HAPPY PHAGWAH! - Guyanese Online...Mar 03, 2012 · 1910. This extract from Gitanjali is also the Prayer for the Guyana Parliament. HAPPY PHAGWAH! APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE

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Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc.Newsletter Mar 15, 2012Volume 2Issue 3

Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. Newsletter

MAY YOUR LIFE

BE AS COLORFULAS HOLI COLORS!

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTHCelebrating Guyanese Women Who Inspire

HAPPY PHAGWAH!


IN THIS ISSUEPAGE 3: Happy Phagwah PAGE 7: Frank Thomasson passesPAGE 10: Looking for a WifePAGE 12: Memories of a Costume DesgnerPAGE 14: Making of a BucktopPAGE 15: Beware the Ides of MarchPAGE 16: Bernadette PersaudPAGE 18: Guyana All Girls SteelbandPAGE 20-First Female Black Fighter PilotPAGE 22: Hugh SamPAGE 23: Reaching for the PrizePAGE 24: Fish in AbundancePAGE 26: Back Step TalkPAGE 28: Midwives

March Editor - Juliet Emanuel

Copy Editors- Edgar Henry & Lear Matthews

Layout and Design by Ashton Franklin & Claire A. Goring

Contributors:Peter Halder, Lear Matthews,

Juliet Emanuel, Claire A. GoringTangerine Clarke, Edgar HenryVibert Cambridge, Cyril Dabydeen,

Rose Braithwaite, Pritha Singh,Yvonne McCallum-Peters

Carl E. HazlewoodMuriel Glasgow,

PhotographsTangerine Clarke,

Bryanmaxx.com Romesh Singh,Pritha Singh

Immigrant News Queens, latestsms.com,

crazyfrankenstein.comFrancis Quamina Farrier

Carl E. Hazlewood Emirates 24/7

Art - “Neighba, Len’ me Yuh Mata”Claire Goring

GCA Media TeamAve Brewster-Haynes (Chairperson), Juliet Emanuel, Edgar Henry

Tangerine Clarke, Lear Matthews, Claire A. Goring,Muriel Glasgow, Ashton Franklin,

Margaret Lawrence, Francis Quamina Farrier

Please join our Facebook group, Website: www.guyfolkfest.org

GCA Secretariat1368 E.89 Street, Suite 2Brooklyn, NY 11236Tel: 718 209 5207

Letter from the Editor

WOMEN’S HISTORYMONTHAs this edition of our newsletterdeveloped, the media team wasreminded of a subtext to its maintheme, Celebrating Women. Itis only possible, within the limitsof this newsletter, to highlightportions of the theme. However,as you read this March issue, doremember woman as mother,woman as the channel of newlife. In this season of Lent we tryto examine our lives as we movetowards the Crucifixion anddeath and the reason for itsoccurrence: life. The festivalof Phagwah heralds lifetriumphing over the threatof destruction.This issue celebrates womanwithin the context ofintertwining of thebeginning and the endand all the gloriousmadness in between.Our theme: Women. Our subtext: Life.

Welcome to our March, 2012 issue

Juliet Emanuel

CELEBRATING

GuyaneseWomen Who Inspire

3


A RELIGIOUS-CULTURAL FESTIVAL THAT HAS CROSSED ETHNIC BOUNDARIES

Phagwah arrives with the promise of new life - Spring is the seasonof rejuvenation and rebirth. The earth discards its winter gloomand begins to blossom again. As if to mark this change, Holi flings

color into the landscape and invites the celebration of life.It is a time to remember the brightness and splendor

of living, a time to spread joy, color and love into the life of our community.


4CLAIMING AND CELEBRATING OUR MULTIPLE HERITAGES

Guyana is blessed with a range of holi-days that encourage deep reflectionand promote community together-

ness. This month, we celebratePhagwah/Holi. As a people, we all can claimIndia as a root culture and confidently enjoythe fullness of that heritage. An importantstep in claiming and celebrating our multi-ple heritages is appreciating and understand-ing the deeper meanings behind the symbol-isms of our holi-days!

Phagwah or Holi is a multi-dimensional festi-val expressed in color, sweet smells, song,“sweet” meats, and community jollification.In its original context, it signified faith, goodover evil, justice over the autocrat, and thesprouting of new life—Spring.

Guyanese poet Milton Williams consideredthis “abeer drenched day” as a day when thevoices of love come in song that

… ‘felled star apples and sapodillas fromtheir trees”

The very voice that “ripened the cherriesand gooseberries all around” …

The day, when he gave back and placed hislove on a pedestal “under the cherry tree”

On the crest of that tree “a red breast (aFire-Red) was warbling her song!”

It was a sacred sight… He dared not utter aword… for suddenly; it came upon him “likethe ruffling of the trees … the very mean-ing of “Phagwah.”

Phagwah is a day of love, a day of recognizingand celebrating nature’s potential, andreminding us of our responsibilities for nour-ishing spring’s tender shoots so that theycan bloom and blossom and bring forth lus-cious and filling fruit.

Phagwah gives us another moment to col-lectively visualize the tomorrow that Tagoreprayed for in Gitanjali and which has been

adopted as the Prayer for Guyana’s Parlia-ment:

Where the mind is without fear and thehead is held high;

Where knowledge is free;

Where the world has not been broken upinto fragments by narrow domestic wars;

Where words come out

from the depth of truth;

Where tireless striving stretches

its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has notlost its way into the dreary desert sand

of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by thee intoever-widening thought and action -

Into that heaven of freedom,

my Father, let my country awake.

So with Abeer, Abrak, sweetsmelling liquids, and deliciousfoods, The Guyana Cultural Asso-ciation of New York, wishes youa very Happy Phagwah.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti!

Milton Williams. “Oh! Prahalad Dedicated Day,” A.J. Sey-mour. Ed. A Treasury of Guyanese Poetry. Georgetown,Guyana: GTM, 1980: 184.

From Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali first published in1910. This extract from Gitanjali is also the Prayer forthe Guyana Parliament.

HAPPY PHAGWAH!APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE DEEPER MEANINGS

BEHIND THE SYMBOLISMS OF OUR HOLI-DAYS!

NAMASTE!Vibert Cambridge, Ph.D., President,Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc.


52012 PHAGWAH CELEBRATIONS IN NEW YORK

After Holika Dahan, the lightingof the bonfire, the following dayDhuleti is celebrated. It is theday that the play of colors takesplace. People take extreme delightin spraying abeer, singing anddancing to the beat of dholak.Amidst all this activity peoplerelish traditional Holi delicacieswith great joy.After an eventful and funfilledday, people in the evening greetfriends and relatives by visitingthem and exchanging sweets.This helps in revitalising rela-tionships and strengtheningemotional bonds between people.


Sunday, Feb. 26 was a pleasantday befitting the convivialspirit and extraordinary person

Godfrey Winfield Chin was. Hisexceptional body of work thatwill forever be etched in Guyana’slandscape was celebrated in theworship hall of Our Lady of Victo-ry in Brooklyn, where a journalismprize in his name was alsolaunched.

“A person is not honored forwhat he has received. An honor isa reward for what that personhas given” were the sentimentsexpressed by Guyana’s Ambas-sador Bayney Karran, who addedthat it was a fitting tribute that theGuyana Cultural Association ofNew York, (organizers of the annu-al Guyana Folk Festival) celebratedthe life of Chin during the Mashra-mani season to which he gavemuch.

Ambassador Karran thanked theformer costume designer, found-ing member of GCA, journalist,and author for the passionate wayin which he nurtured his culturalroots, and the dedication he exhib-ited in cultivating the seeds of thatculture within the branches of

“ourGuyanese family.”

Making mention of Chin’s hugelypopular book, “Nostalgias – Gold-en Memories of Guyana,” and hisvideo presentations, the Ambas-sador said “Propagating our cul-tural heritage was a responsibili-ty which he undertook voluntari-ly, and one which he executedwith singular purpose andenduring determination.”

“He was a living tribute to ourbygone days and was adept atrekindling in us an irresistiblelonging for times when thingsseemed purer, simpler and moreenjoyable,” added Ambassador Kar-ran.

“Where we are today is testimonyto your unselfish contributions”wrote President of GCA, Dr. VibertCambridge, who complimentedChin for helping to shape theorganization’s vision and style.

“We will remember you capturingthe essence and framing GCA’smission to Preserve, Promoteand Propagate all of Guyana’sheritage with pizazz,” added Cam-bridge.

The message which was read byimmediate Past President, Mal-colm Hall, called Chin a hero. “Hislove for Guyana was completeand his life has been a story ofconstantly adding to the greatGuyanese story” wrote Cam-bridge.

The memorial service was filledwith love and emotion for Chin,who was admired for the elegantand stylish way he did everything,from his love of dancing andcooking to his love for his ‘dearland.’

