Like Combo 7 and the Music Machine, Neil Chan showed his respect for the artists by paying the members of Solo Sounds International a regular monthly salary. It was in this context that Solo Sounds International emerged.
This meant that the best contemporary instruments and sound equipment had to be used and the music had to be original. All these experiences lay the firm foundation for, and came to the fore in his excellence as an exponent in Guyanese expressions.Ĭhan felt that Guyanese music should be dynamic and reflective of the changes taking place internationally, especially in the United States. As a young man, he along with Billy Moore, Neville Rose, Willie Wright, and Ev Manifold were members of the standard-setting Billy Moore and the Four Lords. In addition, he was part of the early steel band “action,” playing an energetic role in developing costumed bands for tramping.
He grew up in the Lacytown area of Georgetown during the 1940s and 1950s and was exposed to the musical ferment taking place in this urban working-class ward during that era. In addition to Solo Sounds International, Chan was also the owner of Xanadu, a popular upscale discotheque. Neil Chan was one of the significant music entrepreneurs in the early post-independence era. Solo” which will always be remembered by true racing fans. The Solo brand also extended to Motor Racing and Chan and the members of the Solo Super Team, racing the best available racing cars, go-carts and racing bikes, left its marks as one of the big teams in the history of Guyana Motor Racing &Sports Club. Solo also participated in Deepavali Pageants with the Solo contestants displaying Saris created locally by Solo staff. Chan later became convenor of the Mash Nite and Mash Day Competitions. He insisted that each Solo presentations should always be creative in its use of locally sourced materials.
Neil Chan himself won the King of the Band Competition on many occasions. His agency also collaborated with various ministries, supplying cutting edge equipment for sea defense infrastructure and the maintenance of the electricity grid.įurther, Neil Chan and Solo dominated the Festival Arts of Guyana for many years as the leading private sector costume band and was well known for the splendor and pageantry of his 1000 strong Mashparaders leading the parade. Neil Chan started Bel Park Guyana Agency in the 1970s, as distributor of the Solo brand of agricultural equipment used by small farmers throughout Guyana. He played a major role in trade at a time when foreign currency was in short supply and materials for the development of the country were greatly needed. In 1970, he was appointed the first General Manager of the External Trade Bureau (ETB), which was responsible for the importation of most of Guyana’s food and other commodities. As a young man, he was an ardent boxing and table tennis fan, but he excelled in the bodybuilding and weightlifting fields and later represented Guyana at the 1966 8th British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.Īs a businessman, he specialized in the import trade. Neil Chan had many interests, including, sports, culture, music and business. Neil and his devoted wife, Sheila, shared fifty eight years of marriage based on love, devotion and mutual respect. He had one brother Hubert and sister Patricia who both predeceased him. Neil Vibert Ignatius Michael Chan was born on Novemto parents Solomon Chan and Ruby Beckles in Georgetown, Guyana.
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Joseph’s Mercy Hospital at the age of 88.Ĭhand is remembered for the SOLO Band and the night club– “Xanadu”- the Place Where Dreams Come True– located at Vlissengen Road and Duncan Streets where PopEyes is currently located.įollowing is a full statement from the Guyana Cultural Association (GCA). Guyanese cultural icon, Neil Chan, who is credited with organising large costume and float parade Mashramani bands in the 1970s and 1980s, died Friday morning. Last Updated on Friday, 5 January 2018, 10:23 by Denis Chabrol
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