The first time I heard The Barefoot Man, I knew nothing about him. I did not even know anything about the Cayman Islands. I was watching The Firm during a television rerun a couple of years after its release. I did not pay much attention to the man singing in the background while Gene Hackman was dancing, never imagining that I would end up in Cayman years later. However, end up in Cayman I did, not in any way influenced by the film, I hasten to add.

Getting to know the island The Barefoot Man sings about has been quite a journey and certainly gives one a greater appreciation for the irreverent sense of humour that comes to the fore in his songs.

George Nowak, as he is named in his well-travelled passport, was born far from the sunny beaches and tropical waters of Cayman, in Austria of all places.

Yet since he first set foot in Cayman in 1971, Barefoot has become part of the Cayman musical landscape. A prolific recording artist and live performer, Barefoot is currently based in East End where he regularly performs at the Reef Resort.

Although I must admit to having musical taste that, under normal circumstances, would not have included Barefoot’s songs, the passion and humour he puts into his work is more than enough to win anyone over, especially anyone who has experienced Cayman.

With CDs ranging from Christmas songs to collections of dive songs, Barefoot celebrates what makes Cayman special to him and shares that with others through his music.

Just in time for Christmas, Barefoot has a new CD out as well.

It’s often been said that next to Tortuga Rum cakes, Barefoot Man CDs are one of the islands main export items. The Barefoot Man has just released a new CD entitled Horses on the beach. Don’t let the title fool you though – the album is not aimed squarely at local equestrian fans. However it does feature Barefoot popular novelty tune The horse.

The new CD contains 15 songs with the majority of them being penned by Barefoot. In his usual style of mixing calypso, country and ballads with lots of double entendres, this album is a guaranteed feel-good foot tapper. The song The old Barefoot Café was co-written with Grammy winning writer Paul Overstreet, who is a regular vacationer in Grand Cayman. By fan request, the CD also features a few older cuts that were originally only available on cassette tapes. A CD makes a perfect long lasting souvenir. Long after the T-shirts are worn out and the rum cake has been devoured, you can still pop in a Barefoot Man CD to take you back to the islands.  The new CD will also be available for download on iTunes.

The Barefoot Man performs every Tuesday and Thursday night at the Reef Resort in East End.   WH