Starting out as a reggae singer way back in the late 70s and early 80s Ras Marcus, who is $350,000 richer having gained second place in this year’s calypso monarch competition, has long been right there among some of the more accomplished statesmen of calypso.
A veteran on the calypso circuit John ‘Ras Marcus’ Marcus boasts a record of performance in some 20 calypso finals since 1985, missing the competition only because of his pursuit of a law degree in 2001-02.
Originally, from Georgetown, Marcus became a naturalised Berbician having moved there at the age of 16. He resided in that county for several years with his grandmother, who had a profound influence on the way he now conducts himself. Describing himself as self-made man he recalls that country life was very enjoyable and afforded him the opportunity to work as a policeman, teacher and farmer.
His journey into music came as a result of his acquaintance with the reggae influences of the time Ernie Smith, Pluto, Ken Lazarus and the like. Inspired by the vintage reggae artistes Marcus and two friends, got a ride to Georgetown and recorded a reggae track called “Come Closer” on 45 vinyl record format at the Guyana Broadcasting Service (GBS), which eventually became Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), with sound engineer Ivor Innis. Out of this venture Marcus explained, “I signed a recording contract with West Indies Records Limited (WIRL) and never got paid.”
The veteran musician said the opportunities existing to artistes now, as limited as they are, are more than he had in his time. “If I had the opportunities these people got now I would not be doing this I would look for other ways to get exposure,” Marcus said.
Later, having realized that reggae was not the genre to gain a foothold entertainment wise, Marcus, still in his teens, returned to his life as a man of the soil. He also started a family.
It was in 1985 that the inspiration to take part in the calypso competition presented itself as an opportunity for growth in the musical arena.
So once again Marcus headed to the city where he enrolled as a member of the Guyana Calypsonians Association. In those years, members of the association included legendary names such as Lady Guymine, Mighty Spurwing, Mighty Rebel, Mighty Chief, Kendingo and Smoker.
That first attempt saw him being knocked out of the competition at the quarterfinal stage with a song called “America” that he had composed while working in his family’s rice fields back in Berbice.
He got back on his again and competed the next three years with “Crushing South Africa”, a song based on the apartheid system there, “Madness”, and “Smut” in 1986, 1987 and 1988 respectively. None of these served to get him anywhere near the title he coveted. However, he said, the year “Crushing South Africa” was done was the first time, “I realized I had fans.”
In 1989 Marcus’s fortunes began to change when he a copped a controversial third place position with a song called “Rob the Dread” the lyrics of which were based on his and his supporters’ opinion that the judges caused him to fall outside the winners’ circle in past years. But even that decision (third place) did not meet the approval of the patrons who favoured Marcus and they did not allow the eventual winner, Lady Nema, to do her grand finale. Marcus declared, “This is the first time I caused a disturbance in the National Park. You see from the time the MC said and in third place Ras
