Dear Editor,
With the Christmas season approaching one frequently hears talk about folks residing overseas who are planning to be home for the holidays. I observed a gathering spending leisure time imbibing at a joint, and enjoying old sounds that brought back much reminiscing and excited discussions. When they started making comparisons and debating songs and singers, I couldn’t help thinking about a well-known Lindener who once thrilled the hearts of many Lindeners, leaving them lost in a world of musical ecstasy, both as a DJ and at karaoke night spots. And when from out of the blue I heard the song, ‘Baby come back’ by Eddy Grant, which was one of his favourites, I knew for sure that he along with his wife would most certainly be a part of the Linden home-coming flock.
Twice every year just a few days before Town Day/Week and Christmas, for almost the last ten years anyone on the tarmac of the Linden-Georgetown bus park, along Republic Avenue between the Post Office and Republic Bank, or anywhere in the vicinity of the old L&L Night Club, is bound to hear an extensive range of some of the most wonderful, marvellous, soul-touching, captivating and popular musical sounds of yesteryear, pulsating at high volume that would blow your mind and make you wish you had the power to turn back the hands of time. Yes Siree! And you can bet your bottom dollar, nay! pennies to pins, that the person responsible for such delightful and glorious musical sounds pervading the atmosphere is unmistakably none other than one of Guyana’s one time foremost DJ par excellence, Collie ‘Shrimpy’ Allen, back home on holiday.
Almost immediately upon hearing the types of selections tongues are set wagging, “Shrimpy land bai,” “dat gat to be Shrimpy,” “DJ Shrimpy himself’,” “Hey Shrimpy bad fuh days!” And so as the music soars, soothes, and rekindles old times and mixed memories so too simultaneously does the name ‘Shrimpy,’ whose natural knack and acuteness for music, selections and arrangements are talked about – an invaluable compliment paid to him by the folks of Linden. And really he has earned this adulation; as a DJ he deserves it.
There are very very few DJs around, if any, that can off-the-cuff match his near profound knowledge in this regard. He pays meticulous attention to the title of the song, the singer, group/performers, the writer, producer, date released, when redone/reproduced, and by whom, when became popular, sales recorded, awards achieved and even at times, a piece of biography on the composer/ singer. It is almost like a bibliography which he does most times before playing the song – depending on the situation, of course – and he does all this while paying keen attention to quality – not just loudness – but tone, balance, clarity, etc, sometimes walking away some distance to test/feel the quality of output. But not only in Linden has he been acclaimed as a topnotch DJ; apart from playing at the Edge Night Club, the Lime Light and hosting the TV programme ‘Especially Yours,’ all in Linden, he has also worked at the former Friends Night Club on Robb Street in Georgetown, and the Reino and Mahagony on the Corentyne. In addition, he is a master when in control of the karaoke machine/show. And so as the festive season draws near as usual the Linden folks, his diehard fans, the grown music lovers from the golden musical era will be on the lookout (he brings music to sell), yet still they will be taken by surprise when this consummate DJ lands and the sound of his voice trumpets:
“Helloooo, wake up Lindennnnnn, Shrimpeeeee is here.”
Yours faithfully,
Frank Fyffe
