Eddy Grant interacts with female students in the Queen's College auditorium yesterday.
"There is very little respect for copyright in Guyana and that makes it difficult for any person desirous of establishing a local recording studio," said Eddy Grant yesterday.
The renowned Guyanese artiste was talking at Queen's College, where, as part of an initiative by the school's music department, he shared his life and music with students. The celebrity interacted with over 60 students of the school for an hour, touching on various areas of his life. The students were permitted to ask Grant any question that they desired an answer for, including those personal in nature.
Scheduled for 10 am, the session started some 30 minutes late after the public address system failed.
Based in London for 43 years, Grant said that he had had hopes of establishing a local recording studio for the past 20 years. But he lamented that people had lost respect for music and copyright.
He pointed out that the internet now allowed free downloading of lyrics and music affecting sales the world over. His record sales were also affected.
He recalled that when he was young he took a liking to calypso music and its then crowned king, 'The Mighty Sparrow'. In those days he saw Sparrow as the quintessential Caribbean man with a strong personality who was mastering the calypso art form.
The Plaisance-born Grant, now 55, said Sparrow along with his own father, himself a gifted musician, drove him to music since he drew his inspiration from them both.
The singer recalled that when he left Guyana in December 1960 his early days in England were challenging. He was not among the brightest young minds in the country having left Guyana with average grades at school. But being street smart helped him and later he settled in and was ready to start a career in music.
It took some time before success found him and he recorded a few hits with an overseas band before making it big as a successful solo artiste.
He said "Electric Avenue" and "Gimme Hope Johanna" - two of his more popular hits - were in fact serious songs. The first, which refers to a place in London, tells the story of a poor man who beholds the things in life he could never achieve. The second was in honour of former South African leader, Nelson Mandela. According to Grant, "Gimme Hope Johanna" became the anthem of the apartheid movement.
Grant's most recent work "Reparation", which he says is a tribute to African slaves, is due out shortly.