-says Sir Shridath Ramphal
By Marlon Munroe
Cricket icon and veteran broadcaster Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira on Friday launched his autobiography, ‘Living My Dreams’, at the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel amidst stirring tributes from friends.
His autobiography chronicles his life from his “humble beginnings in the Pomeroon” to his coverage of cricket and other sports around the world.
Among those present at the launching were Sir Shridath Ramphal, Ian Mc Donald, retired Major General Joe Singh, Dave Martins and head of the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership Dr. Allison Leacock.
Close friend and Master of Ceremony at the book launching, Deputy General Manager of the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Limited, Terry Holder, described Perreira as the man “who covered everything everywhere” at the Guyana Broadcasting Service (GBS) during the golden age of broadcasting.
“Reds helped GBS to command the attention of radio listeners,” Holder said.
He reminded the gathering that Perreira once travelled to Jamaica to report on the fight between world heavyweight boxing champion George Foreman and former world champion and challenger Muhammad Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) on October 30, 1974.
“Reds travelled to Jamaica, sat before a television set, hooked a telephone line back to Guyana and gave a blow-by-blow account. This reflected the man’s anxiety to give a service to the public”, Holder said.
He said “Living My Dreams” is Perreira’s gift to Guyana and other Caribbean countries that Perreira has served with distinction in sport development and expressed pleasure that Perreira had mirrored his experiences in a book which he declared, should be read by all.
Former colleague Dr. Leacock relayed to the gathering that when she worked with ‘Reds’ he was passionate about what he did and she learnt from his vast experience.
She noted that his passion still has not waned where sport is concerned, particularly cricket.
According to Dr. Leacock, Perreira “gave 150% of his energy to anything he went into and he had a tenacity of purpose and there was absolute commitment to what he did”.
His willingness to share his knowledge was also one of the attributes she remembered of the iconic broadcaster.
“This book therefore patterns his journey and there are moments in broadcasting that he would have captured that may not be recorded today. But who is better to tell your story than yourself and therefore it is an absolute joy to be a part of this ceremony,” Dr. Leacock gushed.
She ended her speech with an acronym which she said best captures the essence of ‘Reds’: Resilience as an Exceptional and Dedicated Sportscaster.
Ramphal said that Perreira was special to Guyana and the Caribbean adding that many times people in the Guyana and the Caribbean spent their life denigrating and pulling down their own people and forgetting the “treasures” that resided amongst them.
Ramphal said he believed that Perreira was an example to West Indian people that nothing is beyond their reach.
“On an occasion like this it gives us an opportunity to applaud “Reds” Pereira who reached out from the Pomeroon to the world. Most of you are familiar with all of his accomplishments in Guyana but how many of you know of the esteem in which he is held in the OECS (Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States) countries where he rejuvenated sport, where he gave to those small islands a confidence in their ability to make it on the sporting fields in the world”, Ramphal asked.
He acknowledged that Perreira was an icon in the islands of the Leewards and the Windwards and said that esteem came because of Perreira’s “stamina”.
He said that stamina enabled Perreira to overcome his speech impediment thus ensuring that he attained the heights he reached in broadcasting.
Ramphal believes that young people should emulate Perreira’s attitude and try to overcome all the odds they encounter.
Prominent writer and former tennis player Mc Donald told the audience that Perreira seemed to know everything about all sports.
He referred to Perreira’s memory as “encyclopaedic” and said that, coupled with his “love and respect” for all games made him “remarkable”.
“Perhaps it was as a cricket commentator that “Reds’ gained his greatest public fame but I believe that his deepest and most remarkable contribution in all our West Indian lives, lies in his lifelong love and sponsorship of all sports.”
Perreira, in response, thanked his supporters over the years and said that he would not have traded the joy of bringing sport in real time to people for anything.
Tears flowed from his eyes before he continued.
He also promised Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony his assistance to improve the sporting landscape in Guyana. Perreira said that he has the contacts that are willing to aid this cause.