Did you miss the Snakes in Can's Cup? Read all about it.
Posted: Fri 09 Jan 2015 10:56 am
Can Gazi's Coffee Cup Conversations from last week.
by Can Gazi
Not a stage name that I'd personally choose for myself, but I'm sure that those of you who know the local music scene well here in North Cyprus will have heard of Barry "Snakes." He doesn't have a special interest in the reptile in question, neither does he even resemble one! Barry tells me that it's simply because he is not a very tactile person and often slithers away from his dear wife Helena. Helena likened Barry to a snake and the name has since become him trademark.
Barry "Snakes" Steward and I recently met up to talk about a music CD that he has just completed. Until now I'd always regarded Barry as a teacher and mentor to others, especially since he has tutored many youngsters in various music groups over the past few of years. He was in fact the first musician to sign up with All Stars Cyprus Agency Promotions and he has performed live at various events and locations across the island. Barry is a traditional rock guitarist. He learnt to play the guitar as a teenager in the UK; he taut himself and was never formally trained. However aside from performing live, Barry has used his love of music to inspire others; and for a while he even used his musical talents to help motivate prison inmates.
Greeting everyone with a smiling face, Barry is a man who has a positive outlook on life. Always putting the needs of others before himself has meant that Barry has never been able to produce a CD of his music, until now. Again his wife Helena is the inspiration behind this project, encouraging him to immortalise his songs once and for all, and to allow others to hear his music. Barry has a recording studio located beneath his house in Zeytinlik in Girne. This is where he passes on his knowledge of music to others; this is where bands like The Foreign Nationals, The Renegades and Snakebite were all formed. It is also in this studio that Barry's first album of original music, Empty World, was produced.
Empty World is a collection of songs written and recorded by Barry. On the CD cover it states that he is a "rock guitar virtuoso", and he certainly is. One of the tracks, "Ismail's Song" was written especially for a young local boy in the TRNC who lost an arm in a tragic accident at his father's work place; only to discover that he has cancer in his other arm. Ismail's story touched the hearts of many, including the ex-pats living on the island. Barry was inspired enough to write a "charity single" for Ismail. Other tunes on the album are more personal to Barry and it probably wasn't easy for him to choose the ten tracks that were to make it onto the final cut. Despite being a fan of rock music Barry assures me that it's not all about rock, but music to suit all tastes.
The CD was officially released about a month ago and is currently available at the Bestseller Bookshop in Alsancak. You can also get a copy at any of the live performances or concerts that Barry gives at various restaurants and bars around North Cyprus. You can also send him an email at bizarre.guitar@yahoo.co.uk.
Not a stage name that I'd personally choose for myself, but I'm sure that those of you who know the local music scene well here in North Cyprus will have heard of Barry "Snakes." He doesn't have a special interest in the reptile in question, neither does he even resemble one! Barry tells me that it's simply because he is not a very tactile person and often slithers away from his dear wife Helena. Helena likened Barry to a snake and the name has since become him trademark.
Barry "Snakes" Steward and I recently met up to talk about a music CD that he has just completed. Until now I'd always regarded Barry as a teacher and mentor to others, especially since he has tutored many youngsters in various music groups over the past few of years. He was in fact the first musician to sign up with All Stars Cyprus Agency Promotions and he has performed live at various events and locations across the island. Barry is a traditional rock guitarist. He learnt to play the guitar as a teenager in the UK; he taut himself and was never formally trained. However aside from performing live, Barry has used his love of music to inspire others; and for a while he even used his musical talents to help motivate prison inmates.
Greeting everyone with a smiling face, Barry is a man who has a positive outlook on life. Always putting the needs of others before himself has meant that Barry has never been able to produce a CD of his music, until now. Again his wife Helena is the inspiration behind this project, encouraging him to immortalise his songs once and for all, and to allow others to hear his music. Barry has a recording studio located beneath his house in Zeytinlik in Girne. This is where he passes on his knowledge of music to others; this is where bands like The Foreign Nationals, The Renegades and Snakebite were all formed. It is also in this studio that Barry's first album of original music, Empty World, was produced.
Empty World is a collection of songs written and recorded by Barry. On the CD cover it states that he is a "rock guitar virtuoso", and he certainly is. One of the tracks, "Ismail's Song" was written especially for a young local boy in the TRNC who lost an arm in a tragic accident at his father's work place; only to discover that he has cancer in his other arm. Ismail's story touched the hearts of many, including the ex-pats living on the island. Barry was inspired enough to write a "charity single" for Ismail. Other tunes on the album are more personal to Barry and it probably wasn't easy for him to choose the ten tracks that were to make it onto the final cut. Despite being a fan of rock music Barry assures me that it's not all about rock, but music to suit all tastes.
The CD was officially released about a month ago and is currently available at the Bestseller Bookshop in Alsancak. You can also get a copy at any of the live performances or concerts that Barry gives at various restaurants and bars around North Cyprus. You can also send him an email at bizarre.guitar@yahoo.co.uk.