Teino Evans, Staff Reporter

They are known for their musical talent and have each been in the music business for decades. How-ever, for percussionist Bongo Herman and bass guitarist Lloyd Parkes, playing instruments is not all.

They are also recording artistes.

Bongo Herman, who says he has been a musician for around 43 years, has played for, toured with and even introduced many artistes on stage.

"Well, di singing part of it is di surprise weh dem (patrons) get all di while. Mi work pon all Tony Rebel show a country a dem way deh, a dem time deh mi release di vocal part a mi. Mi is a complete musician an entertainer, a jus suh mi stay," he says.

Bongo Herman says he even has a new album that he hopes to release between the ending of this year and early next year. It contains Gloria Darling, I Admire You, To Know Fari and Let Dem Try, among others.

"Dem song deh a guh come out pon mi album, which is a mixture of instrumental and vocal. Mi a think bout some name, but mi nuh decide upon a name yet, but di album a guh drop inna di Christmas or early January," Herman said.

Although he has worked with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, among other, he has maintained a connection with the younger artistes.

"A me build Gyptian rhythm fi Serious Time and Mama Don't Cry, a me an Axe Man do dah rhythm deh fi Flavour Production, an a me play pon Junior X tune dem, all a dem weh him do, an Earth A Run Red, me play pon dat too. Lava Ground album wid I-Wayne, a me build di 'Maroon' rhythm fi Down Sound Records weh Fantan Mojah sing Hail Di King pon, a bare Niabingi drum mi use an build di rhythm," he said.

"Me is a MC too from inna di '60s. Me MC fi Capleton a foreign an mi do show weh mi introduce Rita Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown when him did alive an Steve Marley too. Mi jus do a tour wid him since year as him percussionist," Herman said.

Lloyd Parkes says the younger generation especially might not know him for his singing.

"I started singing before I started playing instruments at the age of 18 years old at Studio One. I used to sing in a group called 'The Termites' and 'The Techniques'," Parkes said.

Parkes has also enjoyed his fair share of success as a recording artiste, as he says, "Officially was number one for six weeks on the radio station and there were only two radio stations at that time. I also have songs like Reservations For Two, Jeans, Kong Fu Fighting and Mafia. All those songs are big hits in Europe."

Parkes says there is still more to come as "there's a lot of stuff on tape just waiting to be released and I will be working on a gospel album. It will be my first. I've always been a godly person, so it's nothing new. It's just that the time is right.

"When you feel the urge to do something you do it," he said.

Lloyd Parkes and We The People Band have played for "from Dennis Brown, Beres Hammond, Freddy McGregor, Super Cat, Shabba Ranks, Beenie Man, Ninja Man, George Nooks," Parkes says.

"Actually, every artiste pass tru mi hand, even Bounty Killa, Pinchers, Half Pint, Marcia Griffiths, Pam Hall, Nadine Sutherland, The Mighty Diamonds, The Tamlins, Big Yout, U-Roy, Shaggy at one point when he was living in New York, Garnet Silk, mi back up basically everybody," he said.