Legendary theatre to feature Guyanese on Amateur Night

TIMES INT'L

By Natasha Waldron Anthony

The famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, a famous performing platform for many iconic names in the music industry, such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley and John Lennon, among a host of other celebrities, will on February 23 stage Guyanese Rudy ‘Boysie’ Bishop’s youth arm of the Chronicle Atlantic Symphony and Brass Orchestra (CASSBO).

The 20-man steel orchestra, called the “Young Acolytes”, has advanced into the semi-finals at the Apollo Theater’s Legendary Amateur Night. Bishop, the group’s director, spoke on February 2nd with Guyana Times International on the group’s performance: “We did a tribute to Michael Jackson, where we did three songs…opened with ‘Beat it’, ‘Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough’ and ended with ‘Thriller’.” He noted that the performance was well received by the audience. Performances are not adjudicated by judges, but rather by the crowd’s reaction.

The ‘Young Acolytes’ steel orchestra is slated to perform again on February 23 at the Apollo Theater, and Bishop is urging everyone to show their support to the young men by coming out to the event. The aim is to win the competition.

The lads, currently attending college and high school, are being motivated through their experience in the band. Bishop says the requirement to enter the orchestra is to maintain an excellent academic report. The youths meet for rehearsals three times a week at the St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Brooklyn New York.

The orchestra has performed throughout the Tri-state area, and is a regularly featured performer at the Guyana Folk Festival events in New York. This year, Bishop says, the team is scheduled to perform in Canada at Caribana this summer.

Bishop is today the lone surviving founding member of CASSBO. The orchestra was formed in 1966, and positioned itself as one of the top steel orchestras in Guyana. It has received several accolades, awards and worldwide invitations to play its inimitable offing of the sweet Caribbean pan.

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