A procession by GCA board mem-bers opened the requiem whichincluded bible readings by hissons, Gary Chin and MargaretLawrence and a eulogy by his sonRichard Chin.

Reverend Msgr. Paul W. Jervis,delivered the homily during theservice attended by Mrs. ShirleyChin and other family membersand mourners who celebratedwith Guyanese patriotic songsand tributes that recalled GodfreyChin’s endearing name ‘cook-shop fly’ and his favorite line “Yathink it easy.”

Family and friendsjoin GCA members

at a Memorial

Service forGuyanese culturalicon and GCABoardmember,

Godfrey WinfieldChin.

AmbassadorBayney Karrangreets family and

pays tribute .

6 THE GODFREY CHINPRIZE FOR HERITAGE

JOURNALISMLAUNCHED

Tangerine Clarke

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE

7


Whenthedeci-

sion was beingmade about thedates forNational Historyand CultureWeek in 1958,scheduling it forthe end of theSugar EstatesDrama Festivalseemed the bestoption. Amateurdrama was a“big thing” in1950s British Guiana. In Georgetown, there was thefledgling Theatre Guild, and on the sugar estates of theother BG, Bookers Guiana, there was the annual SugarEstates Drama Festival.

The Theatre Guild and the Sugar Estates Drama Festivalleft an indelible mark on Guyanese expressive cultureand brought a generation of Guyanese talent—actors,playwrights, set designers, directors, musicians—to thefore. It was in the Theatre Guild that Ken Crosbie,Wordsworth McAndrew, Victor Forsythe, RobertNarine, and Ron Robinson honed their crafts.

The Sugar Estates Drama Festival was more than enter-tainment: it was a deliberate and delicate step towardsgiving voice to a historically marginalized community—sugar workers. The Sugar Estates Drama Festival wasalso an important element in “Guianisation” and theinexorable march to independence. Frank Thomasson,Booker’s Personnel Manager and one of the foundingmembers of the Theater Guild, was associated withthese important developments in Guyana’s cultural life.

Thomasson came to British Guiana as a personnel pro-fessional just after World War II. He was not of the“long socks” colonial mold. He was driven by a morehumanistic management philosophy—one oriented toempowering Guianese. Among his responsibilities wasthe Bookers Cadet scheme, which developed some ofGuyana’s most innovative and effective managers.

Before coming to British Guiana, Thomasson wasengaged in the performing arts, and he brought thatpassion to the colony. It did not take him long to rec-ognize that British Guiana’s rich theatrical historyincorporated multiple traditions. In his encyclopedic AHistory of Theatre in Guyana 1800–2000, Thomassonacknowledged the contributions of mari mari, kwekwe, masquerade, ramleela, vaudeville, calypso, shanto,tramping and the other festival arts to the developmentof Guyana’s theatrical aesthetic.

Thomasson was not an itinerant, sojourning expatriateprofessional. He established lasting roots with Guyana.He found love in Guyana. From his marriage toCarlotta (nee Croal) there were two sons—Marc andMax. After Carlotta’s passing, Frank married anotherGuyanese—Aileen Morgan, an outstanding Guyaneseactress. They subsequently settled in England.

Frank Thomasson’s love for, interest in, and commit-ment to Guyana remained constant to the end. He wasa Guyanese hero and was awarded the GuyanaCultural Association’s Exemplary Award in 2006.

TRIBUTES:KEN CORSBIE: As a "costume" in my theatre starterdays I usually wore a Frank Thomasson "dark suit"as I had none of my own. I have some embarassingphotographs in his suits - fortunately I can't find anyfor this tribute. Frank was an encourager, an optimist, always readywith his dry "English" humour. I think he played abehind-the-scenes shaper of my own theatre enthusiasmand perhaps my lifelong profession.I am so grateful to have known him in those "goodol' days",and so lucky that I had that chance inCarifesta X (2008) to have been able to buy an auto-graphed copy of his remarkable book HISTORY OFTHEATRE IN GUYANA.

FRANCIS QUAMINA FARRIER: I was a bright, young,dynamic, up-and-coming dramatist who wanted todo theatre as a means of information and education,back in the 1960s. It was very difficult for simple folkslike me to do so at the Theatre Guild in those earlyyears. However, it was Frank Thomasson who openedthe door of the Theatre Guild Playhouse , so to speak,for me and others like myself who came from lessprivileged backgrounds, and gave us the opportunityto shine. Along with my life-long friend MauriceBraithwaite, we founded The Dramatic Corps, withthe blessing of the Theatre Guild Committee at theurging of Frank Thomasson. Our main focus wasproducing Guyanese plays which were first staged atthe Playhouse, then taken on tour to various ruraland hinterland communities. Frank was a visionaryas far as theatre in Guyana goes. His book on"Theatre in Guyana" is also a legacy which he hasleft us and it enriches the history of theatre in ourBeautiful and Dramatic Guyana. May his soul rest in peace.

ANOTHER CULTURAL ICON PASSES ON

Frank ThomassonAn Appreciation

Vibert Cambridge

8THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY MOURNS THE LOSS OF ANOTHER CULTURAL ICON

SullivanWalker(Novemb

er 20, 1946-February 20,2012) was theconsummateCaribbeanactor, play-wright, direc-tor and coach.He manifesteda wide range

of abilities in all phases of theater, television and film. Asan actor he spoke through his expressive eyes, using hishands as if he was playing a concerto or conducting anorchestra; his fingers seem to have their own set of linesapart from the script. An imposing physical figure, heowned a limitless vocabulary of body language, move-ment and expression. A six-footer, Sullivan glided throughhis roles like a dance-man, mas-man, pan-man, saga-man,man-chile, saint, mano y mano!

As a playwright and director, I had the great honor, privi-lege and LUCK to work with him in his 1976, TwoSoldiers at a Crossroad. Fresh out of drama school, it wasmy first real acting job. Later I worked in his all-womenmusic drama, Caribbean Woman (CW), based on his col-lection of portraits in poetry, prose, monologues and dia-logue - an epic journey of “she” in all her glorious mani-festations. The 15-20 cast included, Claud Leandro, SusanKennedy and the late, Cheryl Byron. CW was life changingand we all grew exponentially from this experience.Sullivan handed us a script with no punctuation, so Ipointed it out and he just looked at me smiling with atricky eye-twinkle. Talk about SHOCK and AWE! CW is soSullivan Walker. As the being who created this work,Sullivan had to have become each and every character –her earnest frivolities, her rude and rambunctious rage,her raw innocence, her silent grief and resilience, herblood and anxious guts! CW was a sacred space - the redtent. We couldn’t imagine how we could possibly be allthis, all that and all the Caribbean women, he capturedand stored through his shuttered eyes and senses in a life-time of being the witness and scribe. His adoration singsher reverence like a glad bird, his heart healing herwounds. CW was a rite of passage into a bold new worldof inner pride with commitment to truth and excellence.

All inhibitions and insecurities as women and artistsmelted away – replaced with recognition, respect, com-passion and understanding of each other and our distinctand diverse uniqueness. They (the women) are in menow, a treasure chest to draw from.

Sullivan’s keen observation of the human condition, thelandscape and the environment is evident and present inall his works, The Journey, Small Days, Two Soldiers,Caribbean Woman, to name a few. Sullivan says helearned his most valuable lesson from his family whilegrowing up in Laventille, Trinidad. "They taught me basicvalues that I still carry with me today. That is, the ideaof working hard and doing one's best, believing in yourdreams and believing that all things are possible."

His own dreams started to come true in his early 20swhile studying at the UWI, and teaching primary schoolin the day. At night, he indulged his artistic bent by writing,dancing and studying Caribbean folk life, and remainedtorn over which career path to follow. In 1968 he createda street character that he performed in a talent contest,earning an airline ticket to New York. He told his fellowcontestants, that though he was confident he could win,he was going to “under-play” for third place, since firstprize was just a car. As much as he enjoyed his nativecountry, his airline prize was his ticket to greater opportu-nity. In NY he studied childhood education at NYU, teach-ing by day while looking for stage roles. His professionalcareer includes: Theater: A Season in the Congo, atMaster Harold and the Boys, Two Can Play, Alterations,Dream On Monkey Mountain, and Two TrainsRunning. Film: Crocodile Dundee, The Firm. TV: Co-starred in the comedy series Where I Live; he was a regu-lar on the Cosby Show as Dr. Harmon, Cosby's competi-tive best friend; lead role in si-fi series, Earth 2 as Yale, thebrainy, reconstituted tutor. Sullivan’s work is available inaudio / visual media, and Caribbean Woman is beingrepublished in 2012.

Sullivan was a strong advocate of educating the publicabout Caribbean culture, which he hopes will changewhat he views as stereotypical attitudes about the region.To that end, he co-founded the Caribbean ExperienceTheater in New York to work with young acting students.Away from the set, he enjoyed watching movies, playingsoccer, walking, collecting Caribbean art, writing playsand short stories.

