Guyana’s folklore on show

[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAsvqfexLk8″ width=”100%” height=”315″]

─ A reminder of who we are as a nation – ‘One people, One nation, One destiny’

By Neola Damon

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, May 22, 2019

A night filled with renditions of the country’s national and folk songs, poetry and stories reminded Guyanese, both young and old, of who we are as a multicultural society.

Persons were treated to the revised versions of ‘My Lovely Native Land’ and ‘Oh Beautiful Guyana’ performed by Kellon Rover. Also, folkloric gems as ‘Beautiful Guyana’, ‘Bambu Fiya’, ‘Ettannamie’ among others were sung by a group – the Messengers. The storytelling genius of Ole Man Pappy, also known as Michael Khan, dished out tales of ‘Brer Anansi’. Renown critic and playwright, Al Creighton, with the help of his students, presented ‘Skilpata,’ a tale of ‘Turtle getting his shell cracked’.

Coordinator, Barbara Reynolds.

Head of the Seventh Day Adventist Choir, Leslyn Charles.

Representative of the United States Embassy in Guyana, Amanda Caldwell.

Scenes during the Ministry of Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport’s ‘Culture Night’.

Scenes during the Ministry of Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport’s ‘Culture Night’.

Scenes during the Ministry of Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport’s ‘Culture Night’.

Scenes during the Ministry of Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport’s ‘Culture Night’.

Scenes during the Ministry of Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport’s ‘Culture Night’.

Scenes during the Ministry of Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport’s ‘Culture Night’.

Scenes during the Ministry of Presidency’s Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport’s ‘Culture Night’.

Organised by the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport as part of the activities in recognition of the nation’s 53rd Independence Anniversary, the event was hosted at the Umana Yana on Tuesday and was well received by its audience.

The coordinator, Barbara Reynolds, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that it exceeded her expectations and she hopes all present understood the message behind the fun.

“The important thing about tonight is that we [citizens] are a nation and with all the songs whether they are national or folk songs, stories they tell us who we are and even help us feel positive about who we are as a nation, as One Nation, One People, One Destiny.”

DPI also spoke with a few members of the audience about their experience. For Amanda Caldwell, a representative of the United States Embassy in Guyana, it was a night to remember. “It was wonderful! It was fantastic! I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a cultural evening quite this much in Georgetown… I really liked the storytelling, all of the musicians need to be commended, the singers were amazing, but the sweet sound of the steelpan band was the highlight for me.”

“Tonight’s event was out of this world,” said Leslyn Charles, Head of the Seventh Day Adventist Choir in Linden, “if you [citizens] did not feel like a Guyanese, you felt like one tonight!”

Images: Jules Gibson.