Calypsonian and Acoustic singer/guitarist Roger Gibb gave an impromptu concert at London’s Barbados House after attending the 9th International Conference on Carnival Arts and Cultures in Oxford at Brookes University.
Capitalising on this visit, Calypsonian and Steel Pannist Jefferey “Admiral” Hinds arranged the event. Among the small audience were HE High Commissioner Milton Inniss and Deputy High Commissioner Rev. Charles Morris, staff, local Calypsonians, Clergy, and residents of Notting Hill (home of Carnival arts)
Roger grew up in a musical family and began his career in Barbados, singing with Caribbean dance bands in the 1970s. He joined as the lead singer of the Sandpebbles (brother John played with them), a popular Calypso band with a string of hits. Recorded three albums and several singles and toured extensively throughout the Caribbean, Canada, and USA. He shared the stage with many Caribbean stars such as the Mighty Sparrow, Lord Kitchener, Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, Johnny Nash, Tomorrow’s Children, Kalyan, the Tradewinds, the Merrymen (his older brother Chris’ group), and many others.
Roger studied music theory through the Associated Boards of the Royal Schools of Music and has pursued a life-long interest in the traditional music of the Caribbean. He worked in the late seventies as a Cultural Affairs Officer (Music) at the Ministry of Education & Culture (Barbados) as the head music programmer for Carifesta 1981.
Moving to Canada in 1986, where he resides, Roger has worked freelance with various artists. From 1993 until 2013, he was a performing member of COBA (Collective of Black Artists), one of Canada’s leading Black dance/theatre companies. Roger has recorded two C.D. – ‘Spirit of Calypso’ and ‘Calypso Classics on Guitar – vol. 1’. In 2012 released his third CD titled ‘Hot So’ with his band Shak Shak, the house band for TLK’s Professionals Calypso Tent. He was Artistic Director of Worlds of Music Toronto (1998–2000), coordinating biannual workshops and concerts of traditional music from around the world.
In 2001-2002 he returned to Barbados’s National Cultural Foundation to design strategies for music development and establish a music archive. Roger co-produced the first two Barbados on The Water festivals held at Harbourfront Centre and was the originator and producer for ‘Calypso Stars’ at Harbourfront Centre’s famous Island Soul festival
In 2012 he received a special award from Toronto Caribbean Carnival Festival for his contribution to Calypso in Canada. Roger currently produces for Caribbean Community Engagement, a non-profit arts organization devoted to the Caribbean Carnival Arts.