CARIBBEAN CULTURAL TREASURE

Sullivan WalkerDRAMATIST, MAN!

Pritha Singh



YOUTH, FAMILY AND TRADITION

9

For some of us living in the widespread of community, theDiaspora, life is "a wonderment."

At weddings, funerals, birthday partiesand the like, we sit among our children,grand children, great grandchildren andeven great great grandchildren, some ofwhom have never touched the soil ofGuyana. Sometimes we turn to oneanother and say, " Do you believe allthis?" as we look at replications of our-selves outside of Kitty or Albouystownor Belladrum or Queenstown MoravianChurch or Ketley Congregational. Weare comfortable in diverse settings, ortry to be, using that savoir faire com-mon to Guyanese (if you don't know,pretend you know, you fas any way).We absorb what we need to in order toexist in our new communities, tastingand enjoying the crudité but so verycomfortable with the "sweet" plantainsserved as an appetizer. We are notalways successful in our new communi-ties but we try to hold on to the centeras we deal with the inevitability ofchange, the dress down. Indeed it isabout dress down that our daughtersremind us, whether we want to listento these words or not. So it is oftenwith amazement and even disbelief, a"when did this happen," that we look atthe journeys of "dem chirren," specially,"de girls dem." Two young women whohave caused pause lately are Arielle andSamara Huggins.

Born in the USA to a Guyanese motherand American father, Arielle, who is 16and Samara, who is 13, live in Georgia.To a casual outsider they may seem tolive rather mundane lives consisting ofschool, church and family. However,when questioned they reveal lives livedof exciting possibilities. These possibili-ties are grounded in solid scholasticachievements and a consistently firmhome environment. They both said that

education has been always encour-aged by their mother. Indeed, theyseem to be following in her foot-steps of unpretentious academicexcellence. For, they are both highhonor students. But they are not allabout study, study, study. Theyattend church regularly and rely onthat rock of sustaining faith.

In addition, Arielle is a cheerleader,both intramurally and extramurally,and is quite proud of her perfor-

mance in this area. An accomplishedseamstress she concentrates on thedesign and execution of the formaldress. She intends to become a doctorlike her parents and hopes to workwith children and in the trauma unit.

Samara's passion is fashion. She hasalready made it clear that fashion willbe her concentration in college.Therefore, in addition to her sportsinterests, which include basketball, andher love and practice of writing, sheattends classes in art and programs andcamps in fashion. Like Arielle, she hasdesigned, executed and copyrightedfashion lines and appeared in shows.In 2011, she became at 12 the youngestawardee in a scholastic fashion compe-tition, winning the Gold Key.

But Mama Michelle, although facilitat-ing physical and mental explorationand development, is keeping a rein onher two girls. But in this dress downworld as we keep an eye on "dem girlsdem," we remember the adage thatapples do not fall far from trees.

The mother of these two focussedyoung women is herself exemplary. Aphysician by age twenty, she remainsquiet and dignified in her demeanorand rooted in her religious beliefs.Secure in her choices, she recognizesherself as a proud daughter of Guyana'ssoil.

All three were surprised when theywere asked to be part of the acknowl-edgment of women by the editor ofthis newsletter.

It was a pleasure to interview MichelleHuggins, (she dressing down) and herdaughters, Arielle and Samara.

AT 16 AND 13 YEARS OF AGE, ARIELLEAND SAMARA HUGGINS FOLLOWING INTHE FOOTSTEPS OF THE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE OF THEIR PARENTS.

Juliet Emanuel

DRESS DOWN NUH!

10


LOOKING FORA WIFEby Cyril Dabydeen

Ousmane, originally from Niger, says he’s looking for a wife: Can I help him?“You know lots of people here, don’t you?” He pats his round face. Here in Canada he has worked hard at university, he tells me; he has attained two higher degrees. “I studied night and day. I also pray five times a day.”

I must to teach him good English, you see; he aims to get ahead in the federal government. And there are many things he wants to do with his life; yes, he’s ambitious, see. He looks at me reading a book written by Barack Obama. He beams. “I will run for political office one day.” He leans towards me. Getting a wife is uppermost in his mind, I know.

“Why not a woman from here?” I suggest. “No-no; I want one, well, from my village; I come from a good family.” He thinks hard. Maybe he knows I am baiting him.“I don’t want a woman from here who’s been in the bedroom of many men.”

Oh, how am I taking him? With urgency he adds, “I send plentiful messages back home, to my friends, relatives, to help me find the woman I want. But I get no good answers; it’s so strange.”

He’s serious about learning English; he wants to get ahead, indeed. “Why not an Indian girl?” I suggest.Really from India?

“I don’t want a girl who’s an untouchable,” Ousmane says.I remain silent. “Did I say something wrong?” he asks. I shake my head; it’s back to English lessons, and self-improvement; and about where he’s really going next...in Canada.

A SHORT STORY

ABOUT THE AUTHORCyril DabydeenRenowned, respected, awardwinning Guyanese poet resi-dent in Canada. Formerly aschoolteacher in Guyana, hewas appointed Poet Laureateof Ottawa from1984-1987. Todate he has written over 17books consisting of poetry,short stories and novels. Hiswork has appeared innumerous literary magazinesand anthologiesHe received a LifetimeAchievement Award forExcellence from the GuyanaAwards Council (Canada),May 29, 2010, in Toronto.

11


ALANA SEEBARRAN OF

GUYANA CROWNEDMISS

INDIA WORLDWIDE 2012The 2012 Miss India Worldwide Pageant was held inParamaribo, Suriname, South America, with AlanaSeebarran of Guyana winning the coveted title.

Alana Seebarran was crowned the new Miss IndiaWorldwide 2012 by her predecessor Ankita Ghazan fromAustralia.

Seebarran was followed by the first runner-up AnvitaSudarshan of Kuwait and second runner-up Olivia Roseof Australia at the 21st edition of the annual pageant,after contestants of Indian origin but from 35 differentcountries competed for the crown.

The contestants participated in evening gown and talentsegments of the contest before the winners wereannounced.

Of the five finalists Seebaran earned the most points inthe round of questions. She also appeared to have scored

high during the talent round one day earlier. Seebaranalso performed a combination of Indian folk andBollywood acts.

Alana Seebarran is an accomplished dancer, performingfor many years in the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha'sNaya Zamana dance show.

She attended Mae's Primary School, School of theNations, and presently York University in Toronto, Canadapursuing a degree in Marketing.

Alana has been an active participant of the YorkUniversity's South Asian Alliance dance troupe, helpingthem place 2nd out of 16 universities in Canada.

She teaches classical and Bollywood style dancing toyoung girls in Toronto and she is also a teacher at theRedeemer Lutheran Church during Vacation BibleSchool.

An active member of the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha'sNaya Zamana dance troupe which hosts shows everyyear at the Cultural Centre, she also hopes to one daystart her own charitable organization for batteredwomen in Guyana.

Emirates 24/7

CONGRATULATIONS ALANA

12MEMORIES OF A COSTUME DESIGNER: PART 2

The Solo Mash Camp nurtured and provided many artists aplatform to showcase their art and talent. Malcolm Hall,Maurice Blenman, Sandra Stewart, Margaret Lawrence, AndreSobryan, Desire Edghill, Rose October, Verna Walcott, SandraPrimus, Tangerine Clarke, Alan Cooper were just a few whowere part of the volunteer team making costumes, dancingor producing shows such as “Smile Guyana” arranged by theSolo corporation.

For me preparing for Mashramani was year round. During theoff season, Andre Sobryan and I would conduct workshops inschools in the country areas, teaching them the art of cos-tume making. Solo provided the materials for the costumesso that they would feel confident enough to want to partici-pate in the Children’s Costume Competition in Georgetown.Also at this time, immediately after one Mashramani was fin-ished, I would start designing for the next year. GrantGaskin, who was a friend of the famous Trinidad MasDesigners, the Bailey brothers, arranged for me to go toTrinidad prior to Carnival, to work in the Bailey Mas camp tolearn the latest techniques.

“Heh GT, you come again,” I would be greeted by the manyvolunteers in the Bailey Mas Camp as we cut 500 of thisshape in blue foil or braided 1500 of another with gold braid.

Nodding my head to the ever present Soca music, weworked until the early morning, coming back the followingnight to continue the routine. During the day, after about 2hours of sleep, Albert Bailey or his assiatant Stephen Derekwould take me around to Samaroo’s or one of the otherCarnival shops to purchase the materials I needed to takeback to Guyana for the Solo Costume band.

In 1973 the theme for the Solo Band was “Beauty in Fertility”and in 1974 Solo celebrated our rich cultural heritage in“From When We Came” 1000 strong, with sections celebrat-ing our cultural diversity using costume, stage presentationand dance.. When the band entered the National Park tarmac,it was theatre in the Park.

