For Handel Neptune drumming is synonymous with Guyanese culture

Andy with his African drum

Drummer Handel Neptune hopes to leave a legacy of someone who has done all he could to ingrain culture in the people of Buxton, just as it was taught to him many years ago. His expertise on the drums often finds him playing at numerous events all over Guyana.

Forty-seven years ago when he was only nine, the drummer, who is better known as Andy, played the African drums for the first time. Immediately he felt a connection with the musical instrument and he knew it was a feeling he would never want to let go of.

Reminiscing about the event that led to that magical moment, he shared that there was a Queh Queh (or Kwe Kwe) for a relative who was getting married. The Annandale Congo Group was hired to play for the occasion. One of the drummers called Walla caught Andy’s attention and when they were finished playing, Andy went in search of the man. Prior to then, he had never heard drumming like that or knew the band even existed.