Magic fingers Rishi

Keyboardist Rishi Guyadeen looks like a character who walked out off a Bollywood film, with vibrant brown eyes that capture attention everywhere he goes.

But the tall, muscular musician broke into laughter on hearing comments that he resembled Bollywood star Arjun Ramphal. As leader of one of the top Indian orchestras, the TTEC Gayatones of Ste Madeline, Princes Town, Rishi provides scintillating music for leading artistes with his magical fingers on the keyboard. While he noted that everyone has a sad story, Rishi said he is enjoying success through sheer determination. He has accomplished his goals to fulfil his father’s wish to continue providing good music for the south-based artistes.  The orchestra has also entertained crowds in England, Canada, Miami, New York, Holland, Florida and the Caribbean.   

At the band room in Princes Town, he revealed that his musical life goes back to his family roots.  “My father was the leader of the orchestra over 20 years ago. Obviously I would accompany him to many shows as a child. Being the eldest of three sons, I was expected to learn music. I never regretted playing music. It has opened a world that is filled with excitement and fulfilment,” he said. Rishi lost his mother to cancer when he was just eight years old and he became the support for his father Capil Guyadeen. “I had to be there for my father. It was not a matter of my father being there for us but moreso I had to be there for him. I guess I lost myself in the music. It was like the mother that I didn’t have. And I made my father forget the pain by learning and playing the notes for him,” he said, looking away in the distance over the hills at the sugarcane fields.

That memory stirred his emotions and he quickly stood up and walked away to collect his thoughts before continuing the interview. “Music has filled an empty spot in my life and I am glad that I was pushed in this direction by my father,” he said. His other siblings Videsh, plays the bass guitar and Donny, the rhythm machine. Music keeps the family close. Videsh and Donny look up to Rishi as leader and guide while their father has been the stabilising force behind the orchestra. “Many times, while dealing with people and money and so on, I would make a bad decision. My father would quickly intervene to put it right. Sometimes I am not entirely happy with him but I have to humble myself because I trust him 100 percent,” he said.

Apart from playing music, Rishi loves playing football with his friends from the village. He also loves to play cricket with all the villagers cheering on. However, nothing beats playing music. He gets on the keyboard and 12 hours go by in a flash. “Creating the suitable rhythms for local composition is a difficult task but once the music starts, the notes come one after the other and then the formation of a tune is right in the palm of my hands,” he explained. Presently there is a demand for only soca music but he has also been practising popular Bollywood songs. Among the recording artistes, Lata Mangeshwar is his favourite. “Her voice is like the voice of the dive Goddess Mother Saraswatie. Now I am not saying that I am a religious human being but one must pray in order to have some order in one’s life. Lata’s voice can never be emulated. She is unique and different from any female singer I have ever heard,” he said with passion.

Unlike other musicians, Rishi has not taken up singing because “oh my God I would send everybody home”. “That will not be nice,” he joked. Of his recent experience with the Chutney Tent, he said it was a pleasure creating the music for the artistes who really enjoyed a successful carnival this year. Following the success of the Gayatones’ recent CD, Touchdown, the band toured the Caribbean performing in Guyana, Suriname and Barbados. The CD is doing well on the foreign market. Rishi’s other CDs include Mashing up the Place, Blast Off, Carnival Hits ‘3’, Badder than before and Touchdown. He is now preparing to launch his newest addition entitled Chutney Alliance.

Like his dad, Rishi would like to marry and have sons to take over the music, but for the time being he is enjoying the bachelor life. He also spoke highly of the band’s sponsor T&TEC and expressed his gratitude for the support the company has given the band since 1986. “I think I have been able to deliver the best for my sponsors and they in return have given the band the support that is needed for continuous support,” he ended.