With dramatists Margaret Lawrence and Andre Sobryanadding their dramatic touches, dancers Rose October, VernaWalcott, Beverly Hunte, Sandra Stewart, Sandra Primus andothers from the National School of Dance choreographedsimple presentations for each section. In the Chinese section,the professional dancers became the body of the “Lion” mov-ing to the beat of authentic drummers from the ChineseAssociation.

With Andre Sobryan and Margaret Lawrence as narrators, we

entered the NationalPark just before theend of the paradesince we knew frompast experience thatthe crowd wouldempty the grounds totramp behind the SoloBand, which that yearincluded the ChronicleAtlantic Steel & BrassOrchestra and thefamous “Charlie’sRoots Music Band”from Trinidad withsingers, Crazy, Shadow,Arrow and many othertop Caribbean calypso-nians.

Even after years of designing, I have never been brave enough toput on a costume,so with a tool belt around my waist withglue, pieces of wire, glitter and braid I would walk along withthe band tending to any problems the revellers might have.

The English section of the presentation included an authenticEnglish horse and carriage refurbished for the occasion.Sheila Chan, resplendent in her English costume of bustledskirt and leg-of- mutton sleeves was hard put to keep thehorse from jumping into the Vlissengen Road trench, as par-ents pressed forward with their children to see a spectacle theymight have only read about.

As the Solo Band turned from Vlissengen Road onto ThomasRoad the task for the “roadies” was to keep the 14foot highcostume worn by King of the Band and Bandleader NeilChan from going with the wind and into the Thomas Roadtrench. On the tarmac, the pulsating music coming fromCharlie’s Roots had patrons in the stands breaking out intodance, and as the Band hit the gates of the National Park, thechant turned to “Solo, Solo!.”

Narrators Andre Sobryan and Margaret Lawrence introducedthe many sections of the Solo’s presentation to a standingovation. As we left the tarmac, the crowds spilled out fromthe stands, following the band to the Solo Mash Camp onVlissengen Road where the bands played until late into thenight as the crowds danced in the streets.

Of course there were some negatives like journalist QuintinTaylor’s headline on the front page of the Chronicle the nextday - “Claire Goring’s designs are too extravagant .“ Taylor feltthat Solo had an unfair advantage over other designersbecause we were “professionals.” This feeling carriedthrough to the judges at the Corriverton countrywide com-petition, who without informing us before, did not judge ourcostumes because they felt we were always winning. Ourjunior king, Fabian Gaskin, who at that time was just nineyears old, was crushed but played his Mas like the “profes-sional Masman” he was.

During my years designing for Solo I won the Best DesignerAward on two occasions. In 2000, I set up camp in Brooklynand designed the Band “This is Guyana” for the New YorkLabor Day Carnival.

In Godfrey Chin’s Nostalgia, he stated“…without any mamaguying, I award the title of Best Costume Band ever inGeorgetown to the Solo’s presentation “From Whence We Came” in 1974. ….. Claire Goring’s elaborate authenticitywas mind boggling. Thousands of feathersadorned massive headpieces, intricately braidedto glamorize tribal splendor.”


MASH

1974

SandraStewart,Queen of theSolo Band“FromWhence WeCame”

Claire Ann Goring

13


MASHRAMANI 2012

ALL OF THIS IS MASH!

An ancient proverb states: Neces-sity is the mother of invention.

The proverb found expressionamong poor kids growing up inAlbouystown in the 1940s and1950s. Their parents could notafford to buy toys so many kidsdecided to invent their own.

One popular Christmas toy duringthat period was the Spinning Topor Spintop. They came in varioussizes. Some spun after the topwas pressed down (cranked). Forsome, a key was used to windthem up. They were on show inthe windows of large Depart-ment Stores and some DrugStores.

Poor kids in Albouystown andother parts of the country decid-ed to exercise their God-giventalent and young wisdom toinvent their own “home made”spintop at no cost. It was named“Buck Top.”

The first step was to obtain akind of scoop. A piece of verythick wire, about eight incheslong was begged for at Sprostonson Lombard Street, at BroadStreet. Help was also sought atthe the company’s foundry tobend part of the top of the wireinto a kind of oval for ease ofholding and gripping, sort of likea handle. The bottom, from theoval handle, was about threeinches long. Help was alsosought to flatten the end andsharpen it so it became a kind ofauger.

The kids then began to hunt inyards for large, round corioseeds. They were easily found.Sometimes awara seeds were

used. Pieces of rough sandpaperand bees wax from joineries andcarpenter shops were solicited.The sandpaper was used tosmooth the seed, especially atthe top and bottom.

The ready-made auger was thenused to scoop holes at the top,bottom and in the middle. Theyhad to be wider than the size ofthe auger for other reasons.

Once the three holes weremade, the auger was used toscoop out the kernel inside ofthe seed. The next step was toplace the 3-holed seed in the sunto dry out the inside and hardenthe sides of the holes.

A very small piece of lightwoodboxboard from a grocery in theneighbourhood was collectedand cut to a length of about fiveinches. It was pared into a roundshape with a circumference thatwould fit into the corio seed. Itwas then pushed tightly into thetop hole, blocking it, the otherend going through the bottomhole and projecting about threeinches beyond. The very end wasmade pared slightly narrowerand tip made flat.

THE MAKING OF A

BUCK TOPHOMEMADE TOYS

14

Peter Halder


The imported andunaffordable, tosome, tops (as seenin pix) which led tothe invention of the"Buck-top".

Bottom: Awara andCorio seeds used tomake Buck Tops

This phrase is famouslydramatized in WilliamShakespeare’s play Julius

Caesar when Caesar is warnedby the soothsayer to "Bewarethe Ides of March." Most stu-dents of literature would asso-ciate "The ides of March have notcome", which meant that the prophecyhad not yet been fulfilled, to which theseer replied "Ay, Caesar; but not gone"with the idea that misfortune has notpassed.

The Ides of March is the name ascribedto the 15th day of March in the Romancalendar. The word Ides derives from theLatin word "Idus" which means "halfdivision" especially in relation to amonth. Ides of March is best known asthe month in which Julius Caesar waskilled 44 B.C when he was stabbed 23times in the Roman Senate by a group ofconspirators.

In that era, it was professed that a sup-posedly bad omen would encircle themonth of March. In modern times andwithin a Guyanese context this adagehas proved to be a totally false connota-tion, and could well be considered amyth. Numerous historical events andpersonalities are associated with the glo-rious month of March, and I will men-tion a few.

The first airplane flown into BritishGuiana was on March 24, 1913. Thecomponents of the airplane werebrought to the then Colony by GeorgeSchmidt and assembled at a “racecourse” in Bel Air Park.

Early religious history in Guyana recordsMarch 1857 as the beginning of an orga-nized mission by The Society of Jesus inBritish Guiana with the arrival of JamesEtheridge, and two Italian companions,Aloysius Emiliani from the RomanProvince, and Fr Clement Negri fromNaples.

From a cultural viewpoint at least threeof our national popular songsters wereborn in March namely Eddy GrantMarch 5th. 1948; Hilton HemmerdingMarch 10th, 194, Akoyaw Rudder March12th. 1953 and Francis Quamina Farrieralso in March.

Hugh Desmond Hoyte, politician, wasborn on March 9, 1929 and served asaPrime Minister of Guyana from 1984 to1985 and as President of Guyana from

1985 to1992.

CheddiBharat JagananotherGuyanesepoliticianwas born onMarch 22,1918 anddied onMarch 6,

1997. He was the first elected Chief Min-ister in 1953 and later Premier of BritishGuiana from 1961 to 1964. He laterserved as President of Guyana from1992 to 1997.

As we celebrate, respect and honorwomen this month we recognize theesteemed Guyanese Baroness ValerieAnn Amos, who was born on March 13,1954. She was the eighth UN Under-Sec-retary - General for Humanitarian Affairsand Emergency Relief Coordinator.Before her appointment to the UN, shehad been the British High Commission-er to Australia. She served as Leader of

the House of Lords and Lord Presidentof the Council. When Amos was appoint-ed Secretary of State for InternationalDevelopment on 12 May 2003, follow-ing the resignation of Clare Short, shebecame the first black woman to sit inthe Cabinet of the United Kingdom. Sheleft the Cabinet when Gordon Brownbecame Prime Minister. She was thennominated to become the EuropeanUnion Special Representative to theAfrican Union. In July 2010 Secretary –General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon announced Baroness Amos'appointment to the role of Under-Secre-tary-General for Humanitarian Affairsand Emergency Relief Coordinator.

