Eze Patrick Rockcliffe – founder – leader of the durable Yoruba Singers is proud of his band’s fortieth birthday this year.
Only the Mischievous Guys and the Cannonballs-the latter in name only – could have attempted any comparison with the Yoruba Singers when it comes to the title of “Guyana’s longest-lasting band ever.”
That’s because the M.G.’s (the Guys) might have pipped Yoruba by a year or a few months in terms of being an established playing band, while “The Cannon” was known only by name —- not yet being an organized unit. And everyone knows that both Mischevious Guys and Cannon Balls, at varying times, had long periods of inactivity. Thus, the mighty Yoruba Singers can justly lay claim to being Guyana’s longest-serving, continuously professional band. Yes, Yoruba has booked its place in regional entertainment history alongside such virtual ”legends” as Jamaica’s Toots and the Maytals and Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires, Barbados’ Merrymen and Trinidad’s one-man institution, the Mighty Sparrow. The Yorubas have been never off the scene since 1971 – the year their almost unique sound burst forth.
In 1971 – one year after the birth of the Guyana Republic – nationalism, patriotism and the search for roots and consciousness were very much evident. Eze Rockcliffe, his brother and friends, the members of the political Young Socialist Movement (YSM) had established in Barr Street, a Kitty Compound of ASCRIA – the African Society for Cultural Relations with Independent Africa. Soon, ASCRIA’s LCP Welfare Hall in Third Street, Alberttown became the venue for many of their earliest cultural presentations of Afro-Guyanese-oriented songs, dance and drama.
There was no turning back for the new folksy and earthy Yoruba Singers when businessman – attorney Lorrie Alexander offered them an extended contractual engagement at his popular Wig and Gown nightspot in those swinging seventies. Relatively original with their Afro-garb, many indigenous instruments and a repertoire of Guyanese and Caribbean compositions, Yoruba ruled the roost for the next decade and a half.
Among the pioneers Eze Rockcliffe is pleased to recognize and pay tribute to are: William “Syrup”, Bascom, Keith Profitt, Eddie Small, Cyril Small, Rudy Brandt, Ingrid Barton (Yoliand), Sam Robinson, Terrence “Jo-Jo” Felix, Gregory O’Mallo and Wilfred Lashley (the latter three now deceased). Then came the late Volda Caesar (aka “Abiola”), her sister Marva Caesar, (aka Malaika), Claudette Whitehead and Leamon John (‘74’-77, ‘82’-85). Marlon Jardine and Pamela Maynard are also among the most-accomplished entertainer names-to be associated with the early Yoruba Singers. The late Pat Thompson must also be remembered, Eze records.
The “Yoruba” name was given to Eze by a keen “Kitty-phonian” Spiritualist, Bertie Greene, who decided that the then “Kitty Young Ascrians” were like the travelling Yoruba tribes of Africa, as they were already criss-crossing Guyana, entertaining audiences, even in a political, Black Consciousness context.
Eze takes up the story: “The Yoruba Singers were then unique and distinctive in garb, sound, interpretation and presentation. We triumphed in the seventies and eighties especially because we were original in our mix and delivery of folk, reggae and a Guyanese rhythm – from the folk-songs, the masquerade, the Afro-Amerindi genres”.
But whilst the originality persisted and was somewhat sustained, the socio-economic environment compromised both progress and pioneers. By the post-mid-eighties, originators like Marlon Jardine “Syrup” Bascom, Pamela Maynard, Lashley, Felix, Robinson, Profitt and others migrated to greener, more lucrative pastures. However, Eze, the unconquerable, creative, musical founder – manager was never about to roll-over and fade away. The Yoruba, he vowed, was there to stay. Moreover, the people, their people, still wanted them around. So Eze came up with the “re-birth” motto: “Guyanese musicians willing to serve”.
MUSICIANS WILLING
TO SERVE…
“This means that I was determined to recruit talented and willing musicians who wished to serve the public in a then prestigious band some fifteen years old with an already-glorious reputation and tradition to behold”, he explains. And it was not difficult to attract many of the best still living at home.
Eze recalls: “I was pleased and satisfied to welcome such talents as Trevor (TJ) John, Aubrey Roberts (better known as “Fingers”) on the saxophone, Ian Wilson (trumpet), Vernon Vickery (“Froggy”) on the drums, Xenophon Goliah (lead guitar) also known as “Keeves” , the late Billy Vantull, Bonny Alves, a most versatile musician and, still later, a durable bass-man, Lionel Samuels.
