Who is Gavin Mendonca?
Gavin Mendonca is a young Guyanese Musician, born in the heart of Georgetown on Christmas Eve 1991, and in 2011, Gavin found his calling: Punk Rock! As one of a very few ‘Punk Rockers’ in Guyana, he made a name for himself in the local rock community as well as on the National scene. Since January 2014, Gavin is also the host of his self-produced radio show – Radio Rock ‘n’ Roll, Guyana’s Premier Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio show, bringing rock music to a wider audience, and allows a platform for Rock Music from all around the Caribbean/Region to be heard on Guyana’s National Radio Station. He is also an advocate for more local content on Guyanese Radio.
Gavin has represented Guyanese Rock ‘n’ Roll multiple times in Trinidad, as well as Suriname and Colombia. Also a composer, he has written many songs that are patriotic and tell a story about being Guyanese, such as ‘City By De Tides’ (a song about his home town) and ‘The Great Rebellion’ (a song about Cuffy, and the 1763 Berbice Slave Rebellion) and the 2015 Christmas Hit ‘Cause Is Christmas (in Guyana)’. He is also currently the bassist of local Heavy Metal band – Feed The Flames. He has managed to fuse Guyanese Culture, which is truly unique, with Rock ‘n’ Roll, creating an entirely new sub-genre of Rock Music –Creole Rock. Gavin’s main aim is to contribute to the preservation of Guyanese Culture and Heritage through is works.
His first solo album, titled ‘CREOLE ROCK: THE BEGINNING’, was released in April 2016 and successfully launched in Trinidad at the Skyy Rock Festival 2017. His second studio album titled ‘Creole Rock: Punks and Pirates’ is currently in production and is scheduled for release in April 2018. Visit his official website at www.creolerock.com for more information.
What is Creole Rock?
Creole Rock is a fusion of Guyanese Folk Music, Creole Culture and Dialect, and Punk Rock n’ Roll.
Here is what it sounds like in this feature titled “Gangamani”
Notable Performances in Guyana
Launch of Radio Bartica (Bartica, Guyana, November 2017)- Rupununi Music and Arts Festival: GT Connection (March 2017)
- Harmony Village (Georgetown, Guyana, February 2017)
- Coconut Festival (Guyana, October 2016)
- Guyana Golden Jubilee Concert (Guyana, May 2016)
- 2nd Annual Rupununi Music and Arts Festival (October, 2015)
Notable International Performances
- Srefidensi Rock Fest (Suriname, November 2017)
- Skyy Rock Festival (Trinidad, April 2017)
- LocalPalooza (Trinidad, July 2013)
- Unkies Rock The Guianas (Suriname, September 2012)
Other Affiliations
- Recording Artiste at Kross Kolor Records (2012 – Present)
- Co-Director of Rupununi Music and Arts Festival (2015 – Present)
- Founding member of the Guyana Music Network (2014)
- Bassist of Guyanese Heavy Metal Band – Feed The Flames (2011 – Present)
- Independent Radio Broadcaster at National Communications Network (2014 – Present)
Other Notable Accomplishments
- Winner of ‘Global Rockstar – Artist of the Month’, October 2016
- The first Guyanese to participate in ‘CirculArt’ – the largest Music Summit in Latin America, Colombia, November 2017