These are just a few historical data thatimpacted positively in the March-Monthannals of Guyana. Hence, the expression“Beware the Ides of March" seems to bepure myth at least from a Guyanese per-spective. Nevertheless, let us “Be Aware”of the month’s significance regardinghistorical events and the lives of thosewho contributed immeasurably to ourrich cultural heritage.

THE MONTH OF MARCH

15BEWARE THE IDESOF MARCH Edgar Henry


Musician, Eddy Grant (with parents) Former President Cheddi B. Jagan

Former President, Hugh Desmond Hoyte

Baroness Valerie Amos

Master Drummer, Playwright, JournalistAkoyaw Rudder Francis Farrier


16WOMEN WHO INSPIRE

The ebb and flow of political and social influencebetween Guyanese of primarily African heritage and themajority of Indian heritage have reasserted the idea of ori-gins as a valuable source of cultural validity. Guyaneseartist, Bernadette Indira Persaud, is an excellent writer, anintellectual, and an independent-minded critic. Her artexercises the semiotics of myth and cultural memory toexplore an integrated territory of form, content, and localpolitical reality. However, her paintings deliver theirencoded messages via casual yet intense visual poetics. Toadapt her own words from a curatorial essay, 'Reflectionsin Trembling Waters: The Enigma of Vision', she is interest-ed in an art '... which embraces not only the limitationsand mystery of human perception but also addresses thecultural limitations inherent in the human condition.'

While acknowledging her heritage as an Indo-Guyanese,Persaud understands the complexity and subtleties of hercountry's intertwined cultures: its national 'personality.'Undefined yet demonstrably present, this personality isboth enriched and problematized by its filialistic connec-tions to those distant lands of origin. Hindu, Muslim, andvarious half-remembered African, and even European cul-tures, have added layers of metaphysical and psychologi-cal possibilities to the local experience. This acknowledg-ment of heritage has not, in any way set Persaud apartfrom other Guyanese. Rather, like master artist, PhilipMoore, she uses diversity as an integrating factor whichrecognizes those different elements that give Guyana peopletheir special and contradictory character, which can becosmopolitan yet often insular. Stripped of sentimentalityand 'roots' romanticism, understanding the past may actu-ally help us negotiate a path through the active present.

As a visual artist with an equal literary ability, Persaudtaps into this available multicultural matrix to achieve arichness of visual effect and metaphorics. In such a smalland intensely politicized society, there is, of course,

always some danger inspeaking out. Ms.Persaud’s reputed spiritualand practical indepen-dence refuses compro-mise of any sort. And shehas often included astutesociopolitical critique aspart of the engine thatdrives her visual art. Butthat doesn't mean she isinflexible. To the contrary,

her best work uses a variety of signs and symbols to insin-uate a range of acceptable possibilities, both artistic andpolitical; it’s that redoubled consciousness——a peculiarCaribbean condition, which infuses whatever she doeswith an undeniable visual tension and poetry. Thismetaphoric slip/sliding is something that is secondnature to Guyana's many great literary talents such asEdgar Mettleholtzer and Sir Wilson Harris, but rare in thework of local painters.

Persaud’s art contends with the international structure ofhistorical modernism of which we are all a part, whilenegotiating the still charged territories of post-colonial-ism. As agreeable as her best paintings may appear in for-mal terms, on closer examination they have always radiat-ed essential doubt and concern——especially when deal-ing with the realities of the local, which, for her, includenot simply the look and contours of the land but also itsunderlying political, social, and cultural conditions.

Bernadette Indira Persaud gained national recognition in1985 when she became the first woman to win theNational Visual Arts exhibition and competition. Amongher many awards since then, is a National Honors (A.A.Arrow of Achievement) for outstanding contribution tothe cultural mosaic in the field of art. She has exhibitedwidely, in the U.S.A., U.K, Canada, India and theCaribbean, and has taught at the Burrowes School of Art(1991-1999). Now retired as Senior Lecturer from theUniversity of Guyana, her paintings and essays on art,have been published at home and abroad. Her art is repre-sented in the National collection, and several private andcorporate collections at home and abroad.

BERNADETTE PERSAUD'S ENIGMA OF VISION Carl E. Hazlewood

FIRST WOMAN TO WIN THE NATIONAL VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION AND COMPETITION

... understands the complexityand subtleties of her

country's intertwined cultures:its national ‘personality’

17


Bernadette Persaud...uses diversity as an integrating factorwhich recognizes those different elements that give Guyana people theirspecial and contradictory character,which can be cosmopolitan yet ofteninsular.

This painting "Dunks & Bullets" isabout a shoot out between Police andgangsters which happened practicallyin Bernadette's backyard.

18 It was theearly 1950’s.Guyana, likemany otherCaribbeancountries wasin the initialstages ofstruggle toshed the yokeof colonial-ism, epitomized by the first national, multiethnicpolitical party. The dawning of “Massa DayDone”!

As with the political scene, “beating pan” wasa male-dominated activity. But despite normativecultural credence and challenges faced bywomen, pioneering genius was afoot. The phe-nomenon of a female steel orchestra was emerging.Steel band was viewed as a lower class musicalform, practiced by urban folk from economicallydeprived communities. Initially, it was not con-sidered socially accepted as a legitimate genre ofentertainment, thus unworthy of invitation toperform at “prestigious venues” such as the TownHall.

Against this backdrop one could envisage theidea of a female steelband was indeed an ambi-tious, if not presumptuous artistic endeavor. Thefirst two such bands were founded by unsunghero Yesobel Ross, a home maker and later IrisLeach, a school teacher. Challenging tradition,these enterprising women ingeniously organizeda group of teenage girls, marking the birth of anAll Girls Steel Band, a stark gender breakthrough.They undoubtedly had to be both charming andbold as they did compete with male counter-parts, and were able to unnerve engrained cultur-al barriers. Among the trainers was a pan wizardnamed Bertram DeVarrel, who was the leader ofTripoli Steel Band.

To capture that unprecedented, transformativeexperience, I interviewed Joan Rose, formerleader of Ebony All Girls Steel Band.

Lear: What do you remember about how theband started?

Joan Rose: Your mother, Ms. Ross, a verycourageous woman, started the band, first ofits kind in British Guiana. She got the ideafrom a similar group in Trinidad. Our uniformwas white waist-coat and burgundy skirt.

Lear: Which pan did you play?

Joan Rose: I played the “jam pan”.

Lear: How did your parents react?

Joan Rose: Some parents were OK. Others

were upsetand tried tolimit ourinvolvement.They saidthings like:“You’re notgoing tobeat no oildrum….edu-cation is more

important; You’re not going to ruin the reputationof this family. “ It was tough.

Lear: How many members were there?

Joan Rose: About ten, plus trainers, whowere “pan men”, very respectful and decent. Iam still in touch with band members IvaMatthews-Homer, Cynthia George and EdithAbrams.

Lear: Where did you practice?

Joan Rose: We practiced three times a weekin Wortmanville under a “bottom house”.

Lear: What was it like being a member ofthe first All Girls Steel Band?

Joan Rose: It was a new experience. Asteenagers we were excited to be in the newspapers.We were proud of our accomplishment.

Lear: Where did the band perform and howwere you received?

Joan Rose: We performed at LCP Fairs;Elsie’s Ballroom in Durban Street; PromenadeGardens; Girl Guides Pavilion; and McKenzie,but “tramping” was not allowed. We played inSurinam, touring with leading calypsoniansfrom Trinidad, and we were chaperoned. We hadmany supporters. Audiences loved us.

Lear: Were there critics?

Joan Rose: Of course, but not of our music.People criticized our parents. “How could youallow your daughters to do such a thing?” theywould ask.

Lear: Anything else you would like to share?

Joan Rose: It was a good experience whileit lasted. We made history. It was a differenttime, different values. I am glad you are doingthis because many Guyanese are not aware ofit. We have come a long way. Steel band is nowrecognized around the world, with no genderor age discrimination. Times have changed.

You are certainly a musical pioneer. TheGuyana Cultural Association of New York recog-nizes and celebrates your efforts and pricelesscontribution. Thank you!

THE FIRST “ALL GIRLS STEELBANDS”

OF GUYANA

FEMALE MUSICAL TRAILBLAZERS

YESOBEL ROSS & IRIS LEACH

Lear Matthews


19CELEBRATING FEMALE TRAILBLAZERS


YesobelRoss

FOUNDER OF THE ALL GIRLS EBONY STEELBAND, THE FIRSTOF ITS KIND IN GUYANA

By the time she was in fourthgrade, young Shawna RochelleKimbrell knew she wanted to bea fighter pilot.

What the now-Air Force majordidn't know, however, was thatshe would knock down a racialbarrier by becoming the firstblack female in the career field.

Kimbrell was born in Lafayette,Ind., on April 20, 1976, toGuyanese parents. Her motherand father, who were naturalizedU.S. citizens by the time she wasborn, moved to the U.S. for educationand opportunities. Their hardwork and dedication paid off inher father earning a degree fromHoward University and a doctoratefrom Purdue University, which inturn earned him a job offer inParker, Colo.

