International Guyanese musician James Cannings Using his music to inspire

By Venessa Deosaran –

International Guyanese musician James Cannings is a virtual one-man band and, as such, has created a niche for himself. He travels worldwide with his guitar and amplifier, to hospitals, nursing homes, senior centres, hospices, schools, colleges, libraries, universities and international festivals to share his reggae/world beat renditions.
In an interview with Guyana Times Sunday Magazine, Cannings, now living in the U.S., speaks of his musical journey and the significance of Black History Month.

Cannings was born in Bagotsville, West Bank Demerara. His father was a public health inspector who was transferred often, so Cannings grew up in Leguan, Wakenaam, New Amsterdam Berbice, Beterverwagting and Plaisance. Eventually, in the interest of Cannings and his siblings’ schooling, his father decided to relocate permanently to Georgetown.
James’ fond childhood memories were those he experienced while living in the country side. Cannings recalled he and his elder sister, Ruth Ann, would walk for miles, and enjoyed the natural beauty of life surrounding them.
“We would put our heads against each telegraph pole. We would hear something – at least a constant buzz. We would cup our hands to catch candle flies and bees that were pollinating on the daises that lined the road. We would put them in a match box, put the match box to our ears and get a thrill at listening to the buzz of their sound of life. My fondest of childhood memories were lived in Wakenaam. I somehow loved the island. If I ever return to Guyana I would love to visit there again. I lived a very innocent life there. I participated in school games such as cricket and athletics. I spent most of my quiet time alone at the steamer stelling looking at the reflection of the sun as it shone across the rippling Essequibo River from Wakenaam to Supenaam. My thoughts would expand as I listened to my mind. I also enjoyed travelling on a launch to Suddie on Sundays to attend church. I would put my head against the wall of the launch where I would hear music in my head coming from the vibration of its motor. As my head equally vibrated on the wall, I looked out of the launch window and enjoyed the sight of the waves and the vast river. Sometimes the launch would roll to each side and the river and water would come closer to the bottom of the window. Great moments,” Cannings reminisced.
In 1969, Cannings left Guyana for Barbados and with his band, JC Intruders, toured French Guiana and Dutch Guiana. In 1970, he returned to Guyana and stayed a few months before leaving for Antigua and Montserrat. He then migrated to the U.S. in 1971 and has not returned to Guyana since. Although Cannings’ move to the “land of opportunities” greatly helped his music, he never ceased speaking about his homeland on the international music scene.

Finding his rhythm
“In Guyana, I learnt to play the guitar at an early age. My first guitar had only three rusty strings. It belonged to my father. I saw the guitar behind my mother’s vanity case and reached for it. The guitar never returned to that place again. Bro. Fitz Gabriel gave me my first guitar lesson in the church that I attended. I was taught how to hold the chords C, F and G7; I had to build calluses, I should learn to move the chords as fast as I can, and to strum to a song. This was my first and last lesson at the church. Armed with this new knowledge, I immediately started practicing. I did not have money for new strings and never asked my dad for help. Instead, I feverishly practiced the shapes of the chords on and between the three rusty strings on the fret board,” stated Cannings.
He then added, “I built calluses by rubbing my fingers up and down the rusty strings until they hurt, then I would dip the tip of my fingers into a cup of salt water before continuing. I cannot remember how I got my first set of strings, but soon learned to string and tune my instrument. I continued practicing with the acoustic sound until my mind was able to make those three chords strum to a song. I never will forget the experience, which I had about three months later, when I was able to sing and play the chords to the song “Everybody Ought to Know Who Jesus Is”. It was a revelation. All of a sudden my mind snapped into it. I literally felt the moment. I soon started hanging out with other local guitar players such as Ronald Buttery, Chet, Bumble, Mickey Dee and Cubie Bayley –to name a few. I learned fast.”
The musician then discovered that he could convert the acoustic guitar into an electric guitar. He learned that the head of the gramophone, used with the spoke of a bicycle wheel filed to fit into the hole that houses the gramophone’s needle, could pick up the vibrations of the guitar strings. Cannings mounted the spoke under the six strings at the bridge of the guitar, attached the gramophone head, and plugged the RCA jacks at the other end of the gramophone head into the input of his father’s radio. This was his first electric guitar. Cannings played it in churches around Georgetown. This guitar served him very well until he was able to use a real electric guitar in the band ‘The Intruders’ which he joined as a lead guitarist but would later leave to journey on his own musical path.
Cannings has been releasing records since 1975. His first single on Empire Records released in the West Indies, Africa and Canada by WIRL Records was #32 on the top 40 charts of WHSB radio in the US. Tyrone Downie, keyboardist with Bob Marley, and the Wailers, programmed Cannings’ crossover record “As Time Goes On” which was listed in the 1986 Gavin Report Adult Contemporary Chart. Downie played keyboards on this recording.
In the West Indies, Cannings was keyboardist with Jackie Opel, vocalist of the Troubadours of Barbados. He also was instrumental in the initial career development of “Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot” by Montserrat musician, Arrow. Additionally, Arrow sings background vocals of “Dayo” on “The Best of James Cannings” album.
The international artiste has performed on U.S. national TV many times. He has performed on the Joe Franklin TV Show, among others, and hosted the ‘James Cannings Special’, aired on Manhattan Neighbourhood Network (MNN). He was quoted several times in the book ‘JACO, The World’s Greatest Bass Player’. Jaco performed with and was a roommate of Cannings.
Cannings has recorded five full-length albums to date: ‘Music For All Seasons’, ‘Moments’, ‘Mother Loves Her Children’, ‘The Best of James Cannings’, and ‘All That Jazz and Blues’ was officially in the 48th Grammy Awards Entry List 2005.

Healing through music
The artiste offers educational lecture and performance programmes in substance abuse, social studies, and multi-cultural and global studies. His hit single, “Don’t Drink and Drive”, is usually performed in junior high schools in New York for National Alcohol Awareness Month (April).
Cannings said, “I am a student of the universe; it’s my mission to aid in the spiritual uplifting of mankind through positive, thought-provoking lyrics.”
He holds a BBA degree in International Marketing from Baruch College. His degree facilitates management of all aspects of Cannings’ career. “Music is a business,” he explained. “I can take a song from the mind to the market through all the necessary processes.”
Cannings founded a performing rights organization, ‘Our Own Performance Society, Inc. (OOPS)’, a not-for-profit corporation which champions performing rights needs and lobbies the US Congress, the Copyright Office among others on behalf of songwriters and music publishers. OOPS also collects and distributes performance royalties on behalf of songwriters band music publishers.
The instrumentalist is also proud of sharing his reggae/world vision with U.S presidents. By invitation of former U.S president Carter, Cannings was a guest at the White House in 1979. His files boast responses from presidents Reagan, Clinton, and Mayor David Dinkins- acknowledging both their receipt of his music and consideration of his opinions.
For more information on the artiste’s music and the new albums he’s currently working on, visit James Cannings Page on Facebook. (Guyana Time Sunday Magazine)