One on one with the Tradewinds' Dave Martins

By Felicia Persaud

Mr. Dave Martins at the Guyana Folk Festival in New York
(All photos by Bill Farrington)

Thursday, September 11, 2003

BROOKLYN, New York: There is no denying the feelings of pride that creep into your bones and overwhelms you, the moment you hear a 'Tradewinds' song. It becomes even more 'real' as Mr. Dave Martins take you back to your 'Boyhood Days,' or paints a verbal picture that is so clear, that as a Caribbean national you swear you could almost taste some of the rum that is distinctly Caribbean, or see the cane cutters in the field and the banana farmers 'fetching (their) heavy banana load,' and vow to all foreigners, 'Not a Blade a Grass,' or sing out at a cricket match, 'Gie dem Shiv.'

Just as Mr. Martins' and the group sings about the various facets of life in the Caribbean and Guyana that 'Is We Own,' there is no doubt that the Tradewinds themselves 'is we thing.'
Patriotism and nostalgia are two emotions that are sure to rise to the surface every time you hear a Tradewinds lyric or are lucky enough to catch a live performance. Caribbean-Americans and Guyanese-Americans especially know these feelings and it is little wonder that they turned out in full numbers recently to witness a live performance of the group at the Crystal Palace Ballroom in Brooklyn, New York for the third annual celebration of the Guyana Folk Festival.

The folk festival, according to organizers, is geared at "Preserving Our Cultural Heritage." Mr. Martins was full of applause for the idea and organizers, who took the theme of his song, "Is We Own," and turned it into 'Is We Ting,' the title of a compilation CD featuring Guyanese artists.

"I see it (the fest) as an economic resource as well as one that can change attitudes," said the singer. "The possibilities are great."

Yet, while Guyanese are certain to claim Mr. Martins as 'they own,' this musical pioneer, who much to the delight of nationals of this South American country still speaks distinctly 'Guyanese,' is undoubtedly a 'Caribbean Man.'

Mr. Martins, part of Guyana's musical history

While his accent may betray him, putting down roots in the Cayman Islands, while writing tourist jingles for at least three other Caribbean countries as well as blowing like the tropical winds with his group throughout the region and in West Indian communities in North America, certainly qualifies him as Caribbean first and foremost.

Sitting on a concrete bench in the historic Brooklyn Children's Museum, Mr. Martins speaks with pride about the formation of the group in Canada in 1966.

"I was in Canada and started the Debonaires in the early 1960s," he reveals. The Tradewinds came soon after, he revealed, as he began getting the urge to write more Caribbean songs and return in a cultural way to his roots. The name, says Mr. Martins, came from the trade winds that blow through the region and the original members Messrs. were Kelvin Ceballo, Joe Brown and Glen Sorzano, all of Trinidad. Mr. Terry Dyal, another Trinidadian, joined in later years but subsequently returned to his homeland.

A joke he heard in Guyana helped push the band to instant fame both in Toronto and throughout the region. So "Honeymoon Couple," was born and remains a hit. 

Today, the group has a total of 18 albums that they are re-recording on compact discs. A total of 5 discs are so far available for sale, revealed Mr. Martins, but he added that piracy and the recent availability of CD and DVD burners to most computer savvy fans, is killing sales of the discs.

"Frankly it's one of the reasons we haven't done a lot more recordings recently," said this famed songwriter, guitarist and singer. "Piracy just kills you. Since this piracy thing has hit sales has dropped right out. Still, as much as it bothers and upsets me we have to be realistic and realize that the technology is there and it's not going to go away."

He admits he has no immediate fix for the problem but we suggests that the "whole structure of how music is bought, sold and traded, has to change."

"The artist is being victimized and we have to find a way to stop that," said Mr. Martins, who stands out in the music industry for his complete handling of both the creative and financial aspects of the band.

In an industry where agents, press agents and managers take a toll on the income generated by artistes, Mr. Martins ensures he keeps those costs at a minimum by running 'Penny Records' as basically a one-man operation.

Of course fellow Tradewinds' drummer and vocalist, Mr. Clive Rosteing of Trinidad, keyboard player Mr. Jeff Japal of Grenada, bass player Mr. Richard Terry of the Cayman Islands and percussionist and vocalist Mr. Harry Cupid of Barbados, are an integral part of the group.

It is a fact that Mr. Martins is quick to point out, stressing that though none of the current members are original to the group, their 15-22 years as 'Tradewinds' more than qualifies them.

But it is Mr. Martins, 67, who handles the 'whole works.' 

"You have to have control of the whole operations," he says when asked if he handles marketing, bookings, press as well as the songwriting, singing and re-recording effort. "The Caribbean is still a small market so you have to have tight control of everything or you'll be making records and they won't make any money."

Asked pointedly whether the band is making money, Mr. Martins laughs, and then says modestly, "It's profitable." Before quickly adding, "But we have an established name now. For some body to bring a band like us to a place like Los Angeles or New York or Toronto, it'll probably cost them US$ 12-15,000 per night."

Still he admits readily that the music industry "is very tough."

"You can't stay in unless you have a name," said the songwriter, who has about 110 songs to his credit. "For me it leads to CD sales or me getting calls to write a jingle here or there. And that all comes from name."

The father of three now spends his days writing, managing the annual Pirates Weeks Festival in the Cayman Islands, writing the annual musical comedy 'Run Down,' touring the region and overseas Caribbean communities at least nine times per year and in his down time, taking care of his fruit trees in his 2-and-a-half acre land in Cayman, building furniture, reading and of course listening to music.

"Life is not boring for me at all," says this tall, lanky man who still commands incredible presence wherever he goes. 

President Bharat Jagdeo pauses for the national anthem in Brooklyn

So are there any major musical collaborations he would like to do? He pauses for a moment and then responds humbly, "It would be nice to collaborate." Names such as David Rudder and the late Andre Tanker are some that come readily to his lips, but he is quick to add that the group does not do music full-time now and collaborations may be ways down the road.

His advice to Caribbean nationals is "to take more pride in what we have as Caribbeans."

"There's a lot of problems but there' a lot of things of value," says the revered regional singer/songwriter. "That is what most of my songs come from. I guess all of this comes from my belief that although there are problems in the Caribbean and in Guyana, we have examples of excellence and we need to focus on those more."

Fans wishing to catch the TradeWinds can do so at Thirst Park in Guyana next month. For Guyanese, caught up for years in racial tension, he has these word of advice: "Each of the major race groups have to get to the point of acknowledging each other. Changing the constitution and all the other stuff is not going to work if you can't respect or accept one another."

Dancers at the festival

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