That focus on education was abig part of life for Kimbrell andher three older siblings as theyspent their school years in Parker.

"(Education) was the thing thatopened doors," Kimbrell said. "Ifyou got your education, youcould do whatever you wantedto do. That was how our housewas run."

On top of that family modusoperandi, Kimbrell had a goal-drivenpersonality from an early age.While in kindergarten, for example,she decided she wanted to be an

astronaut, so she wrote a letter toNASA asking how she could jointhe program. But as she got olderand did more research into joiningthe astronaut corps, she realizedthe career wasn't as exciting asshe wanted it to be.

"I decided to focus on somethingI could do every day versusmaybe going to the moon onetime ... which would be awe-some, but it's just one time," themajor said. "So I started to look atthe jets and flying fighters."

While Kimbrell remained fascinatedwith space, the freedom of flightis what she really wanted: aerialacrobatics, rolling inverted andmore. With that goal in mind, shefound every opportunity get closerto the flying world and the military.

She joined the Civil Air Patrol,

worked at air shows and earnedher private pilot's license. Eventu-ally, she was accepted into the AirForce Academy. She did all of thisdespite people telling her as achild that there were no femalefighter pilots, people asking herabout all the what-ifs that wouldderail her plans.

"I think what kept me on thestraight and narrow is that I didn'tgive myself any other options,"Kimbrell said. "I didn't thinkabout a back-up plan, I didn'tthink about a 'what if it doesn'twork out plan.'

"I think sometimes you lull your-self into thinking, 'OK, I have thatplan, and if it gets hard I'll go tothe back-up plan,'" she added. "Ifyou don't have it, you pushthrough."

And push through she did. Kimbrellgraduated from the Academy in1998 and was accepted into pilottraining. She earned her pilotwings in August 1999.

"I was in constant competitionwith myself, trying to do better, tomake the grade," the F-16 Fight-ing Falcon pilot said. "There weretimes when I didn't think that Iwas going to make it through. Itwas in those times I learned to behumble and realize there is apoint in everyone's struggle -- nomatter how strong they are --when they need help, and thekey is to seek it out before it istoo late."

Using her own advice hasallowed the major a successfulcareer: She has earned an AirMedal with one device, an AerialAchievement Medal and an ArmyCommendation Medal, amongothers. She has been stationed atMisawa Air Base, Japan; KunsanAir Base, South Korea; Aviano AirBase, Italy; Fort Stewart, Ga.; andnow Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.She also flew combat sorties inOperation Northern Watch.

MAJOR SHAWNAR. KIMBRELL

FIRST BLACK FEMALE FIGHTER PILOT

CREDITS THE IMPORTANCEOF EDUCATION STRESSED

BY HER GUYANESEPARENTS FOR MUCH OF

HER SUCCESS

First Published inU.S. Airforce officialwebsite, February

23, 2012.

by Tech. Sgt. Ben-jamin Rojek

Defense MediaActivity

CELEBRATING WOMEN WHO INSPIRE

20



21BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES TAUGHTBY HER GUYANESE PARENTS, THIS AIRFORCE MAJOR FINDS TIME TO SPEAKTO CHILDREN ABOUT DREAMING BIG.

"I was in constant competition with myself, trying to dobetter, to make the grade," the F-16 Fighting Falcon pilotsaid. "There were times when I didn't think that I wasgoing to make it through. It was in those times I learned tobe humble and realize there is a point in everyone's struggle-no matter how strong they are - when they need help,and the key is to seek it out before it is too late."

NOTHING’S EASY! EXPECT ROAD BLOCKS.SET A GOAL TO ACHIEVE

FROM GUYANA TO KAZAN, RUSSIA

22


Music expresses that whichcannot be said and on which itis impossible to be silent.

Victor Hugo - 1802-1885

From an early age Hugh Samdigested music. He was broughtup in a musical atmosphere. Hismother played the piano, and hisfather the violin. He experiencedgreat delight in being a part ofthe music scene surroundinghim. Often he would bang thelower notes on the piano as hisolder brother practiced for theyearly London Royal Schools ofMusic Examinations, and wouldbe shooed away for being a nui-sance. Perseverance, he keptgoing…

Without training, he began todabble in composition at an earlyage. At the 1954 British GuianaMusic Festival, two close friendswith advanced music knowledgeencouraged and suggested thathe enter the composition compe-tition. Reluctantly, he did so. Heused a pseudonym.

“MUSIC FESTIVAL FINISHESTODAY”- ‘At today’s Festival alsothe lid will be lifted on who is“Roland Foster” whose originalcomposition IDYLL, won him firstplace in the composition compe-tition. It will also lift the lid onwho is “Hugh Lister” who wasbracketed with Walter Franker forsecond place for setting CharlesKingsley’s Young and Old to

music.

THE SECRET

The Daily Chronicle will how-ever let its readers into the secret.Both “Roland Foster” and HughLister” are the one and the sameperson. He is now 19 and verymuch on the shy side. And he willhimself play his IDYLL , whichcaused Adjudicator Mr. [Gerald]Hudson, O.B.E., F.R.C.O. (hons,)A.R.C.M., L.R.S.M to predict that “

I expect to hear much moreabout this Roland Foster, whoeverhe is.” He, along with Ron Savory,Clairmont Taitt, Mike Gilkes,knocked heads together and pro-duced the arrangement of TimberMan which won the SymphonicSteel Ork, third prize on Fridaynight.

And the real name of this shybut promising composer is HughSam”

Shadows forecast comingevents. And so it is not surprisingthat an arch begun Guyana makesits way to a city as far away asKazan in Russia. This bridgingcomes in the form of an orches-tral arrangement by Hugh Sam of-George Gershwin’s “I Love Porgy.”In fact this is Hugh’s second

brush on the Russian canvas.

In 2005, his orchestral work, “ATale of Two Rivers,” was performedthere. About that piece Hugh hasstated: “I composed the Shenan-doah River, VA as a contrast to theVolga River that runs in Russia”.Now he delights us with his inter-pretation of the quintessential “ILove Porgy.”

“Music is a moral law. It givessoul to the universe, wings to themind, flight to the imagination,and charm and gaiety to lifeand to everything.” - Plato

COMPOSER HUGH SAM“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the

imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything”. - Plato

Valerie Coddette


23

In this age of the internet and technology ,Apps are ubiquitous as “ApplicationSoftware”, computer software for the user to

perform specific tasks. The APP referred to inthis article is almost like software for the brainfor the user to achieve specific results - recogni-tion, awards, prizes.

ASPIRATION/PERSPIRATION/PERSERVANCE -the three elements in this APP are proposed asa motivational strategy for use by our youth inevery field to achieve your pinnacle of success.

BACKGROUND

In my research for this article, the dearth ofinformation on women overall, and womenfrom Guyana and the Caribbean,specifically, wasstark. In almost all prizes/awards reviewed, menwere overwhelmingly the Laureates (as in theNobel Prize) and the Guyana Prizes. And whenwomen did show up, they were not as visible inscience and economics as they were in otherfields.

THE NOBEL PRIZEFor instance, the award most coveted and seem-ingly unattainable, is the Nobel Prize, withalmost 850 Laureates in the 111 years since itsinception in 1901, only 43 of them are women.Becoming a Nobel Prize Laureate is seen as thesingular and highest honor conferred on menand women (and organizations) in all corners ofthe globe for outstanding achievements. NobelPrize categories are in physics, chemistry, physi-ology or medicine, literature, for work in peaceand, since 1968, economic science. Fifteenwomen were Peace Laureates, 3 were awardedjointly in 2011 - President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson,Ms Leymah Gbowee (both Liberia); Ms TawakkolKarman (Yemen).

READ MORE:http://iknowourworld.blogspot.com/2012/02/liberias-president-fellow-liberian-and.html

As regards the Caribbean and the West Indies, awoman has yet to receive a Nobel Prize. FourLaureates from the region are: for Literature -Saint-John Perse, Derek Walcott, Sir Vidiadhar

Surajprasad Naipaul; for Economic Sciences - SirArthur Lewis jointly with Theodore W. Schultz.

GUYANA PRIZES FOR LITERATURE

Former President Desmond Hoyte founded theGuyana Prizes in 1987 to promote local enthusi-asm for, and interest in, literature, biennially, incategories including, fiction, poetry, best play. Anumber of university personnel and the chieflibrarian of the Guyana National Library com-prise the management of the Prize Committee.Although women are represented here, theirnumber is considerably less than that of men.Note however that the winner of the Caribbeanextension of this prize is Myriam Chancy.

