Leon Couchman is on a mission to preserve local...
As a family band they performed at heritage villages and several other places across the country. Couchman, who is of Lokono (Arawak) origin, noted that his wife who is of East Indian ancestry, writes and sings chutney songs, and has been involved in chutney singing competitions. A music lover, she has assisted him in writing the lyrics of some songs and is also a back-up singer. He himself has written his own chutney songs of which “I Miss My Dulahin” has been recorded and is the most popular.
Proud of his children, Couchman said they have also written their own songs. Karissia released the most recent and Couchman accompanied her in her performance at the opening of this year’s Amerindian Heritage Village at Providence National Stadium. Her most recent piece is “Amerindians of Guyana” with succinct lyrics telling of how their way of life contributes to the preservation of nature; the music was arranged by Leon and Raul and recorded by Raul.
Natassia wrote and sings the catchy tune “Baby” in English and Spanish.
Raul has also written and published his own songs.
According to Couchman, his grandchildren, Raul’s three children, “are very talented and they too can sing. All three can sing and play musical instruments, even the youngest.”
Reviving music
There were times when Couchman needed to record music but needed money to pay for it.
Asked whether he has ever approached the government or the private sector for sponsorship, Couchman said he had done so in the past.
“Recording costs money. I tried seeking sponsorship but people and businesses are not interested in local artistes. I have lost a lot of my music and I keep losing all the time. I just lose rights and demos. To record one song now would cost some hundreds of thousands of dollars. As much as I and my family like music, we can’t be producing music and looking forward to nothing. It is sad. People don’t value what we can do. They do not want to put a monetary value to it. If I go to plant some greens that is what people know. They don’t respect the music, the culture, they say it is a waste of time in this country. It is very sad. You could hear my music all over the world but I have no money for it. Not even a pair of boots or a shirt I could say I bought with money for my music. I would repair engines and I would get money for those,” he said.
“It is just for the love of music and knowing that it makes people happy that we create music. I would have been happy if I could have earned from my music. That would have been real great. Even teach people music. Even help other people out. I like to share what I have. I get happiness from sharing things.”
He noted that Karissia is worried about the loss of the music, rights and demos that he has produced. “She would like to revive some of the music and try to retrieve what she knows is still around before it is too late. She would need the help that I did not get. She would need sponsorship and support. She is ready right now,” he noted.
Karissia is currently looking for sponsorship for a Christmas song and a national song. “I did the music. If we get a studio this week, by the end of two weeks you could hear it on the radio,” Couchman said.
They are not looking for big money, Couchman said, “We as a family outfit can do the music. We have the talent in the family. Raul and I are certified musical engineers. We can arrange, play and record music.”
He said his family members have Christmas and gospel songs. “We could get a demo for some of the songs we have but we do not have the backup or sponsorship from anywhere. We have to come up with our own money if we have to talk to a studio,” he said. “When we do music, we are not doing it for ourselves, we are doing it for the people of Guyana and the world. We need some help.”
Couchman is invited from time to time to play at government functions. In 2019 he was honoured with a citation for his contribution to Indigenous culture and to the field of music by the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs.