THE DEATH LAST WEEKEND of Joseph Niles, this island’s foremost gospel singer, leaves a void in the local entertainment industry.
Apart from the Merrymen, from among whose ranks Barbados also suffered a loss recently (that of Robin Hunte), no other musician or group of musicians have so captivated Barbadians and helped to transform the local music scene as he did. Unlike the Merrymen, who were on the international circuit selling Barbados as a destination of choice, Niles was using song to promote the ministry of the gospel.
However, there were still many similarities between Niles and the Merrymen. They both met with rejection – in some cases quite harsh – in their early days since music was not seen as a desirable profession. For Niles it would have even been harder, given his lowly social status and the fact that singing gospel songs in calypso style did not find easy acceptance among traditionalists, religious or otherwise. But despite the many hurdles, both Niles and the Merrymen remained true to their cause and, more importantly, were distinctly Barbadian in their sound. Their experiences should be properly chronicled.
Today Barbadians are proud of their international superstar Rihanna, as well as Red Plastic Bag, Gabby, Shontelle and Rupee, all seen as success stories because of their international reach. Yet it will be difficult for them to surpass the status that Niles attained on the local scene during his heyday. He became wildly popular and universally accepted in Barbados where – otherwise – colour, religious faith and status were real determining factors.
Songs such as This Train and Royal Telephone broke the barriers and highlighted his appeal. With time, the dance-friendliness and the groove of his songs captivated both the traditionalist and contemporary gospel music fan. His appeal embraced both secular and religious audiences, and his music was not age-sensitive. And his music was played as much on weekdays as it was on Sundays, for which Barbadians generally had special reverence. The response to his music throughout the week was reminiscent of what had been customary only on Saturday nights in the dancehalls.
Niles not only made local gospel music popular but also acceptable. His innovations transformed a genre that previously was overwhelmingly non-Caribbean and, to many Caribbean ears, unexciting. His version of the gospel was a true a reflection of this island and its people. He did not copy the popular North American gospel artistes of the day but developed the uniqueness of his Bajan style. Both the frequency of his recordings and his approach meant that he filled the “mission halls” across the island while the radio stations simply could not ignore his infectious music.
In death we will now perhaps reflect and understand the significance of Niles’ contribution to our musical landscape. Here was an artiste who went against the norms of his time and made things better as a result of his innovations.
