| THE DOMINATORS BAND |
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| By Ray Seales |
| L-R, Gordon Ross(Drums),Monty Douglas(Vocals),Ray Seales(Bass),Aubrey Cummings(Guitar), Walter Scott(Guitar/Leader) 1970 |
| My professional musical experience began when I became a member of the Dominators band in 1969. I played Bass Guitar for twoyears then switched to the Tenor Sax. I liked playing the Bass (foundation music) and as I got better I experimented with different patterns. AS a young boy, I watched my father's band rehearse and was fascinated by the way Sabu Lall worked the double bass(Cello) In our home we had every instrument you could think of, except the Harp, although we had a Vibraharp or xylophone. The cello stood behind a door and evry moring before going to school I would pull some strings and pretend to be Sabu. Before I could master the instrument, a new wave of Electrical instruments came along. I stuck to the bass guitar while working on my saxophone chops.I remember the first time I was presented to the public playing tenor sax was at the Pegasus poolside. I played "Alfie" which was a very difficult song to play by ear but the band managed, and the audience were impressed with my fat sound especially Basil Hinds. He was a friend of the family and wrote a jazz column. I had to make no mistakes. I encouraged the band to add a Trumpeter Terry Jervis, and introduced songs that took the band to another level. We were good! After Terry left we recruited Colin Aaron another Police Bandman on Trombone playing agressive modern jazz movements. I was getting better on the sax which puzzled many of the local and well tutored horn players from the Police band. The answer was simple, I had a good teacher, who taught me to listen to all kinds of music, appreciate and learn. The book is good but you have to have ears. Al Seales was the ultimate soundsman. Playing with the Dominators was the most enlightening and enjoyable experience of my youth. We played from coast to coast and I got an oppurtunity to meet Guyanese from all walks of life, going to Wismar was my favorite. This was one place I would have a good time playing any kind of music. Once we played a waltz, a request from our manager Rupert Cheong, we thought we were dead men(nobody plays a waltz at a big girls' picnic) but were very much surprised when every one was on the floor dancing including Rupert. "Nuff" respect to these people. See! not only Ray was listening and appreciating. Don't judge the book by the cover. In 1973 something strange happened, The Dominators became The Telstars International. We played the kind of music that would never be associated with the original Telstars. We were light years away. Proof of this is on our LP "TELSTARS ORBITING". Monty Douglas was a great songwriter and wrote most of the songs on the Album( available on CD on this website). This was truly an original Guyanese production. All good thins do come to an end. Like our predecessors we reached our limit in Guyana and most of us went off looking for greener pastures. My father asked me not yo give up on good old Guyana, because she will come back good. Wait 'an see. I go every year to see. |