Ever heard the name Richard "Nappy" Mayers?At least you know the song "Bring Back The Old Time Days"...
News Source: Trinidad Express Mix
His eldest son, Levi Mayers, wants to make sure the man and the song are never forgotten.
The young Mayers is in the midst of a massive project hoping to bring his father's legendary music alive with a CD collection of his works and a tribute concert in his memory.
Speaking at his Woodbrook home recently, Levi is wondering why no one has thought to do do tribute to the man that was Nappy Mayers.
"Over the past few years I've been wondering why nothing has really been done in my father's memory concerning tribute concerts or anything," he lamented.
Of his father's music he said: "The music was so ahead of its time. This was in the 70's and 80's. It was of an international standard. If it was done by more known artists you could have some international hits on your hands. This is my complete vision. I want to take my father's music to the heights that I feel it deserves."
Talking about the closeness between the Andre Tanker and Mayers families, Levi now regrets that he never collaborated with the late Tanker as he once intended.
After seeing the Tanker tribute, Levi decided that one for his father was long overdue.
"I've reached to the point," he said, "where I think I have the first phase of the vision. I come up with something called 'The Journey'. I think it's a journey."
Levi recalled: "My father wasn't a rich man. He came from a simple background. He struggled in his young days. He was always a family man, the whole project is about family. There isn't anybody else involved. I'm trying to do this for his legacy. If he was here his music would be taking care of his family. That's what I'm trying to do. I want to ease up my mother who has been working since she was a teenager. This might even help my own career."
As part of Yolk Productions -a company started by Nappy Mayers and his cousin Wayne Cezair back in the seventies-Levi hopes to have all those who worked with his father come forth and contribute to what he believes will be a night to remember.
A strong breeze seemed to add force to Levi's convictions as he voiced his next thought.
"With this wealth of music," he said, "I am trying to do what I can. I don't want to see all his work amount to nothing. I want people to support it and appreciate it. You might not be singing calypso or soca but you are a son of the soil and you are singing music which is a universal language. A lot of young people need to start to appreciate what it is we have in terms of music and culture."
Nappy Mayers left about 40 to 60 songs which Levi wants to compile on three compact discs. Each will be sold individually. They have been titled Nappy Mayers-Old Time Days Collection (80s to 90s), Nappy Mayers-Vintage (70s to 80s) and Nappy Mayers and Friends (works written and produced by Nappy but performed by others; Nadie La Fond, Colin Lucas).
Levi intends to do a remake of his father's hit "Bring Back the Old Time Days", which he intends to perform at an intended tribute concert later this year.
"I don't want to take away too much from the song," he pointed out, "but give it a youthful variation. I want to do it as soon as possible to launch the buzz about the show and the CDs. I would take the remake and put it on the bonus tracks CD."
Some of the artistes Levi hopes to have at the concert include: Len Boogsie Sharpe, Mungal Patessar, David Rudder, Black Stalin, Orange Sky and Machel Montano. Most of these performers have yet to be contacted about the venture.
Thinking of his father he remembered: "He was a trendsetter. He set a standard. He would always help the small man. If somebody was a little short he would still help them and tell them to give him something whenever they had. Even after he passed on people came to pay off debts. He had no (book keeping) records, just his word. I respect them. My father was unbiased. He never refused anybody. He wasn't perfect but he was a good man. He was a people's person.
"He always tried to provide a good life for my family. My mother was the one in the early days, as far as I know, who was working and helped keep us afloat. Eventually my father was able to take care of his business and take care of everything. He was always kind an generous. He made his mistakes, went through his trials and tribulations. He had times of weakness, but he was a good man."
The memories of his father brought a smile to Levi's face as he thought of the man behind the music.
"I remember being proud of the fact that Nappy was my father. Everybody had good things to say about him. His life has brought blessings in small and large ways to my life, to my brother's life.
"I was with sports when I was young so I put music aside. A few months before he passed on I secretly started to write songs. In those days you were young, meetings girls and feeling like you were in love so you writing tabanca songs. I never told anybody about the songs except my friends. I never told my father. I thought it was it was just a phase but now it's going on 11 years and I'm still doing it.
"My father started from scratch. He started with one little eight-track machine. He built a whole studio full of equipment. He was determined to do it. He would have done great things if he was still around. I would have been more advanced.
Levi said that even though his father is not physically around, his spirit is always near.
"He knows what's going on. He will always be around. I just want to make him proud."
To assist in "The Journey" project and help make the dream a reality please contact Levi Mayers at 623/3110 or e-mail yolkprodns@hotmail.com
