July 9th, 1972 – Gavin Christopher was born to Marcus Christopher, originally of Dominica, and Icilma James, originally from the Point Area. He was raised in the Paradise View community along with his three other siblings.
As a child, he spent much of his time between his aunt’s house in Villa and his friends’, the Laviscount’s house on North Street. He enjoyed daily walks to the bakery with his cousin to purchase freshly baked bread, as well as playing marbles on the corners in Point & Villa. During the summertime, one of his favourite activities was horse riding. He recalls how horses would pass by his house all the time, and he would sneak out of the house to get his fill of riding and make it back home before either of his parents.
Gavin’s educational journey began at Ms. Francis’ preschool, which was located next to the St. John’s Fire Station on Factory Road. He then went on to St. Michael’s Primary School, where he spent most of his primary school years. He would move on to the Studio Tutorial School, a school operated by an English lady, Mrs Winmore, housed in a church which stood to the east of where the Antigua and Barbuda International Institute of Technology (ABIIT) stands today. He completed his secondary education at St. Joseph’s Academy.
Growing up, Christopher had two main passions, music and football, one of which would influence the trajectory of his life. The love for music started as a natural ability mixed with a bit of detestation. He would usually accompany his elder siblings, who were enrolled in music class, to their Saturday sessions. While he waited for them to complete their lessons, he paid keen attention. He was able to replicate the lesson almost perfectly on the piano, despite not being the actual recipient of the teaching. Despite this innate ability, he viewed accompanying his siblings to these lessons with some contempt, as it meant no Saturday morning cartoon time. This was the only day and time he could watch such shows, as cable television was not yet a local commodity.
Gavin’s passion for music started to bloom in secondary school. He acknowledges that the passion was inherited; it was customary for him as a child to hear his father playing records and sharing his love of music. His Dad had bypassed pursuing music in favour of a more practical income source, given he had a young family to take care of.
Interactions with his cousins, the late Ashby Lewis and William Lewis, as well as Nigel ‘Chickie’ Baptiste, further ignited his love of music. Their frequent visits to his home, during which they engaged in discussions with his father covering topics ranging from music to politics, would often run late into the night. He admired his cousins greatly and wanted to emulate and learn as much from them in both music and football.
The interactions would influence his decision to join a band at school, ‘Prophecy’. The band was overseen by his Geography teacher and included Rohan Hector and Craig Laviscount. While in 4th form, the band travelled to Dominica to record a song. He recalls this as being his first time in a studio. The experience confirmed music as his career path.
Gavin’s first gig came while he was in 5th form. Immediately after winning the SJA Fine Arts Review, he received a call from Nina Nanton and Dr Heath’s wife to attend an audition for a piano gig at Halcyon Resort. He was successful and was contracted to play six nights per week at a rate of EC$200.00 per night. By his 18th year, this piano gig made it possible for him to purchase his own vehicle, justifying that he could make a living from music.
The school band expanded in 1988 to include Michelle ‘Lady Falcon’ Oscar and a new edition, ‘Four by Four’, which would eventually evolve into EL A Kru. As time went on, juggling band duties while playing in the hotel proved to be a bit much. He handed the reins to Hector and maintained his focus on playing in the hotel, where he eventually became associated with Lee Williams, who became a mentor from whom he gleaned experience in standards and repertoire.
After graduating from St. Joseph’s Academy, Gavin opted to go into music full-time. At the time, most people involved in music were doing it as a side gig while maintaining a regular full-time job. He admits that the decision did not go over too well with his mother; however, he would experience consistent small wins that would eventually gain her approval of his musical path.
Band involvement returned in 1993 when the late Tyrone ‘Edimelo’ Thomas and Dalma ‘Boogie’ George invited him to join the Vision Band, which had a heavy influence of carnival (party music). He was initially uncomfortable in the new role, mainly because the band focused heavily on recording. However, the presence and encouragement of his close cousin, William Lewis, helped him to overcome his fears. This marked a major turning point in his career as he transitioned into music production.
As the years progressed, Christopher continued to grow in his creative and arranging capabilities, working simultaneously as a musician and arranger, both locally and abroad. His domestic portfolio of artists includes Burning Flames, Claudette ‘CP’ Peters, Da Bahn, and Dread and the Baldhead. Some of his most notable collaborations include ‘All West Indian’, ’Me de Ras’, and ‘Do You Wanna Rock Some More’ by Dread and the Baldhead. Other notable hits included ‘My Love Will Never Die’ by Da Bahn, ‘Something Got A Hold On Me’ by Claudette ‘CP’ Peters and the internationally acclaimed composition, ‘Passion’ by Militant.
Alongside his music career, Christopher also invested time in shaping the cultural fabric of our local community. During his tenure as Deputy Director of Culture, he advocated for the calypso art form, encouraging calypsonians and others with a vested interest to collaborate. He also served as a member of the Festivals Commission and is currently the music coordinator at ABICE Harrison Centre. He has also worked as a music teacher in secondary schools and privately.
Christopher credits his success to practice and discipline. He highlights the importance of ambition as a necessary condition: “See where you want to go as a person and put in the work to get there.” To illustrate this, he reminisces on the times, as a child, that he would be in his room pretending to perform live with King Onyan and Burning Flames. There was the sense of accomplishment he felt when, over ten years later, he was actually on stage living this dream.
Success did not come without its fair share of challenges. He recalls when Antigua had few facilities for recording music. Recording meant traveling to other islands and paying for studio time, which was costly considering airfare, accommodation, and other expenses. Often, the quality was compromised because there was a rush to use the limited time available.
Obtaining sponsorship for these ventures was not guaranteed, resulting in a significant personal investment of resources. These expenses, coupled with the expectation of many fans to obtain complimentary CDs, meant that creating music was not as lucrative. Opportunities for live performances to earn an income were also limited.
Given the challenges for most artists to make a living from their productions Gavin stresses the importance of artists understand the role of royalties and earning when their music is played on various platforms, To this end he actively encourages artists to become members of the Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation of Music Rights (ECCO), and support its activation in Antigua and Barbuda to ensure fair compensation to artistes for the use of their music.
Christopher believes that more can be done to represent artists and that a better network can be developed to extend the reach of their music. He emphasises the importance of collaboration to maximise the existing avenues effectively. Despite these challenges, he encourages up-and-coming artists not to give up on their dreams, but to persevere. He suggests that the use of the internet and social media provides hope as a game changer for artists to access the gateways that exist.
Christopher continues to record and have fun producing music and on the entertainment circuit. He is a lead member of the Kutting Edge Band. He notes that he has opted for a more laid-back and relaxed approach these days.