs and pose for many photos with fans’.In 1964, he teamed up with Guyanese Freddie Massay (leader of the then Mediators Steel Band) and formed the Silvertones Steel Orchestra.There was competition in the land around that period, but it was the Silvertones Steel Orchestra that was selected to play for the Queen of England, who was visiting Guyana at that time. They were the champions in this field for about a decade, and they also won two Guyana Music Festivals during their reign.They did not stop there, but moved on to record an album to raise funds for the University of Guyana, in the 1970s. The band also played for many charity events,Wholesale NBA Jerseys China, raising funds for churches and schools also. Its many concerts in the rural areas can be remembered as events that offered much entertainment for those residing in the ‘countryside’.Roy’s talent and well earned popularity paid off well because, in 1984, he was selected to travel to Tanzania and consigned to make steel pans for the Tanzanian National Service.According to Roy, his affiliation with the Silvertones Steel Orchestra taught him overtime discipline, patriotism, and a sense of responsibility,China NFL Jerseys, while it gave him an opportunity to ‘better his life’.Roy had his sights set on a never-ending string of successes, and in the early 1970s,Wholesale China Jerseys, the Roy Geddes Pan School, situated in his community, evolved to ‘impart musical expertise and offer a trade to single-parent youths and others in the society’. His Achievements…Roy is the recipient of two National Awards — the Medal of Service, bestowed upon him in 1971, and the Golden Arrowhead of Achievement, gained in 1996 for his sterling contributions and excellence as tuner, leader, player and social worker among the youths with whom he was associated.In 2004, the Pan Podium (Official Magazine of the British Association of Steelpans) paid homage to Geddes, featuring him in that issue, while, in 2005, he was again featured in the magazine ‘Celebrating African Achievements’. In that year, also, he was a main feature in the Guyanese magazine GEM, which spoke highly of his growth and development into the phenomenal fame he had already received.According to this musical stalwart, his successes could not have been made possible without the valuable assistance of his wife and Band Secretary, Pamela Geddes.Tourists visiting Guyana over the years have developed a keen interest in his steelpan museum, and have visited the site for firsthand information and demonstration on vital aspects of the steelpan art form.It has also attracted the attention of many schools, youth clubs and other institutions as a reservoir for information. Roy’s views on scope for steelpan developmentCommenting on the possibility for upward mobility and further development of steelpan music, Roy indicated in an interview that only those directly involved in his promotion and production can ‘bring about an actual change’.Roy noted that, while the steelpan has advanced technologically, the love is not there for the art form, thus hampering its ultimate success and movement forward.Comparing the steelpan music of yesteryear and present day, he noted that, before time, those involved exhibited intense dedication and loyalty, and would spend lengthy hours in rehearsals.According to Roy, those of today are very reluctant to ‘go the extra mile,’ and would scarcely come to practice sessions.He further stated that the Culture Ministry alone cannot do much for the discipline, since it is ‘not the money that will make the change’ but a collective, combined effort of sponsors and ‘the panmen’ to take steelpans to a pinnacle of ‘indefinite stardom’.Roy, quite naturally, was very excited when he was informed that the Culture Ministry was forming a National Steelband during the recent Carifesta X celebrations. However, he indicated, he selected five tuners along with himself to make this a reality,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, but was not entirely satisfied with the outcome.According to Roy, tuning of steelpans ‘has gone to another level’, and therefore needs careful and concentrated work of the highest quality. He opined that there was no coordination in the music supplied at the various Carifesta X events, since many put to do the job ‘were not serious about producing the best in the pans, and therefore did not bother with fine-tuning’.He is of the view that “in unity, steelpans can become a force to be reckoned with, since no band or band tuner is an island. Each needs unity to survive”. What is Roy Geddes doing now?At present, Roy is teaching pan music at the Greycoat Training Centre at Victoria, East Coast Demerara,Wholesale Jerseys, where his services are voluntary. He is also employed with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport to educate youths in the field at his home in Roxanne Burnham Gardens.The steelpan instruments were first invented in Trinidad and Tobago, in the last century, by hard-working, dedicated and committed black youths from the ghetto, who never gained the respect they truly deserved.The only non-electronic musical instrument to be invented in the 20th Century, the steelpan is now produced in the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (USA), threatening to leave its original inventors behind.
