BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – BEFORE this local history-maker became the first architect to give St. Kitts and Nevis its first-ever glass bottom vessel, Elroy ‘Lord Ray’ Jeffers was a well-known calypsonian who recorded over six albums during his career.
In our exclusive interview with Lord Ray, this former calypsonian now entrepreneur told SKNVibes Entertainment that as a child growing up he would often find himself listening to a collection of calypsos.
“When I was younger, I always had a passion for music and sometimes you would find me listening to music from the Mighty Sparrow, Short Shirt, Swallow and Kitchener. These men had a style and quality which I loved,” Jeffers said.
He added that apart from his ability to sing as child, he was also known to be an incredibly talented dancer who would, from time to time, enthrall his small audiences, including family members, whenever he had the time to perform.
“I remember I used to sing and dance for the family and everyone enjoyed it. There were the times when we had family and friends over and I would always sing and dance. So from since that age I was a performer.”
Jeffers also remembered those days when schools were closed for the Christmas holidays, during which time he and a colleague would volunteer to perform calypsos from singers such as Swallow and Short Shirt.
“Every time we had Christmas concerts, me and another friend would volunteer and perform for the school. I think that is when my onstage confidence really grew, because even when we sang other people’s song we were still well received.”
As he matured in age, Lord Ray said he continued singing before making the decision to enter the National Carnival Calypso Competition in the 90s, and thus recorded his songs, ‘Lord Ray don’t Sing’ and ‘One day we gonna be Free’.
But after performing for almost a decade, Jeffers said that he never made the finals of the Senior Calypso Competition.
When asked what kept him performing although he never made it to the final stage, Jeffers told SKNVibes Entertainment that his love for singing was worth more than cash prizes.
“In those days, I sang for the love of music and my fans came out to see me. Most times preparing for a competition was not easy; you had band practice and you had to spend a lot of money to get ready for these things.”
In the late 90s, Jeffers migrated to St. Thomas where he was employed as a carpenter and architect. And while there, the idea of building a glass bottom party boat was born. The idea became a reality and he has since named the boat ‘Prince Devonte J” in memory of his son who died in a traffic accident whilst visiting his sister in the United States of America.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: SKNVibes solicits suggestions from the public in identifying other individuals who have made significant contributions to the Calypso art form in St. Kitts and Nevis. Feel free to email us at newsroom@sknvibes.com or call us at (869) 466-9242 or (869) 662-3901 and pass on the relevant information.
