Guyana Chronicle:
Guyana, SA - Rudy Bishop born on February 6, 1945, shares the same birthday with the greatest reggae legend in history, Jamaican Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, is a musical visionary in his own right.
When the Skylarks, a Kitty-based band managed by Bishop, split up after performing during the May 26, 1966 Independence celebrations, some members decided to form another band. Bishop says the band Skylarks broke up because his main aim was to play the classical music - the music of the masters. “The guys had a falling out and we said we wanted to do something more sophisticated. Pan Am North Stars had just collaborated with Winifred Atwell to produce Ivory and Steel, a mixture of piano and steel pan music. That is what I wanted to do to capture the atmosphere of blending classical music with the modern music”. He noted that the steelpan has the distinction of being the only music invented in the 20th century.
Bishop is credited with the new band’s name. Since the band which practised on the seawall with the sound of the ocean in the background, was concentrating on playing symphonies he suggested that the band be named `The Atlantic Symphony Orchestra’. The name stuck.
....In 1980, the Orchestra was invited to tour the USSR and participated in the Tchaikovsky Festival in Moscow. They continued to dazzle audiences at other performances in Kiev, Lenin Grad and other cities before moving on to the New London Theatre in England...
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Boysie! ah hope that you do read my comment,,i,m one of the persons you had given Gerian to tune and make some new Pans for Region 6/Berbice/Guyana/YSM in 1976,,it,s good to know that after your departure you are still with the Pans,,once a Panman always a Panman,,the only thing is that i haven,t heard of Gerian or Posh/ the Tuners, for years now,,i know that Desmond Frasier of the Guyana National Cultural Centre and Arranger also migrated to the USA along with Hope/Hopey /Trumpetist of the GDF/ from new Amsterdam/whom had also blasted for CASSO nuff respect Boysie, Rudy Bishop, thanks for everything, God Bless
Thanks for this wonderful story regarding this Guyanese Steel Pan hero.