For a list of recipients READ MOREhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guyanese_litera-ture

CARIBBEAN SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE (CSEC)Guyana has secured 16 of the 28 awards for topperformance in CSEC in the region in 2011. Thetop student in the Caribbean and top student inscience - Anuradha Dev of Queen’s College.Guyana won the top award for the fifth time insix years and the Best Science award in theCaribbean for six consecutive years.

The 2007/2008 United Nations HumanDevelopment report has ranked Guyana amongthe highest developing countries in the educa-tion index. Guyana was placed 37th in theworld, third in the Caribbean after Cuba andBarbados, and second in South America afterArgentina. Let us build on this foundation. READMORE

http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/10/29/guyana-cops-16-of-28-csec-awards/

REMEMBER THE APP AS YOU REACH FOR THE PRIZE

No prize is beyond reach when one Aspires,Perspires, Perseveres (APP).Guyanese/Caribbean youth, gender notwith-standing, should remember the APP methodolo-gy for outstanding scholarship and bodies ofwork, not only in literature and peace, but in thesciences as well in order to have an impactnationally, regionally and globally.

Aristotle said, "Excellence is an art won by train-ing and habituation. We do not act rightlybecause we have virtue or excellence, but werather have those because we've acted rightly."We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then isnot an act but a habit. -Aspire! Perspire! Persevere!

REACHING FORTHE PRIZEGUYANESE/CARIBBEAN YOUTH SHOULD

APPLY THE APP METHODOLOGY TO ACHIEVEOUTSTANDING SCHOLARSHIP AND BODIESOF WORK

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT! ASPIRATION, PERSPIRATION PERSEVERANCE

Muriel Glasgow

24

Fish and fishing define amemorable aspect ofgrowing up in Kitty vil-

lage. Many people made a livingfrom catching and selling fishbecause of the large quantity,the extended coastline and theliving and housing in closeproximity to the seashore.

Life was synchronized with theebb and flow of the ocean tide.Whether spring tide, high tideor low tide, our lives revolvedaround these cycles. When thetide was in, happiness was inthe air, with a vitalizing breezeblowing inland. Instinctivelythat was the time to reach ontothe Kitty jetty and wait for thefishermen to land their catch offresh fish.

In the 1950’s fishing was a pro-fession, with no taxation butsimply a survival mechanism tomaintain a family. On DavidStreet there was a tenementbuilding that was the home of alarge number of fishermen,making preparations for acatch, silently tending or weav-ing new fishing nets. The aromaof hot boiled tar to seal theboats filled the atmosphere atthe famous Monsanto familyhome in Thomas Street.

The constant flow of the tideallowed those expert fishermento entrap their prized catchwith six-foot high nets drapingthe water’s edge. Several meth-ods, such as a catamaran, wereused to retrieve a catch . It wasa joy to see how the hassaswere caught. The expert andskilled methods used to catchfish will be covered in a futurearticle.

Most parents especially moth-ers sent us to buy fresh fish inthe market and the language ofthat unique commercial subcul-ture reverberate in our earstoday. “The fish gat to be fresh,if de skin en yellow don’t buyit, look at the gill, if it ain’tbright red den it stale, If itsmelling don’t buy it, if deh gatflies den it stale if yuh bringdah home is gun be hell inhay, you understand?”

Fish in Guyana had severalnames such as snook, gillbacker,bangamary, queriman, mullet,flounder, bashaw, catfish, butterfish and pacu. These werecaught a few miles out at sea oralong the muddy-sandy-clayshoreline and sold in the mar-kets. The freshwater fish caughtin the canals and trenches were

hassa, patwa, hoori and some-times yarrow. A cassee is a freshwater catfish that was not gen-erally eaten.

When business was slow in themarkets the fishermen wouldwalk the streets with a largetray or basket resting on theirheads. They would call out tothe houses "Fish, fish, fresh fish.”

Interesting symbolism emergedfrom this finned phenomenon.Some people were labeled withfish names if they fit the charac-ter. For example, I can recall aman called Basha, a lady knownas Banga Mary and a person nottoo brilliant was referred to as aPacu. A person wearing specta-cles might be called a FourEye.The old saying “This soundsand smells fishy” still existstoday.

During the dry season whenthe water in the trenches was ata low level one could scoop upa handful of cacabelly (guppy)with ease. The most colorfulones were placed in an aquariumwhich was nothing more than ajam jar filled with water.

The main species of fish arehaimara, sunfish, lucanani, pacu,morocut, cartabak, tigerfish,arrowana and arapaima, daree,cartabak and perai are smallgrowing to as much as two feet,whereas the haimara and tiger-fish can average between threeto five feet. The lanlan and ara-paima can attain a length of 12to 15 feet.

The cultural fish experiencewas unique in Guyana. Thewaterways in Guyana generatedan exotic variety of fish whichaided local consumption andhuge quantities for export andalmost every schoolboy knewhow to lure a hassa, patwa orhouri!

To be continued

LIFESTYLE AND TRADITIONS


FISH IN ABUNDANCE

GUYANA LAND OF MANY WATERS

SNOOK, GILLBACKER, BANGA-MARY,QUERIMAN, MULLET, CATFISH, PACU, FLOUNDER, BUTTERFISH, LUCANANI

Romesh C.D. Singh

LIFESTYLE AND TRADITIONS


25FISH AND FISHING WAS PART OF GROWING UP IN THE VILLAGE

ALMOST EVERY SCHOOLBOYKNEW HOW TO ENTRAP A HASSA, PATWA OR HOURI

26


I have for years encouragedstudents to write their ownstories as part of the assign-ments in my compositionclasses. I have found that con-sciously or unconsciously nar-rative writing has formed asort of self-therapy rather likethat soft talking women, inparticular, would do duringthose quiet evenings sitting onthe back step.

Was it not the "talking" thatguided the children ofGuyana, that "onward,upward," the "go on child, goon, don't bother with me"ethos that pervaded everyfamily? But it was not often,or even ever, in the books thatwe read. And so our experi-ences were held to ourselves,except when we were enjoy-ing that cool evening breeze,breezing out.

Now all of our experiencesare now pushing themselvesinto the printed word. Ouryoung, and not so young, peopleare talk writing. Let me sharewith you the kind of talk thatappears in a compositionclass.

Vanessa says: I was born onJune 7th, 1963 in Guyana,South America. I am theeldest of seven children andwas raised to reach for thestars. Early on in my life Iwas encouraged and chal-lenged to pursue educationas a way out of poverty. Iwould use my education tochange conditions within myfamily.

At eleven I took the highschool entrance examinationand managed to pass. By thistime my father was workingovertime and making enor-mous sacrifices so I could goto the university on comple-tion of high school. Tragedystruck my family; my fatherwas killed in an accident. Mymother had to work outsidethe home, and things werenot easy to acquire. Lifebecame difficult, and I wasleft to take care of myyounger siblings. My past-time was ensuring the cowsand sheep were grazed andaccounted for at nightfall.

I graduated from highschool; however, with no fam-ily savings, college was not inmy view. For a time Ithought of going into teach-ers training school, but in theend I chose to be a nurse. Iwanted to help people feelbetter, and the training wasfree. I would also receive astipend throughout the training.

Prior to completing my stud-ies, I met and marriedLawrence M on December31st, 1986. This union pro-duced three children, so I hadto balance my time workingas a nurse and motherhood.

In 1996, I got a chance toleave Guyana when I got ajob in the Turks and CaicosIslands. My family joined methere, and during the nextfive years I worked full-timeand dreamed of enhancingmy career as an R.N.

I entered the United States in2000, determined to go tocollege and obtain a degreein nursing. I worked as ahome health aide then nurs-ing assistant to provide formy family. I found myselfgoing to evening classes totake the GED so I could beenrolled at college. In Janu-ary 2005 I passed the GEDand was enrolled at MedgarEvers College to pursue mydream of becoming an R.N.

To the casual reader, theremay be nothing dramaticabout this story. However,those of us who have beentransplanted from a differentplace are aware of the strug-gles to adjust to our adoptedcountry.

But, the reader may argue -everyone who migratesexpects to pay a price forbeing in the new country. Thatmay be true, but exactly whendoes one stop paying? And towhom does one turn? Onlyby sharing our stories will weshare the journey and itstwists and turns. As Des'ree,the pop singer , born of aGuyanese mother, sang out,"you gotta bad, you gotta bebold, you gotta wiser, ... hard... tough ... stronger ...cool...calm. ... stay together."Write it. Back step talk!

Byrne, Jim.

Narrative Therapy & Writing Therapeu-

tic Narratives in Therapy after Ellis,

Berne, Freud and the Buddha: 2010.

Retrieved from http://www.abc- coun-

selling.com on 2/22/2012

This article is adapted from an essay

previously published by the writer.

