Interview with Selwyn Richard Persad of HI RPM
Promoters and hosts are an essential part of developing any type of event. They are the ones that bridge the gap between the artists and the fans. To further understand what influences rock and EDM in Trinidad REDM held an interview Selwyn Persad, who currently runs HI RPM bar & lounge, one of the forerunners in backing EDM and rock support.
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| Selwyn Richard Persad |
25 year old Selwyn Richard Persad of San Fernando was born 3 months before his father Selwyn Bunny Persad aka Bunny opened HI RPM and has been officially working there from the age of fourteen. The bar has always been part of his life and with it Rock and EDM, so it’s no surprise that his influence has impacted the genres.
1. How did HI RPM begin?
My dad was originally a mechanic and he owned his own shop called HI SPEED LTD which did both mechanic work and tinting but his passion was racing. He built racing engines and cars and raced them back in the days in Wallerfield. Hence the HI RPM meaning for speed. Also RPM on the party side meant Real people moving so he merged the two into one calling it HI RPM.
2. Have you ever thought about are there plans to do the same a HI RPM in P.O.S or something similar?
No we are from San Fernando our life is here, the people we know are here but we are also the owners of SPACE la nouba and The Ranch in Mayaro. 15 years ago we actually had another HI RPM in Chaguanas in Mid Centre mall. It was very popular in those days for rock, mainly metal.
3. Who was the first band at HI RPM?
I can't remember the first band that ever played but big names like Kes before he was Kes the band played. He was in a small little rock band no one knew when he was still going to school but his first gig was in HI RPM.
4. Has HI RPM ever had any International performances?
For 18 years HI RPM did a signature fete in the San Fernando Yacht Club called RAFT-A-BOUT. Every year we brought different foreign acts more on the edm side though, so artists like Amber, La Bouche, No Mercy, Nina Sky, Rupee and Azul Azul.
HI RPM also sponsored all the huge rock shows back in the day all the rock artists Concerts International ever brought we were a part of it. Even all the 95.1 April and Summer fests where they brought all the tribute bands HI RPM was a sponsor. In 1997-1998 HI RPM was also awarded by 95.1 for helping them gain a 25% listener ship growth which in those days were rock and dance music maybe back then it would have pulled a crowd but not anymore.
5. Compare a crowd that comes for a Rock show vs a Soca performance?
Well one things for sure you would never see a fight at a rock show. Despite what people think rock people are friendlier, and its something they belong to so there's more of a fellowship, they just come out for the love of the music and to have a good time. On the soca side, its more a bacchanal so anything can happen. More people will always come out for soca because it’s our culture in general.
6. Can a large-scale club solely dedicated to Rock or EDM would make it in Trinidad?
No, they are both niche markets and Trinidad culture is a hard thing to change in a large scale, both Space and Zen have tried in the EDM world and EDM by itself wouldn't work. There were some artists that scored in Zen for eg dash berlin & 4 strings but the people who attended weren't EDM fanatics majority just went because of the lime.
7. What do you think about the music being produced by Bunji and Fay-Ann splicing in EDM and Alternative elements?
That's because again Trinidad mentality and culture. Trinis follow the US. Most of the regular pop music in the US you cant tell the difference now from a regular song or edm song because its basically producing now as a standard dance song so again since that’s the direction the US is going with their music.
Trinis are going to follow.
It’s not just Bunji and Fay-Ann, local DJs now remixing all soca songs into edm, even chutney is getting EDM mixes.
8. What do you think of our local performers?
There are good bands, we have people with great talent, some bands just do it for the fun of it, some do it because they just love to play, some do it to try and make something of themselves and reach outside, but again its harder now in these times because rock isn't the prevailing genre of music.
Most of the time local bands egos tend to get the better of them which hinders them for reaching anywhere before they even start.
9. At this rate what do you think the future of Rock and EDM looks like? Is it going to remain the way it is, die out or any hope for growth at all?
Rock will remain stagnant as it is right now because its not the dominant music in the world today. EDM has taken over internationally which will filter down into Trinidad but our culture is Soca/Chutney that will never change so rock and EDM will always remain secondary.
10. Is it difficult for patrons to find out about EDM and Rock events in TT?
I wouldn't say so, since they are both niche markets, everyone basically knows everyone, rockers know each other and ravers know each other, once a few know the word kinda spreads
11. What do you think of Project REDM? Having an on-line hub/community for TT EDM and Rock artists and events?
Well technology is the direction of the world today so definitely online, social media, etc. It would make things easier to know what’s going on. Also giving recognition to all our local talent and venues which support the cause.
