He developed his unique style by playing for "shrimpers," taking requests and any opportunity to improvise. Bobby's music continued to diversify and in 1996 he found himself in a situation neither he nor his music had experienced before…"a band." Bringing his talents together with those of other people in a more formal way was an exciting experience. "I saw my solo songs really come to life with a band." After four years Bobby and his band TUNU released their first album: "Roatanified."
Six years later and after six months of detail-oriented work, Bobby and the Compadres, as he fondly calls the 11 contributing artists on his new album, released "Pulperia Leah," his second CD. Bobby explains that "each person has a place on that album that really lets them show off their individual talents."
The album's twelve songs tell stories of life on Roatan through Bobby's mixture of bluesy harmonica and Caribbean reggae exhibiting Bobby's soulful lyrics. Some of the songs, like "Leavin' You Babe" are newly recorded versions of those that he played for years. Others, such as "West End Stroll" are witty tales of life on the island.
His stories are realistic and uncomplicated versions of life on Roatan: what the island is and how it is changing. Bobby describes his lyrics as transparent with "nothing hiding behind dreamy language and cryptic words." He claims that he's never been able to decide to sit and write a song, but rather that he gets hit with inspiration: often while driving to and from construction sites that he works on. In fact, many a song has been written in the front seat of his truck, pulled over to the side of the road just long enough to jot down his thoughts.
Bobby looks forward to writing as an outlet and never really considered himself to be a great writer. His writing, together with the entirety of his musical style, reflects in his sparkling personality and gentle demeanor. "Pulperia Leah" is a step forward from "Roatanified," keeping in with the first album's general style and feel. Pulperia's songs successfully broaden the scope of the first album."

Bobby Rieman arrived on Roatan in 1973 with little more than a harmonica in his pocket. He has always loved music. For as long as Bobby can remember he has found himself especially drawn to rhythm and blues. As a kid he had some preliminary guitar lessons and he learned to play a few chords and a few simple songs. For a while, during high school and college, music took a back seat to his new found talent on the football field. It wasn't until he began his travels that music reestablished its place in Bobby's life. "I always traveled with a harmonica in my pocket. It kept me company in a way."
At first he played as a way to keep busy in a new place, but soon he was playing back-up for musicians and bands. Bobby remembers feeling embarrassed before his musical skill improved.
Bobby came to Roatan almost by accident, intending instead to go to Brazil. He immediately liked the distinct foreign rhythms of the island and as new as reggae sounds were to Bobby, his "harp" was a new instrument to the local music scene. His harmonica playing cleverly incorporated the reggae influence. "What I really like about the harmonica is that it can be played in so many different musical situations."
Bobby returned to Roatan in 1981 with a harmonica holder, a guitar and a newly discovered singing voice. He moved to French Harbour and his trio joined the local music scene.

Before his resin period, Gunter tried several other techniques and mediums: oil paintings, coral sculpting, wood carvings. He had an exposition in Tegucigalpa; his art hangs at the US embassy in Tegucigalpa and another piece is owned by former Honduran President Flores.
Some wood canvasses that Gunter currently uses for his resin creations have washed up on the beaches - paddles; others are hardwood trays that he meticulously fills with aqua colored resin.
One can find entire aquariums in his work. Fishes are sometimes painted in, sometimes painted then cut out and laid in into the ½" to 2" layer of transparent resin. There are crab shells, miniature coral, shells, wood branches and an endless variety of reef and open ocean fishes." It's an eco-friendly art," Gunter says.
In the last year, Gunter took his work to another level. He moved up in technique and scale. Some works are small, miniature even: only a few inches in diameter. Other ones are as big as five feet and with solid wood frames weigh over 200 pounds. His first resin art pieces were much simpler. Gunter would carve out shapes of fish from wood with a chisel then pour the resin inside them. In his work he experimented with different resin colors: red, brown, blue, green, and finally the "new black"- aqua.
The creating of resin art requires craftsmanship and technical ability to work with a quickly hardening substance. Too much hardener creates cracks in the surface and can also curl-up the paint on the artifacts enclosed in the resin pool. It can harden in five minutes, or in two hours.
Gunter is fascinated with the colors of the ocean and the clarity of the Caribbean water. "34 years on Utila, I'm still in love with the ocean as ever."

It's the most intense period of your life; it influences everything later." With all this freethinking and experimentation, Neil the artist has managed to remain child-like, not childish. His projects remind us what we have lost from the exuberance of our childhood; they flaunt themselves at our self-imposed restrictions of compromise and reality. "[When] you want to mimic what other people write, copy their lives and you have none of your own."
Neil believes that his work only stands out because its background is mediocrity. That is an understatement. Neil's work would stand out in just about any surroundings, regardless of their level of originality.
Neil is quick to admit that Utila and Honduras are overly influenced by the architecture of the Northern Hemisphere. He sees little exploration of the Bay Islands' indigenous roots in art or architecture. "They ignore their Indian heritage at the expense of commercial products from United States."
Neil often looks to Guatemala for inspiration in his work. "[There] they still have their indigenous pride." Even the name of his project "jade seahorse" combines Mayan jade and an element of the Caribbean Sea.
In constructing "Nightland," Neil looked for inspiration from Honduras through more recent artifacts: old Honduran money, coins, stamps and turn-of-the-century Honduran postcards. He often finds his materials washed-up on Utila's beaches: century old porcelain dishes, seashells, bits of coral.
Even though Neil likes to give away his ideas he doesn't think he has influenced the locals to really appreciate his art. On the other hand, you will find plenty of Utilans who take their non-island visitors on tours through Nightland. They do it with pride and a bit of consternation at the same time. "They don't necessarily consider it [Nightland] a part of Utila. I think they are capable of astonishment at anything that's slightly different," says Neil.

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