The year 2020 will be one that goes down in history for current global pandemic and how drastically many of our lives have changed as a result of it. For local music pioneer Bonny Alves, this year also has other meaning as it marks 50 years of challenges conquered and achievements gained in his music career.
It was in March that Alves marked his fiftieth year since his entry on the local musical scene though then he was a part of the popular Yoruba Singers Band. The producer behind record label Ssignal Productions, Alves says he intended on celebrating his jubilee year, although his plans like that of so many others have been delayed by the elections and then the COVID-19 pandemic. The atmosphere, he noted was, not initially conducive for celebrations. He is nonetheless grateful for having achieved the milestone.
“I feel extremely grateful to God, that He has blessed me with the talent that I have. I feel good to have been the one to ignite music here,” Alves said.
For twenty years, the producer has recorded the work of many other Guyanese artistes, making them local stars. He is said by many to have been one of the most influential persons in the rebirth of music in Guyana.
And though his planned celebration has been put on hold, he still intends to make the most of the year. Currently in the works are two albums for his wife and music partner, Charmaine Blackman. One of them is an album filled with original songs and the other will be all cover songs. In addition, Alves is working to release his very first original and solo album.
Over the years the singer/songwriter has recorded and released about 20 original songs of his own. While working on his musical career, he stopped to focus on the careers of many other up and coming artistes. He also arranged two albums on which he did several lead tracks with the Yoruba Singers. His most popular song, titled ‘Protect Yourself,’ can be found on one of the two albums. Alves also plans to release his song, ‘Signs of the Times,’ which he says persons have been asking for given all that is happening in the world today.
To date the seasoned songwriter has written approximately 700 songs, and produced some 550. Some of these songs, which were never recorded, are even being sung in churches today, although Alves’ authorship is not widely known to those performing them.
A director also, Alves has produced and directed sixteen movies, including Right Choices, The Will To Love (both of which are about HIV/AIDS); The Unbelieving Mom, The Convert (movies which highlighted domestic issues); The King of Drums, The Ole Higue (cultural movies); and a horror movie, ‘The Encounter.’
Alves noted the many performers he would has worked with over the years. He started with his wife and joked that if he did not he might be cooking his own meals. He also mentioned Lisa Punch, Jackie Jaxx, VJ, King Perai, Diana Chapman, the Yoruba Singers, Pamela Maynard, the late Lady Guymine, Dawn Edwards and Kimberly Inniss. In total, the producer has worked with more than 300 hundred Guyanese artistes alone, some of whom reside in countries in different parts of the globe.
Alves also shared that his songs are being played on all of the inhabited continents of the world, and yes, including Australia. In fact, Alves’ single, ‘Raise Your Hands to Jah,’ took number one on the Reggae billboard charts in the south-Asian country of Guam, a fact that he remains immensely proud of.
“One of my most memorable experiences was performing at the Ring Bang Concert in Trinidad to ring in the millennium. The show was televised by the BBC and was said to have been viewed by 1.8 billion people,” Alves excitedly shared.
‘Pursue your dreams’
Speaking on how he got to where he is today, Alves said, “You have to be patient. Patience is a great virtue in this business. You have your dreams, your goals and it looks like you’re not going to achieve them. Where there is life, there is hope. Pursue your goals, pursue your objective, trust in God and trust in yourself. I never thought I would have become a director and producer of movies. God opened a way. I have come a far way from where I had started from.”
The journey has been no smooth one. Alves shared that one of the hardest things to have to deal with is to see some people not give the right value to the work someone puts in. The producer recounted that sometime ago, he was robbed of his two laptops which he used for recording and composing music. Following this incident, several persons on social media rejoiced and went as far as to call for the government to give the thieves a national award. Such hateful and hurtful comments are enough to discourage someone from their ambitions, Alves said, while adding that he has had many opportunities to live abroad but he stayed because he felt it was his calling to remain here and work with other artistes. Every time such an opportunity arises when he is visiting abroad, he always says, “I am coming back home.”
He also noted that he has toured the Caribbean extensively and performed at shows in the US and Canada, where he met with people who are more appreciative of his music than his countrymen in Guyana.
According to Alves, he feels an unconditional love for the country he was born in. He takes immense pleasure in travelling, especially from Parika to Bartica, and seeing the place where the Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni Rivers meet and the sight of singer, Eddie Grant’s home in its glory on his privately-owned island. “I love the peace that comes with the Essequibo Coast, Bartica and I love Linden also. Guyana is a very, very beautiful place!” Alves enthused.
Alves is unsure how much more time he has in the music industry but he hopes that should God grant him “life, health, strength and sanity,” he may still to be able to get a Grammy nomination or have one of his songs covered by a big time company. He has similar ambitions for his film work.
“I would like to leave behind a legacy of Guyanese believing in Guyanese. I want when you remember me, you say, ‘Here is a guy who believed in his people and supported his people’. And, that I made stars out of our own—a principle, I wish other writers and producers can follow”, Alves stated.
As a result of the pandemic, three sponsored trips that would have seen Alves performing onstage have been put on hold. A jubilee party has also been postponed but Alves noted that he still intends on moving forward though with a little bit of caution and apprehension. Nonetheless, in spite of all of this, a determined Alves noted that his jubilee anniversary will not go by without him celebrating it.
In an acknowledgment of the support he has received, Alves said, “Thank you to all the people who would have contributed over the years to my sustenance, to my career, even the patrons and my fans.”
