Guyanese Emerson Ally has been making waves in the US as a producer/musician especially recently with the album ‘Symphony of Surrender’, a project he completed with his wife, singer Glacia Robinson.
The road to such an accomplishment was 35 years in the making for Emerson, and one which has been fulfilling in many ways, particularly meeting Glacia, a Jamaican-born singer.
Emerson spent his boyhood days in Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara. Number 7 of 12 children, he grew up on the street today known as Ally Street named after for his family owing to his influential parents. His father was once a tailor and his mother, a teacher who was at one point the headmistress of a school there.
He recalled that a piano was one day taken to their home so that his eldest sister and brother, Remington Ally, could learn to play. “I was young at the time,” he recalled, “so I wasn’t allowed to play. Back in those days, kids can look at the piano but not touch.”
Remington went on to become a good pianist and played at a number of events coordinated by various government ministries over the years. Later on he donated pianos to the National Cultural Centre.
While Emerson was expected to keep his hands to himself when it came to the piano, he certainly could not keep them off of the hundreds of books in their home library, but that was not required of him. Several books about the very first computers interested Emerson and influenced his career today as a software developer.
When the Ally family first left these shores, they headed to Barbados, where they remained for 3 years while Emerson attended high school. There, he joined the school’s jazz band and learned to play the saxophone, though he confessed that the real reason he did so was to get close to a girl in the band he fancied. He never worked up the courage to tell the girl how he felt but does not regret it because while he learned to play an instrument for a girl, it was through playing another instrument that he met the love of his life with whom he shares two children today.
When the family headed to the United States, Emerson was still in high school and he joined the school band there also. However, his saxophone was put away as he and his family were living in a Bronx apartment and the instrument was too loud; he could no longer practice. He switched to the guitar instead.
When Emerson left high school, he went to Middlebury College, where he majored in two passions, computer science and music.
“We weren’t rich,” he shared. As such when he wanted a computer, he could not expect his parents to buy him one, so he worked a number of jobs including washing dishes and working at a retail clothing store. He shared that it was no amazing computer, as he bought the cheapest one. And while he was intrigued by it, he was certainly not psyched about it at all. He had no idea what to do with it and of course there was no internet back then. “The books I read talked about computers that were big as a house. What I learned then was not applicable for the computer I bought but it inspired me. Today, I might only see the computer I read about in a museum,” he mused.
On the bright side, learning to play the guitar was easier and took lots of practice. His knowledge in computer science and music paid off well for Emerson; they complemented each other well. The guitarist/software developer acquired the knack for producing.
To date, he has worked with countless musicians. “I’ve worked with very talented artistes and musicians. There are many uncelebrated heroes out there who are worthy of Grammy Awards. I’ve learned over the years that talent isn’t necessarily charted on the billboards. There’s music going on all over the world. There are many unsung heroes in the world,” he posited.
His wife Glacia is among them. She has released 6 albums to date, the last being ‘Symphony of Surrender’ on which she collaborated with several other artistes.
Currently, Emerson and Glacia are working on a new album of about 15 songs that reflect their love for each other. It is being created for Valentine’s Day and is slated to be released early February via a virtual launch.
As a musician and producer, the pandemic has impacted Emerson in both negative and positive ways. Being home with family and working together brought about a sense of appreciation for loved ones. Added to that, working from home has been easier and clients are understanding about this. Another positive impact is that more time is available for the guitarist to work on new projects. “The pandemic has given you a choice of defining who you are. The pandemic is showing us how to be resourceful in new ways. We are going to be successful if we learn to adapt to working in new ways,” he said.
Recently the husband and wife created some the song “We Are One” that was picked up by the charity Food for the Poor and is being used as a theme during the pandemic.
On the negative side is the cancellations of gigs he took up with Glacia. In December of 2019 into January of 2020, they paired up as usual putting on performances for their audiences.
“We used to go travelling and going on cruises but now we just have to stay at home and watch those countries on YouTube,” he said, making light of the situation. “The world has gotten smaller when you’re boxed in by the four walls of your home. I’m unable to visit family which has gotten harder for us especially during the holidays.”
For Emerson doing what he loves could never be work though he gets paid for it. “Music is an extension of expressing love. It’s a way to say to the world and to the people around you what you are feeling without words. When I play something, I try to set the scene and take the listener to a place I couldn’t explain in words,” he said.
He admonished other singers and musicians to use their platform as a role model wisely, to share positive messages and life lessons. Just like books are left behind for persons to glean knowledge from, so should one’s music, he said.
As such, he has his share of inspirations from a variety of musical genres including: Jazz, Classical Music, Rock, Blues, Calypso and Reggae and from musicians like Louis Armstrong, the phenomenal guitarist, singer/songwriter George Benson and Northern Irish musician and singer/songwriter Gary Moore. Emerson, as mentioned before, does not look to the billboard charts to be inspired. He simply enjoys listening to people play from the heart.
Asked whether he has any future projects he has his heart set on, Emerson said he and Glacia are working towards playing and singing with a live orchestra. In fact, several pieces on ‘Symphony of Surrender’ were created to be played with a live orchestra but owing to the pandemic, that was postponed. Speaking of working with his wife, he said, “We’ve always had this creative synergy when we work together.”
As someone who advocates for positivity and making a difference in the lives of others, Emerson said, “My legacy should be I came here, I made a difference, I made an impact, I fostered a great mind, and that my presence has made a difference in somebody’s life and has put them on a path they should be…”
