IslandMix - Soca, Reggae, Zouk and Caribbean Entertainment

1 Time Calypso King

Ugliest Man in Bim

7 time Road March King

11 times Road March King in carnivals outside of Barbados.

Author of de term "bajan yankees"

Before i let wunna read on i must make it clear that this was 2 telephone interviews merged into one. The link for the audio conversation will be posted within the next month. Gryner has done alot for Barbados and dominated the 80's along with a few others in de artform. not just in bim in the WORLD OF SOCA... BlackRock say so.. anyhow.... doan expect jokes , wise cracks or nuffin so.... cause dis is serious ting... respect dis man... especially wunna igrant bajans dat forget wuh dis man do fah we...

MrBlackRock: Say hello to de Imix posse and other undesireables

Gryner: hayeeeeee, how every body feeling..?

MrBlackRock: 1. Being a seven time road march king in Barbados is a major thing, people often don’t know the magnitude of such an accomplishment. SEVEN TIMES.. tell us about that feat…

Gryner: Cory, I still am in shock.. so much that I don’t even think about it. It took a lot of hard work and having the right people around me, your father, Eddie Grant, Gabby, Romeo. I guess de best thing is de people. Cory, you know I love people and to go places all over de world and have people just doan call you by your name but call you by de name of u song. We went London once and gawdblemma this old woman holla fuh “THATCHER IS A BEE”. It had me feeling good man. It just feels real good to have people know yuh for your work as an artist. A blessing indeed.

MrBlackRock: 2. You have performed on stage with Legends… Sparrow, Arrow, Baron, Kitch, Cro Cro, de best in de world, tell us what that was like?

Gryner: You think it was a joy being dey or I was happy to be dey? Those are all my friends. We are all peers, that’s what people don’t know is that even back then, dem men had respect for Bajan artists and everybody got along, drink rum and entertain people.

MrBlackRock: Sort of like a Fraternity?

Gryner: wuhever u wanna call it.

MrBlackRock: 3. You’ve known me from de time I did chile now I’ve grown and a lot of people call me BlackRock and always hear me talking about BlackRock this BlackRock that. What is BlackRock to you?

Gryner: Family. BlackRock people are de heartbeat of Bim. If something wrong gine on in bim. You can almost guarantee that a Black Rock person is de one messing it up or de one that complaining that it wrong. Dem say we all mad but if you go by de mental and talk with one of de madmen, dem would tell yuh who is who in parliament. That’s why I love BlackRock and ain gine a place.

MrBlackRock: BRAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!!!

MrBlackRock: 4. Give me your top 3 tunes, I know you have many but what would be “YOUR” top 3?

Gryner: I ain know bout a top 3 because there were years when I thought I was gonna win but my song ain mek it but if you talking my songs that hit hard.

Bajan Yankees – We Want More Gryner – Stinging Bee’s

MrBlackRock: Cheezon dah ain even my top 3 but yuh got so many I guess de first 3 would be my top 3.

Gryner: I know wuh you did liking from small.. jahrastafariparrowjammercreatorofrythymandtempomasterofthiss weetcalypsoleadingthyband.

MrBlackRock: so yuh know I did coming wid dat one.. everybody know dah.

MrBlackRock: 5. Calypso or Soca?

Gryner: Cory, you is a ***** for asking me this

MrBlackRock: I know but people ain gine believe me I ain de one dat win 7 road marches, you alright yeh..

Gryner: In Trinidad and Barbados many of the “calypso” tunes used to win Road March. Is that Soca or Calypso? I won de “calypso” crown in Bim in 1976 when you were a little bit of chile (mind u i wasnt born yet) with what people would consider a Soca song. Soca is calypso. If you take de “Mash up and buy back” tune , slow it down , put It in competition you think that on competition night it gine be called soca? It gine be called “calypso” speed it up to “8” (reference to tempo) and bring it pon de road and yuh gine hear people call it soca. No difference. I feel people does like to separate soca from calypso for selfish reasons. A man wanna come and say here “look, I am a pioneer of Soca” like soca just mek.

