Edmond Montague Grant (born 5 March 1948) is a Guyanese-British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known for his genre-blending sound.his music has blended elements of pop, British rock, soul, funk, reggae, electronic music, African polyrhythms, and Latin music genres such as samba, among many others.
his music has blended elements of pop, British rock, soul, funk, reggae, electronic music, African polyrhythms, and Latin music genres such as samba, among many others.
Eddy is the older brother of Rudy and Alpine Grant. Brother Rudy, though not as musically accomplished as Eddy, has given Guyana that ever-green patriotic song, “Mash in Guyana” which will most likely be around for decades and decades to come.
Meanwhile, the youngest brother, Alpine, is doing extremely well as a successful businessman. There is so much to learn about family, love and togetherness from the Grant brothers.
It is most likely that no one will find it surprising to learn that Guyanese-born, Plaisance-native, and international entertainer, Eddy Grant, is regarded as the most well-known Guyanese internationally.
The talented songwriter and singing superstar is well-known all around the world, from America to Australia; Britain to Brazil; Canada to Cambodia.
Eddy Grant is also a household name in Zambia and Zimbabwe. No wonder Eddy saluted the African continent with his up-beat song of brotherly greetings, “Hello Africa. How You do Africa?.” He even respectfully includes some Swahili sentences in the song – “Hey, jambo wana wa Africa.” So beautiful.
Eddy Grant is a singing superstar and an ambassador in the Performing Arts. Another one of his songs, “Gimme Hope Jo’Anna”, throws the spotlight on (then) Apartheid South Africa, which many of his fans as well as political and social analysts, are of the view, that Eddy’s song helped in a great way, in the struggle to dismantle the evil system of apartheid in South Africa.
Eddy Grant has since done extremely successful shows in Cape Town, South Africa, and has been close to President Nelson Mandela.
“Living on the Frontline”, “Romancing the Stone” and “Walking on Sunshine” are also songs by Eddy Grant that have all remained popular over the years.
However, after over 40 years, his most popular composition, “Electric Avenue” does not have a single ‘pothole’ – so to speak – and gives listeners and dancers alike a smooth ‘ride’ every time.
In my opinion, his song in tribute to young ladies of our Capital city, “Georgetown Girl” needs to be given much more ‘Air Time’ by our local Disc Jockeys.
When “Electric Avenue” was first released in 1982, I was residing in England, and I made it my duty to go and see the famous street.
I have to admit that I was somewhat disappointed. I had expected to see a six-lane thoroughfare with heavy traffic going by in both directions; instead, it is a tiny street at the side of the Brixton market – somewhat like our Bourda Street in Georgetown, which is at the western side of the Bourda market.
However, similar to our Bourda Street, there is an extremely wide range of household and everyday merchandise on sale at reasonably good prices.
As such, people “Rock down to Electric Avenue” and make purchases for which their meager budgets can readily manage.
Incidentally, “Electric Avenue” got that name because it was the first street in that area to have received electricity, way back in 1880.
It has since been made known internationally by the Eddy Grant song that bares its name. In those early years, after he broke away from his Group “The Equals”, every song that Eddy Grant released, shot to the top of the British Hit Parade.
Indeed, Eddy Grant was “Walking on Sunshine” all the way to the Bank. What a successful Guyanese and International entertainer! More recently, in 2016, Eddy Grant was invited to switch on electricity on a new illuminated street sign in Brixton, England, bearing the name “Electric Avenue.”