Patrick Alphonso Gonsalves was a Guyanese recording artist who was born on December 25, 1948 and died on December 25, 2022. Patrick or Pato as he was fondly referred to, was the 6th of eleven children, born to the late Dolly and Francisco Gonsalves of Plantation Ross, on the West Coast of Berbice.
Patrick Alphonso Gonsalves was a Guyanese recording artist who was born on December 25, 1948 and died on December 25, 2022. Patrick or Pato as he was fondly referred to, was the 6th of eleven children, born to the late Dolly and Francisco Gonsalves of Plantation Ross, on the West Coast of Berbice.
Gonsalves was described as a very humble and loving person who grew up in his hometown and attended the No. 29 Government school on the West Coast of Berbice. His sister noted his love of music; playing a variety of musical instruments. He also loved sports and was the winner of many one-mile races.
At age 15, he migrated to Georgetown and only returned to Berbice for a short time In 1968 after his mom died.
In Georgetown, Patrick was employed at the Rio Cinema for a considerable time and then became a professional musician. He co-founded the “Mischievous Guys Band” with Morris Bowen as manager, Lionel Abel on the keyboard, and Patrick himself on the guitar. The Mischievous Guys Band emerged from Curtis & the MGs, owned by Curtis Archer of Charlestown, and was managed by Desmond Fraser.
Mischievous Guys was a top band that captured the local grassroots interpretation of the early 70s Jamaican hit “Beat Down Babylon” by Junior Byles. Gonsalves wrote “Honey Honey” a popular song during the 1970s.
While in the Mischievous Guys Band, he married Winifred Jackson and their union bore seven children, one of whom preceded him in death.
Patrick accompanied the Mischievous Guys on a music tour to Canada during the late 1980s and returned to Guyana along with Abel and Bowen while the others remained.
In the following years, Gonsalves and (Winifred) separated and he remarried and relocated to No.8 Village Berbice.
Still, with a passion for music, he wanted to give back to the community he grew up in, and as such begin conducting lessons teaching youths in the West Berbice area how to play a musical instrument.
He then gave his life to Christ and attended the Freedom Life Ministries, at No.9 village West Coast Berbice with his sister and wife. Sometime after his wife passed.
In the year 2020, he once again was able to record a single titled ‘Bongo Nyah’, on the label Til-Shiloh Records owned by his son-in-law Troy Azore, a founding member of Guyana’s musical group First Born. The single featured his daughter Sonjah aka Royalty; a Guyanese roots reggae recording artiste produced and managed by Azore.
Pato was anxious to grace the scenes once again and the single was well received by his fans but he was diagnosed with cancer and was unable to perform at the 2022 Cricket Carnival Concert when called by Bonny Alves and Charmaine Blackman.
It was then he returned to Georgetown to live with his first family and enjoy some precious moments with his children, grandchildren, and great-grand who took care of him, until he passed on December 25th, 2022.