MrBlackRock: aye aye aye pulls out hand grenade launcher to let off shots*

MrBlackRock: 6. Why do they call you de UGLY MAN?

Gryner: cause ah ugly nuh? You ever hear somebody tell a next man “you look like Gryner” without a fight brekking out?

MrBlackRock: 7. Who impresses you currently in de artform?

Gryner: very few, but I think men like Edwin Yearwood , Machel Montano, Rupee and of course Alison who were part of the artform from young and really appreciate de artform are impressive. The people punishing de artform by settling for “boo boo” artists that can’t sing when they should be expecting more from their artists.

MrBlackRock: 8. Give us a hidden talent of de mighty gryner?

Gryner: for a lil big head fella dat used to come and gorge my food you gine ask me dah? I would have to say that I can cook very well.

MrBlackRock: for years my aunt used to get vex cause I used to run up de hill and gwabadize you food and run back home and tell she I got belly hurt so I wouldn’t eat hers.

Gryner: doan let she see dis den boy, nuhbody ain cursin me

MrBlackRock: Safe

MrBlackRock: 9. For aspiring artists and others looking to get into de business/artform, what are some of the challenges and struggles that they will be in for?

Gryner: The only struggle will be confidence if confidence is an issue. If you love what you do, you keeping loving and doing what you do, it can grow on people, I am not known for my signing but for years I sang and came with gimmicks and melodies and eventually I made it. Before my last road march, de people did saying I was done with de emergence of Lil Rick, Sq1 , Kfyah, they thought I was done.. but I kept doing what I loved and I won again.

MrBlackRock: 10. You think you can win again?

Gryner: sure bet, as long as I can still perform I believe I can win road march again.

MrBlackRock: I feel so too. Yuh know I gine be wukkin up stink. Thanks for everything, we’ll talk soon, anything else to say to de posse?

Gryner: please continue to support de artform and don’t create some sort of a monster, when I get old (as if dis man ain old now) I don’t want to go to a show and see somebody performing we music and one of these unmannerly hip hoppers jump out and start chanting? Its unfair to de elder kaiso men who have helped de artform get to what it is.

MrBlackRock: I want some food

Gryner: not none ah mine, I gine pizon u

*BlackRock gets no respect*

==================================

next week de more dan miserable SANFRANJOUVAY

Classic

Thanks for the good read...

forreal... very interestin indeed.. well done :)

and u say I love my belly :p

nuff respect to Gryner :)

GREAT!


LOL... OH SHITE.. I HEAR CRACKING UP IN TEARS

DE MAN SAY

cause ah ugly nuh? You ever hear somebody tell a next man “you look like Gryner” without a fight brekking out?


brrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaaaaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

this might be a real stoopid question
all these interviews u doin even wit the IMIX fam r real - like u really talk to teh people then post
or r they made up
jus askin, dont kill me please

lol..

its real

lol... if dey was fake den we would know him have REAL time on he hands....lol ... ah doh think Blackrock DAT mad :p

ask de imixers youself doan ask me...

That was real nice. I have a lot of respect for the older artists that paved the way for the new guys.

O BOY DAT WAS LOVELY....

BUT, one thing...WHO DA FAKK IS U TO CALL WE IGRANT BAJANS...: o well, i ain bajan anyway...

i guess i shudve read them
i always thought they were fake
and b/c they were so long i neva bothered readin them
ill start readin now
sorry Mr BlackRock

Interesting.

__________________
"If u put a small price on ur value.. rest assure that the world wont raise ur price! Love U 2day!" ~ Rev. Run

"If you keep believing in yourself and seek enthusiasm inside your soul, things will get simpler, more spontaneous." ~Paulo Coelho

"Knowledge is like the wind, once you obtain it, you can go anywhere." ~Yellow Hare(Native-American Chief)

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit
the floor each morning the devil says:
"Oh Crap, She's up!"

you're a classic yes. no wonder i ask fuh places to eat in Barbados and all you could tell me is you ain know anyplace outside blackrock. sanfran's ironing short shorts for interview.

very good rock...beautiful interview :)