FORTY YEARS OF
ENTERTAINING GUYANA
Since the intention here, mainly because of space, is not to attempt a full history of this now – famous Guyanese band, a sampling of its nearly four decades-long achievements will have to suffice: first L.P. “Ojinga’s Own” produced and distributed in early ’70’s with such hits as “Massacurraman”, “Bird Pepper”, “ Black Pepper”, “No Intention” and “I Gotta Be Somebody”; visits to the Suriname Trade Fairs and televised shows on Suriname’s STVS, the producer then being Mr. Vic Greene; representing Guyana at Carifesta in Jamaica (1977), Cuba (1979) and Barbados (1981) and numerous tours to USA in the eighties. There was a special Album “Marc Up” for which they provided back-ground music for the humour and drama of humorist Marc Matthews and others, which in itself was the recording of “Friends In Concert” at the Umana Yana, a sterling, landmark musical-cum-dramatic-benefit show for Guyana’s late great Eddie Hooper whose home had gone up in flames in 1977. A third L. P., “Fighting For Survival”, was done during the ’81 Carifesta in Barbados. “Yoruba Drums, “Bleeding With Hate” and Pamela Maynard’s International Hit “Lost, Lonely and Helpless” were among the songs on this one.
There are other records and successes. Like the fact that the Yoruba Singers band is simply the most recorded local group in the history of entertainment in this country. Their tally? Five (5) L. P.’s , fifteen (15) ‘45’s; a significant amount of recorded tapes and films. Only our world-renowned Eddy Grant, based overseas, may have more. Incidentally, it is noteworthy that an L.P. recorded by the Yorubas with Eddie in Trinidad in 1976 was never released. But believe it or not, not even the once famous Guyanese Tom Charles Syncopators, Washboards, Ramblers or any other band surpassed the Yoruba where records produced are concerned.
Eze likes to recall, too, with puzzlement, smiles and slight regret, when the GBC banned their 1984 popular forty-five “Dem Restau-rant” and with delight, when Yoruba received standing ovations at the 1983 and 1984 Mother’s Day Concerts at New York’s Madi-son Square Garden, sponsored by Trinidad’s Isaac Mc Cleod. The older Yoruba’s reflect on the vicissitudes of our music lovers. In “Fighting for Survival” they balanced their folkloric originals with what the radio played and what the people wanted.
NOW – AND BEYOND
These days the Yoruba Singers entertain, dance-hall style, at parties, special concerts and weekly gigs at Union Halls and Members Clubs.
Today, Paul Barker, on drums for fourteen years, Lionel Samuels on bass for sixteen years, Keiron Richards and Ralph Cole, frontline vocalists, Xen Goliah, twenty-one years, Patrick Miller on keyboards and Ken Rockcliffe, Eze’s indefatigable brother who was an able administrator from the beginning, keep the Yoruba reputation and sound alive and well. Eze Rockcliffe still leads and sees to that. He is proud of the fact that, like Jamaica’s musical institution Byron Lee and the Dragonnaires, Guyana’s Yoruba Singers has also been the cradle of many solo stars who now shine in the firmament of entertainment – Terry King, Bonny Alves, Charmaine Blackman, Pamela Maynard and Gail Hall, to mention just a few.
Guyanese coming back home, after two decades or more, can still catch the evergreen group. The older fans will reminisce. Today’s following still relates. Eze Rockcliffe can still belt out his soulful, appealing Blood-Sweat-and-Tears special, “And When I Die”, then transport all present, into a frenzied finale with the bands’ virtual closing signature tune “Creketeh”. But whether it’s Dance Hall, Reggae, Hip-Hop, Soul or Soca, the Yoruba Singers stand supreme. As the fan said”: They’re as good as any. And better than many!”
THE ANNIVERSARY
Rockcliffe is to-ing-and fro-ing between Georgetown and New York to seek substantial sponsorship for Yoruba’s fortieth anniversary activities. Though the anniversary month of May 2011 is behind him, he plans A Diaspora 40th Anniversary Tour to the USA, the Caribbean and Suriname.
Corporate Guyana and the relevant Government ministries are asked to contribute to this musical milestone activity. Because if it’s the Yoruba Singers, it’s Guyanese!