NARRATIVE WRITING

BACK STEPTALK

Yvonne McCallum-Peters

27


BEYOND SANGREGRANDEby Cyril DabydeenISBN: 9781894770668Paperback $28.95 229 pages

DISTRIBUTED IN CANADA AND IN THE US byUniversity of Toronto Press Inc.5201 Dufferin StreetToronto, Ontario, M3H 5T8Phone: 1-800-565-9523 or (416) 667-7791

An Anthology of Caribbean Literature

Caribbean literature has alwaysbeen exciting and diverse, includ-ing over the past decades some ofthe world’s most highly regardedwriters. Beyond Sangre Grandebrings together a contemporaryselection in English from some ofthe key writers living in Canada,the US, and the UK, as well as vari-ous countries of the Caribbean.Reflecting a changing world, andadmitting diverse cultural influ-ences and generational differ-ences, these writers maintain a dis-tinct Caribbean-ness in their acutehistorical awareness and in thecadences and rhythms of their lan-guage. This collection represents arange of voices, from the estab-lished and celebrated—Derek Wal-cott, Sam Selvon, Austin Clarke,Olive Senior—to the newer andno less exciting—RamabaiEspinet, Nalo Hopkinson, Anson

Gonzalez—that demonstrates therichness of Caribbean literature innew and exciting ways.

PUBLICATIONS: BOOKS, MUSIC, FILMS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW PUBLICATIONS(BOOKS, MUSIC, FILMS, ETC.)

AND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS

RECENT AND UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS BY

GUYANESE

I sat on the train to DCIn silence for 3 hoursThe alien eyes alternateComputer to PhoneComputer to PhoneFingers elongated fromtap, tap, keyboard, sliding to phoneFacial muscles frozennot used for pleasantriesBusy working, laptop,phone, laptop, phoneIts snowing outsideA landscape draped in whiteDoes anyone see?As I sat invisiblean alien, on the train to DC.

Observationby Rose Braithwaite

POEMS & POETS

ABOUT THE POET

Rose Braithwaite is a

proud grandmother

and closet writer.

TO SUBMIT YOUR POEMS"The GCA OnlineNewsletter Editorial Teaminvites poets to submittheir poems for consideration of publica-tion in our POETS' COR-NER. Please make your submission to:[email protected]

Nowadays, in Guyana, a mid-wife may not be the first

choice for the process associatedwith childbirth. With hospitalcare probably more accessible forall than it was many decades ago,a mother to be may turn to thatfacility instead of to “Nurse.” Nev-ertheless, the midwife in Guyanaremains an icon.

The rap on her door made by afamily member of the woman inlabor would bring her out ofwhatever she was doing. Herresponse would be sure since shewould have been following theprogress of the pregnancy formonths. “ I’m coming.” So pick-ing up her paraphernalia, con-tained in a bag that no one butshe touched, she would dispatchherself to the home of the expec-tant mother.

The midwife and the home deliv-ery were not unusual years ago.Were home births always withoutproblems? Certainly not. In anycommunity, stories of breechbirths, frightened young motherswho had to be cautioned aboutpushing were discussed, wherechildren could not hear what wasbeing said, in any community.Nevertheless, the midwife wasviewed as more than a babycatcher. For, lovingly, calmly, shebrought new life and new hopeinto being. She removed thecaul, “band the belly,” gave the pla-

centa to the trusted family mem-ber to bury.

In our country areas she wasmore likely to be a well experi-enced and wise woman who hadbeen taught her trade by an oldermidwife. We may rememberwomen such as Jane Baynes ofVictoria Village on East CoastDemerara. Her story, that of thetraditional midwife, is repeated allover Guyana.

In areas such as Kitty, now part ofGreater Georgetown, formallytrained and registered midwivesand nurse midwives, such asNurse Young and Nurse Morri-son, brought child after child,more often than not successfully,into the world at home. Births inhospitals in Georgetown, NewAmsterdam, Linden and othertowns proceeded according tothe established protocols of the

institutions. Maternal and babydeaths were absorbed quietly bythe community, long stoic byexperience. Bereaved motherswere not supposed to attend thefunerals of babies who had diedlest there be no more childrenborn to those mothers. All in all,the midwife was life in all itsforms to us.

The state of the current practiceof midwifery was focus of a con-ference held in Guyana in 2011.Commentary and assessmentthereof is readily available online.Also available is a thoroughassessment of midwifery inGuyana from State of the World’sMidwifery. These reports confirmthat midwives in Guyana contin-ue to be valuable to the healthservices of the country. Indeed,recent conversations with severalnursing tutors, nurses, nurse mid-wives and midwives attest to therigorous training relative to theprofession. Training includesrecognition of protocols and policies,communication skills and anato-my and physiology. Midwivesretain close relationships withHealth Visitors and neighborhoodclinics. Midwives are dispatchedto all areas of the country wherethey persevere in their admirabletasks. While the traditional mid-wife has mostly given way to theformally trained midwife, duringthis month of March and always,we hail them all and their service.

Miss Jane Baynes, Nurse Morri-son, Nurse Young, Nurse Douglasand all the other midwives, pre-sent and past, we honor you andyour work.

THE MIDWIFEIN GUYANAREMAINS AN

ICON

LIFESTYLE & TRADITION

28

Juliet Emanuel

29


OSHAGTHE ORGANIZATIONFOR SOCIAL & HEALTHADVANCEMENTFOR GUYANA andthe CARIBBEAN

TEA featuring a Hat ShowEXTRAVAGANZA

SUN. APRIL 15, 2012ROSE GARDEN4224 Church Ave., Brooklyn, NY(corner of East 43rd St.)3:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M.$20.00 –ADULTS $10.00 – CHILDRENFor tickets call:Lorna @ 646‐522‐8005 Barbara @ 718‐288‐2060 Cleveland @ 646‐872‐607Harold @ 917‐496‐8247 Mavis @ 347‐742‐6568Carol @ 678‐327‐3077

CARIBBEAN CULTURAL THEATREPOETS & PASSIONSPRING 2012Friday, March 23 @ 7:30pm St. Francis College, 182 Remsen St, Brooklyn, NYAnnette Vendryes Leach(US/Panama), Song of the ShamanGlenville Obrian Lovell(Barbados), Going Home in Chains Opal Palmer Adisa (Jamaica), Painting Away Regrets

Saturday., March 24 @ 3:30pmYork College94 - 20 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Lecture Hall 3D01, Queens, NYEarl Lovelace (Trinidad and Tobago), Is Just A Movie

Wednesday March 28 @7:00pm - Skylight Gallery,Restoration Plaza,1368 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, NYLeslie Ann Murray, (US/Trinidad and Tobago),Ibi Aanu Zoboi (Haiti), Haiti Noir

Friday, April 20 @ 7:30pm - St. Francis College 182 Remsen St, Brooklyn, NYDerrick Arjune (Guyana)The Mailbox SyndromeDiana McCauley (Jamaica)Dog Heart

Friday, May 11 @ 7.30 p.m.Sasha Kamini (Trinidad & Tobago)Nicole Sealey (Virgin Islands)Poetry - Woman Tings

718 783 8345/718 270 6218

NEW YORK TUTORIAL SUPPORT GROUP, INC.EASTER BREAKFAST/ENTERTAINMENTSAT. APRIL 14, 20129.00 a.m.ST. JUDE COMMUNITYCENTER409 Maple Street, Brooklyn, NY 11225(Bet. New York-Brooklyn) ADULTS - $20.KIDS - $10 under 12 yrsFor Tickets:Lear Matthews- 718 216 4505

John Callender - 347 564 0678Dale Edinboro - 347 563 0847

BREEZE BIRTHDAYBASHSaturday, March 17, 2012Tropical Paradise Ballroom1367 Utica Avenue (Bet. Foster - Farragut) - 8.00pmMusic by Lambert & the Matadors, McWassi, Kool Connection & King Papa Rocky$20 with invite - before midnight ($30 after)Complimentary Dinner, Cash BarFor Information:Breeze: 973 477 0210 Terry: 973 454 9271

LINDEN FUND ANNUALSPRING DANCESAT. MARCH 31 2012WOODBINE SOCIAL CLUB TICKETS:$25 (advance)$30 (at door)MUSIC:DE UNTOUCHABLES & DJ FLEXXFor Tickets Contact: Daphne Lee - 347-548-5889Keith Semple - 908-205-2482George Parris - 347-784-0235

QUEENSTOWN ESSEQUIBONEW YORK ASSOCIATION21 ANNUAL DANCESATURDAY, APRIL 28, 201210.00 P.M.-4.00 A.M.AFRIKA HOUSE2265 Bedford Ave (Lower Level)Music:: DJ Supreme & DJ Perry Supermix

TICKETS:A.B. Drakes - 347 374 3553

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Documents

HAPPY PHAGWAH! - Guyanese Online...Mar 03, 2012 · 1910. This extract from Gitanjali is also the Prayer for the Guyana Parliament. HAPPY PHAGWAH! APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE