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Street drummer on a mission to “wake up Guyanese” with his drums
By Shervin Belgrave
Kaieteur News – The sounds of drums have been an essential part of human history. It has been used to motivate soldiers for war, as warning signals, a way to communicate between tribes, for religious rituals, entertainment and now Alfred Agar, a 59-year-old street drummer, wants to “wake up Guyanese” with his drums.
Alfred Agar drumming passionately in the streets
Kaieteur News had first met Agar while he was passionately drumming at a recent protest calling on the government to renegotiate a better oil deal for Guyana.
The way he’d drummed caught the attention of reporters and when asked why he was so passionate, he responded, “I want to use it to wake up my fellow countrymen.”
“I cannot explain it but drums, especially African drumming, does something to people… I have seen it many times before, it attracts people and it sends a message,” Agar said.
He continued, “When people hear the sounds they just stop what they are doing and take a peek, they does seh, ‘yes bai drums deh down deh, leh we guh see wah going on deh.”
Even if it grabs their attention for a few minutes, related Agar, it’s enough to bring joy to their souls and open up their minds to receive a message.
The message that Agar wants to get across to his fellow countrymen is to “wake up” to fight not only for better oil deals and their wealth but also to pick up the shattered pieces of their dreams and put them back together.
He wants them to never give up the fight of pursuing success no matter how old they are.
Like many, when Agar was in his youthful years he had big dreams but along the way those dreams were shattered. He, nevertheless, assured that he is not giving up just yet and will go down fighting to make them a reality.
In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, Agar revealed that his big dream is to drum on “the big stage”. He longs to perform at big concerts and represent Guyana on world tours, showcasing his country’s culture and his talent.
“I always loved music, especially the art of drumming. I grew up around that culture and as a teenager, I decided that playing drums is what I wanted to do,” said Agar.
In October 1976, the Bishop’s High School had formed a culture club and invited students from other schools across Georgetown to join.
Agar was a student of the St. George’s Secondary School at the time and did not waste any time in grabbing the opportunity to join in order to pursue his dream.
He was a quick learner and his teachers noticed that he had talent and he began to tour with a few youth groups in Georgetown.
One of those groups was the FCH Youth Club and in 1977 he travelled with them to St Lucia to participate in the first Caribbean Youth Festival held that year.
Agar continued to excel and, in 1979, he participated in another Caribbean Youth Festival that was held in Jamaica.
However, his budding career was short-lived due to the lack of financial support and his family’s economic situation. He was eventually forced to move to neighbouring Suriname.
“Although I had to work and was no longer drumming professionally, I still found time to practice,” Agar related.
In Suriname, he struck up a relationship and soon after became a father but his love life did not last and some 15 years ago he returned to Guyana.
Restarting his life was not easy. He had no home and it was a struggle to fend for himself, but he did not give up playing his drums.
Agar soon became captivated with street drummers in Georgetown and decided to join them but he still holds his dream close to his heart even as he drums to wake up the country.
“I want to make a comeback, a big comeback; I am now trying to organise all the street drummers like myself to come together and start a revolution in Guyana,” said Agar.
This revolution, according to Agar, is a cultural revolution because, in his view, there has not been much investment and support for musical talent in the country. Because of this, he said that many youths are forgetting their culture and hiding their talents.
Apart from drumming for a cause, Agar also wants to impart his knowledge and skills to the upcoming generation so they too can continue to “wake up” their fellow countrymen when he is gone.
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