Eddy Grant; a son of the soil we must celebrate

Nov 09, 2025 Features / Columnists, News, Waterfalls Magazine

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 Rev. Dr. Fitzroy Tyrrell lecturer at Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies in Trinidad and Tobago.

(Kaieteur News) – I have to admit. I don’t know a lot about social media. Please excuse me when I say that it took me a long time to decide which video to play. The video’s focus, Eddy Grant, was what made me stop and pay attention. I hit the play, listened and was simultaneously shocked as well as educated. On Facebook, Harold Bascom posed the straightforward query, “Do Guyanese give Eddy Grant the respect he deserves?”

The truthful response? No. We don’t. Confession is something I believe in as a religious person. It benefits the soul.  I’ll confess now: Being Guyanese, I was unaware of Eddy Grant’s greatness. The comprehensive understanding of this Guyanese icon that I gained from watching that documentary was not imparted to me during my nursery or primary school education. I did hear “Give me Hope, Joanna,” but I was unaware of the singer’s identity. His story was unknown to me but Eddy Grant is more well-known and respected around the world than among his own people.

The Plaisance Boy

On March 5, 1948, Edmond Montague Grant was born in Plaisance. Patrick, his father, was a trumpet player for the renowned group Nello and the Luckies. His parents sent money home for young Eddy’s education after leaving for London in search of better opportunities, as so many Guyanese families did in those days. He joined them in 1960 at the age of twelve.

A twelve-year-old Plaisance native arrives in chilly, dreary London. After relocating to Kentish Town, he studied music and reading at Acland Burghley Secondary Modern School. His life changed one night. He attended the Finsbury Park Astoria to see Chuck Berry perform. He knew right there.

Eddy started a band called The Equals in 1965 when he was just seventeen years old. However, this was no ordinary band. This young Guyanese boy was leading one of the first racially integrated pop groups to gain popularity in 1965, at a time when racial tensions were at their highest in both America and Britain. Just consider that.

The Equals became living evidence that skin color has no bearing on talent. Eddy wrote and played lead guitar on the song “Baby, Come Back,” which was released in 1968. It sold more than a million copies and quickly rose to the top of the UK charts. The age of Eddy Grant was twenty. The song was so good that it retook the top spot when it was covered by Pato Banton and UB40 in 1994.

“Enough” is what your body says.

Eddy passed out at the age of twenty-three; heart attack; lung collapse. In addition, he was a vegetarian and abstained from alcohol and tobacco. He was overcome by the pressure, the recording, and the touring. The Equals had to let him go. The majority of people would have completely stopped listening to music. Not Eddy. He established his own Coach House Studios in 1972. He founded Ice Records in 1974. He would forge his own route if the industry were going to break him.

At that moment, a lovely thing occurred. Eddy began combining everything he was familiar with, including the African beats from his early years, the pop and rock from London, and the calypso rhythms he had grown up with. It was in 1977 that he recorded “Hello Africa.”  It is now regarded by music historians as one of the earliest soca songs ever produced. One of the pioneers of soca music is Eddy Grant.

Returning Home

Eddy made a significant choice in 1982. He was heading out of London. He desired to return to the Caribbean. His first preference would have been to return home to Guyana, but there was no infrastructure. He then traveled to Barbados and constructed Blue Wave Studios in a former plantation home from the 18th century. I don’t miss the irony; a descendant of slaves, constructing a top-notch studio on plantation property, and producing music that would oppose injustice.

He recorded Killer on the Rampage at Blue Wave. We got two huge hits from the album. In reality, “I Don’t Wanna Dance” was Eddy’s farewell letter to Britain and all of its distinctions based on race and class. In the UK, it topped the charts for three weeks. It was followed by “Electric Avenue.”

Not Just a Song

“Electric Avenue” was more than just a catchy dance song. It was a song of protest. Named after the street where the events took place, Eddy wrote it about the Brixton riots of 1981, police brutality, unemployment, and systemic racism saying “enough.” In the US and the UK, the song peaked at number two. More than one million copies were sold and a Grammy nomination. But that song is still relevant nearly forty years later. Because of the issues it discusses? They are still there. That’s how a real artiste is identified.

And here’s the thing: I’ve read that Stephen King, the horror author, enjoyed playing “Electric Avenue” while collaborating with Peter Straub. However, Straub believed Eddy to be Barbadian rather than Guyanese. Without even knowing which Caribbean country produced him, the entire world was rejoicing in this man.

Fighting Apartheid

Eddy released “Gimme Hope Jo’anna” in 1988, a heartbreaking and beautiful call to end South Africa’s apartheid. In the UK, it peaked at number seven. Do you know what the government of South Africa did? It was banned which demonstrates just how potent that song was. He had previously used music as a weapon. One of his recordings from 1980 was “Police on My Back.” The Clash covered it on their Sandinista because they loved so much. This Guyanese man’s message about opposing state violence was now being heard by punk kids worldwide.

Astounding Facts

What truly astounded me is that Eddy Grant is essentially the founder of the contemporary Barbados music scene. The music scene in Barbados was in trouble when he arrived there in 1982. Barbados was not even paying much attention to its own music. Eddy made the decision to take action after realizing what might be. He demonstrated to them that Bajan music could rival that of Trinidad, Jamaica, and anyone else. Superstars from around the world began to visit Blue Wave Studios. To get ready for their huge “Steel Wheels” tour, the Rolling Stones traveled there. There, Sting was recorded. Mick Jagger. Costello, Elvis. Richard Cliff. More significantly, though, Eddy produced artists from the Caribbean, including Grynner, Mighty Gabby, Tamu Hibbert, and David Rudder.

