Dear Editor,
Everyone who knew the late Rafiq Khan would deeply mourn his passing, even those like me whom he touched during a relatively brief period when I was broadcasting officer, Government Infor-mation Services (GIS) in 1957-58, while he was ensconced at Radio Demerara. I remember him as not only the great gentleman, the gracious co-worker but easily the most mellifluous voice heard on radio, probably getting the nod over a predecessor by the name of Ulric Gouveia, who with Olga Lopes-Seales were the better known voices that filled our youthful ears.
Like Carlotta Croal (later Thomasson) my mentor, and alongside Lorna McArthur, now Lampkin, I was required as GIS staff, then directed by Arthur J Seymour, to produce government programmes out of the studios of Radio Demerara.
My priority programme was called ‘Rural Notebook’ which, as indicated, comprised rural development stories fed in by district information officers, including stalwart journalists such as Verney Jones, Percy Haynes, Basil De Rusche and Maurice Dundas. Rafiq Khan, once present, was always disposed to providing critical technical advice to learners like myself, soothing even in his occasional remonstrations.
I was fortunate to have on ‘Rural Notebook’ such great contributors as Wilbert Holder and Wordsworth McAndrew to give life to my scripts.
This has always remained a transformational experience for me, starting out as I did, when only a student at Queen’s College, presenting Sunday book reviews for the British Council, untutored as I was back in 1950. The building which housed the radio station (I think it was VP3BG) still stands in North Road, Bourda, immediately west of the Roman Catholic Church of the Nazarene.
I felt much satisfaction when at the funeral of the late great broadcaster Hugh Cholmondeley, Rafiq whom I had not seen since he migrated decades ago, immediately greeted me with an unpretentious warmth of recognition.
The voice had remained mellifluous and still soothing.
Yours faithfully,
E B John
