Gene Lawrence

MUSICAL BACKGROUND:

Finger style Acoustic Guitarist (Classical, Folk, Popular, Calypso, Jazz)

Composer & Arranger.

Played Pan in the early days of Silver Stars & Troubadors in Trinidad.
Original member of Silver Strings Combo.

Guitarist in Olive Walke’s ‘La Petit Musicale’ Folk Choir for many years - T’dad.

Worked with Derek Walcott in the very early days of the Little Carib Theatre - T’dad.
Played in the first performance of ‘Ti Jean’ and presently Musical Director for his play ‘Steel’.

Formed a Quintet in England ‘TRINIANA’ - popular Caribbean Group in London in the 60’s.
Performd at Town Halls, West Indian Student’s Center, Oxford & Cambridge May Balls, and
other venues.
Played and entertained West Indian Cricket Team at the Waldorf Hotel and other venues.
Appeared on British Television, and composed and performed a special Calypso for a show called ‘This is Your Life’ hosted by Eamon Andrews - for the late Sir Learie Constantine

Guitarist on ‘Kaiso 1’ record featuring traditional Calypsoes of yesteryear.

Produced first solo L.P. ‘Saturday Night Sunday Morning’ - with unique version of
‘Rio de Mansanare’, and have since made four more L.P’s:-
‘Sunset to Sunrise’
‘Special delivery’
‘Together’
‘Spirit of the Caribbean’
(‘Together’ and ‘Spirit of the Caribbean’ have many original compositions)

Produced 2 CD’s ‘Spirit of the Caribbean’ and ‘Tropical Seasons’ with most songs being original compositions. ‘Tropical Seasons’ in particular with music written for the Caribbean Theatre.

Worked with Aubrey Adams, Beryl McBernie, Helen Camps, Peter Minshall, and others in the Performing Arts - Trinidad.

Teamed up with Robert Bailey to produce several shows, including a special performance with Monica Ortiz Ruck (Opera) - at Queens Hall, Trinidad.

Performed as opening act for Jose Greco and Nana Lorca.

Featured on T.V. series ‘Portraits’ - Trinidad.

Performed and toured with Paul Keens Douglas on various occasions, and was the original ‘Singing M.C.’ for Paul’s ‘Talk Tent Theatre’ for three years.

Performed with ‘Relator’ and ‘Terror’, ‘Sparrow’, ‘Bill Trotman’, ‘Gypsy’, and other Calypsonians.

Feature performance at ‘Queens Park Cricket Club’ (The Oval) - Trinidad 2003.

Solo Guitarist on ‘Relator’s’ album - ‘Nostalgia’

Performed at the Guitar Festival - Martinique, for CMAC - December 1986 together with Leo Brouwer, Baden Powell, Paul Century, Paulino da Viola, and others.

Toured many West Indian Islands, and performed live and on Radio and T.V. in Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada, St. Lucia, Trinidad, St. Croix, Martinique, etc.

Performed for the first and third ‘Story Telling’ Festival of the Caribbean - in Barbados, for OCAB.

Performed at the St. Lucia Cultural Center and other venues for (a) Folk Research Center
(b) Cancer Society (c) Sickle Cell Association (d) Drug Rehab Center (e) Government of
St. Lucia (f) Hotel Venues etc.

Composed and arranged music and lyrics for St. Lucian Musical Play ‘The HEWANORRA STORY’ which opened at Pigeon Island Ampitheatre - subsequently performed through the year
at local theatres, and exerpts used for the opening of the 1998 St. Lucia Jazz Festival.

Composed and arranged music and lyrics for the Plays ‘ LA CHUNGA’ and ‘MARY COULD DANCE’ - performance at Eagles Inn through the month of October 2000 & again in St. Lucia.

Presented and featured ‘A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS’ - Tent Theatre, St. Lucia - December 2002. (2 hour performance of mainly own compositions)

OTHER:
Director of the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad & Tobago (COTT) for three years.
P.R.S. Representative and Director of ‘Hewannorra Music Society’ (Copyright St. Lucia)

Founder Member of the National Association of Musicians and Entertainers (NAME) - T’dad.

Founder member & Vice President of the St. Lucia Jazz Society.

Chairman of the St. Lucia Jazz Festival Committee from inception in 1992 to 1994 (3 years)

Chairman of the Copyright Society ‘ HMS Inc’ in St. Lucia 2001 to present.

Musical Director & Composer for ‘Teyat Toutafe’ (Tent Theatre) - St. Lucia .

Managing Director of own Contracting Company - Lawrence Associates Limited - registered in both Trinidad and St. Lucia.

‘Paul Harris Fellow’ - Rotary Club of Gros Islet, St. Lucia.