MUSIC BY WRITER, COMPOSER MEL MAPP
Welcome To CongaBay!
Around the age of eight, Mel Mapp heard his grandmother singing beautiful songs as she went about her daily chores. She sang many beautiful melodies such as Patti Page's The Tennessee Waltz, Doris Day's Que Sera Sera, and Dean Martin's That's a More. It was due in part to his grandmother's calming singing that he became interested in music He would also hear the shopkeeper on the hill near his home playing songs on his antique cranked up Victrola record player and hearing classical music of Strauss's family of waltzes like The Blue Danube piped in from the BBC in the UK on short wave radio feed through the local Re-diffusion box. He can only conclude that this genre of music in Barbados was for the many British ex pats living on the island. But he became a convert with that calming sound and still do when he hears that music today, it takes him back to those early years. He still tune in to the CBC FM on weekdays and especially on Saturday for afternoon concerts.
The magical thrust of writing lyrics then putting those words to music is a quiet high. Getting up in the middle of the night or early morning with a song idea can be daunting red eyes and all. But having a note pad and recorder pays off. Many times, I have awoken in the morning forgetting the song idea I had in mind. That all said, I have never been to a classical music concert I did not like. But I have always wondered if the members of a symphony orchestra gets the same soothing high that the patron gets. Would any of the orchestra's musicians pick up something in a symphony hall that they wish they had done better.
I spoke to a friend who was once a concert pianist who did not listen to any concert performance that he was part of for the sake of not picking up something. He told me it is usually "too late now" but no musical performance can be perfect. I do know when one of my songs get recorded, I listen but there is always something in that song that I wish had been finer tuned.
Songs Composed...
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Another Sweet Sunday (Featuring Alicia Faulkner)  |
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Conga Bay Cabaret |
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Dawn and Dari |
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Thank You Nashville (Featuring Joe Robinson) |
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My Moonshine Bro - Single (Featuring Joe Robinson) |
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My Old Tamarind Tree |
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Going Back To Toronto |
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Why Sheppard Why Me (Featuring Alicia Frequency) |
SONG DETAILS
Another Sweet Sunday
Another Sweet Sunday was written after arriving in Barbados late one night and for some reason, I could not sleep. But the sound of the ocean hitting the sea walls around the Hotel was indeed magical. As I laid wide awake my thoughts were on getting a good night sleep then I drifted away with the sound of the ocean until the dawning of the next day.
My Old Tamarind Tree
This sweet and sour song was written with fond memories of my younger days when I would pick the sweet and sour Tamarinds from the village Moravian Church. Sometimes it seems to me, that it all depended on what time of the day I picked the pods, Most often the pods were as sour as sour can be and at other times, I would find pods that were as sweet as candy.
Conga Bay Cabaret
I once spent some time around one of the most rugged beaches and locations in Barbados call Bathsheba Beach and is always in awe of the scenery when there. I had a view of the surf and the many surfers who take advantage of the waves.
Dawn And Dari
A soft melody about spending some time with a mother and son family members.
My Moonshine Bro
The love between two brothers of a different mother and of a different race who love each other unconditionally even if one brother has a penchant for making moonshine.
Thank You Nashville
For some reason, Nashville, Tennessee has always perked my interest from an early age when I would hear my late dear and loving grandmother singing Patti Page's The Tennessee Waltz. After sending several song lyrics to Nashville without any success around the age of fifteen, I finally had my lyrics accepted. Thank You Nashville is my way of showing appreciation to the folks at Nashville Song Service.