Eddy stated in an interview: “That music is holding its own, even after Barbados stopped listening to it in 1982, and now stands in the rain to hear it. Guyana may experience the same thing. In Guyana, the same thing might occur.

Ringbang

Ringbang was a new concept that Eddy introduced in the 1990s. He explained that it was a means of uniting all the African rhythms into a single, borderless entity. However, Ringbang was more than just music. For young people in the Caribbean in particular, it was a philosophy. “It’s like Zen; it’s like karate,” Eddy said. Why do we not accept that which originates within us? That is a profound question. Why don’t we take responsibility for our own actions? Why must the outside world convince us that something is valuable before we can accept it?

Preserving Our Traditions

Eddy has been purchasing Calypso Legends’ catalogs for years. Powerful Sparrow, The Roaring Lion. Hun Attila, Kitchener, Lord Melody, Lord and the list is endless. His goal is not to become wealthy. He is taking this action to protect our culture; to prevent the exploitation or loss of these timeless works. He is personally ensuring that the Calypso Golden Age endures for upcoming generations. Instead of spending his time and money protecting our musical heritage, this man, who has already accomplished everything, is lounging somewhere.

Upsetting Reality

Eddy Grant, Guyana’s sole international superstar, was conspicuously absent from the 2007 Cricket World Cup opening ceremony in Jamaica, which showcased musical talent from the Caribbean. In a letter to the editor, Rudy Grant was disappointed that no one, not even President Bharrat Jagdeo, the Culture Minister, columnists, or letter writers, had questioned why Guyana was not represented by an internationally credentialed artist like Sean Paul. Grant maintained that the true lost opportunity was not presenting an artist with 39 years of demonstrated international success and hit songs like “Electric Avenue,” “Gimme Hope Jo’Anna,” and “Living on the Frontline,” while other letter writers concentrated on the lack of chutney music and representation of Indian culture.

Grant disclosed that in November 2006, Jamaican organizers had actually asked Eddy Grant to perform three songs, but Grant had turned them down since they would not let him perform with his own band. Grant bemoaned the fact that Guyanese appeared more focused on ethnic and religious representation than on national pride.

It’s the difficult part now. Someone named Dionne C.A. Jones wrote something that devastated me under Harold Bascom’s post. Eddy’s decision to locate his studio in Barbados rather than Guyana is criticized, she said, “without knowing the whole story.” Here’s the full story: Until our government enacts legislation safeguarding artists’ intellectual property rights, Eddy Grant will not perform in Guyana. Because he won’t support a system that takes advantage of artistes, he is staying away. He thinks artistes should be protected. The hard way taught him this lesson. He won’t be coming until Guyana resolves this issue. “Why hasn’t Guyana made it possible for him to come home?” should be the question.

Awards Given Too Late

Eddy’s face appeared on a stamp featuring the Ringbang logo in 2005. They declared in 2016 that he would receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. They presented him with the National Award in 2020, which is the greatest accolade Guyana bestows on its people. These are important. They arrived decades too late, though. Eddy Grant, meanwhile, was inducted into London’s Camden Music Walk of Fame in 2023. The Union Jack was flown alongside the Guyanese flag. While too many of us back home are still unaware of his true identity and accomplishments, the world continues to honor him.

This is what his story tells us about ourselves. It concerns the fact that we are quick to criticize those who achieve success overseas rather than pondering why they are unable to do so domestically. It’s about our unwillingness to love and celebrate who we are, as Eddy’s song constantly reminds us to do.

Not Much Time Left

But we have a chance now, today, while he’s still here. However, how long do we have to make this right? Eddy Grant is now seventy-six. He continues to work, defend the rights of artists, and uphold our cultural legacy. We’ll pretend we always understood his worth when he’s gone, and we’ll erect monuments—I detest the thought of that. Streets will be named in his honor. He will be included in all textbooks. We can amend those laws about intellectual property. Our kids can learn about him in school. We can turn on the radio and listen to his music.

My Disgrace

I regret not bothering to look for this information on my own. I feel ashamed that this significant gap was left by my costly Guyanese education. However, shame is meaningless if it is not followed. So, this is what I’m doing. I’m attempting to fulfill Harold Bascom’s challenge to treat Eddy Grant with the deference he merits.

To Mr. Grant

Thank you, sir, for upholding your morals despite the fact that it prevents you from returning home. We appreciate you protecting our legacy when we were too blind to appreciate it.  Thank you, if you ever read this. We appreciate your honoring Guyana’s name for more than half a century. We appreciate you creating music that inspires people, confronts injustice, and unites us. We ought to treat you better. We’re working to improve.

To My Folks

Most importantly, take note of the lesson his life has taught us. Talk to your kids about him. Insist on his inclusion in the curriculum. For him to return home, insist that the government establish those intellectual property protections.

The past cannot be altered. Decades of ignorance, indifference, and inattention cannot be reversed. However, we can alter the course of events. And before we expect the world to do it for us, we must celebrate our own. Play his tunes, purchase his albums and examine his work.

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• Eddy Grant, electric avenue, son of the soil, The Music Walk of Fame

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