So everyone would win with that.
Want more info on HI RPM? Visit their facebook page here.
Interview by Jesse Bonterre, REDM
1. How did HI RPM begin?
My dad was originally a mechanic and he owned his own shop called HI SPEED LTD which did both mechanic work and tinting but his passion was racing. He built racing engines and cars and raced them back in the days in Wallerfield. Hence the HI RPM meaning for speed. Also RPM on the party side meant Real people moving so he merged the two into one calling it HI RPM.
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| Selwyn Bunny Persad |
2. Have you ever thought about are there plans to do the same a HI RPM in P.O.S or something similar?
No we are from San Fernando our life is here, the people we know are here but we are also the owners of SPACE la nouba and The Ranch in Mayaro. 15 years ago we actually had another HI RPM in Chaguanas in Mid Centre mall. It was very popular in those days for rock, mainly metal.
3. Who was the first band at HI RPM?
I can't remember the first band that ever played but big names like Kes before he was Kes the band played. He was in a small little rock band no one knew when he was still going to school but his first gig was in HI RPM.
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| Kes |
4. Has HI RPM ever had any International performances?
For 18 years HI RPM did a signature fete in the San Fernando Yacht Club called RAFT-A-BOUT. Every year we brought different foreign acts more on the edm side though, so artists like Amber, La Bouche, No Mercy, Nina Sky, Rupee and Azul Azul.
HI RPM also sponsored all the huge rock shows back in the day all the rock artists Concerts International ever brought we were a part of it. Even all the 95.1 April and Summer fests where they brought all the tribute bands HI RPM was a sponsor. In 1997-1998 HI RPM was also awarded by 95.1 for helping them gain a 25% listener ship growth which in those days were rock and dance music maybe back then it would have pulled a crowd but not anymore.
Well one things for sure you would never see a fight at a rock show. Despite what people think rock people are friendlier, and its something they belong to so there's more of a fellowship, they just come out for the love of the music and to have a good time. On the soca side, its more a bacchanal so anything can happen. More people will always come out for soca because it’s our culture in general.
6. Can a large-scale club solely dedicated to Rock or EDM would make it in Trinidad?
No, they are both niche markets and Trinidad culture is a hard thing to change in a large scale, both Space and Zen have tried in the EDM world and EDM by itself wouldn't work. There were some artists that scored in Zen for eg dash berlin & 4 strings but the people who attended weren't EDM fanatics majority just went because of the lime.
7. What do you think about the music being produced by Bunji and Fay-Ann splicing in EDM and Alternative elements?
That's because again Trinidad mentality and culture. Trinis follow the US. Most of the regular pop music in the US you cant tell the difference now from a regular song or edm song because its basically producing now as a standard dance song so again since that’s the direction the US is going with their music.
Trinis are going to follow.
It’s not just Bunji and Fay-Ann, local DJs now remixing all soca songs into edm, even chutney is getting EDM mixes.
Bunji Garlin
8. What do you think of our local performers?
There are good bands, we have people with great talent, some bands just do it for the fun of it, some do it because they just love to play, some do it to try and make something of themselves and reach outside, but again its harder now in these times because rock isn't the prevailing genre of music.
Most of the time local bands egos tend to get the better of them which hinders them for reaching anywhere before they even start.
Blizzard performance at HI RPM
9. At this rate what do you think the future of Rock and EDM looks like? Is it going to remain the way it is, die out or any hope for growth at all?
Rock will remain stagnant as it is right now because its not the dominant music in the world today. EDM has taken over internationally which will filter down into Trinidad but our culture is Soca/Chutney that will never change so rock and EDM will always remain secondary.
10. Is it difficult for patrons to find out about EDM and Rock events in TT?
I wouldn't say so, since they are both niche markets, everyone basically knows everyone, rockers know each other and ravers know each other, once a few know the word kinda spreads
11. What do you think of Project REDM? Having an on-line hub/community for TT EDM and Rock artists and events?
Well technology is the direction of the world today so definitely online, social media, etc. It would make things easier to know what’s going on. Also giving recognition to all our local talent and venues which support the cause.
So everyone would win with that.
Want more info on HI RPM? Visit their facebook page here.
Interview by Jesse Bonterre, REDM
1 comment:
This is excellent. Just the sort of interesting coverage of the general scene that a blog like this should provide. I've always heard this bar mentioned in ads, and it's good how you've captured some of the history and contextualised it for the clueless among us.
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