Dickens: One of the greatest English writers
Last week the world celebrated the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens who was born on February 7, 1812 in England. Many events were organised by the BBC including the broadcast of 24 hours of readings from his work. This was an hourly series of readings that went for the entire day at a different hour [...]
The NCC has lost sight of what a dress code is supposed to achieve
The imposition of dress codes has been a resurgent and irksome issue in Guyana in recent years, and on occasions there have been public complaints about the manner in which persons are denied entry to public buildings. While there have been controversies when persons visit public offices generally, the matter has come into sharp focus [...]
The Romantic and the Modern in a Hardy poem
The Darking Thrush I leant upon a coppice gate When Frost was spectre-gray, And Winter’s dregs made desolate The weakening eye of day The tangled bine-stems scored the sky Like strings of broken lyres, And all mankind that haunted nigh Had sought their household fires. The land’s sharp features seemed to be The Century’s corpse [...]
The return of performing arts awards
In January 2011 The Theatre Guild of Guyana presented awards to the best performances that were staged at the Guild Playhouse during the year 2010. This was the revival of an old tradition that had faded into disuse but has now been recalled to life. It has so far continued in this new re-establishment, and [...]
What is calypso?
What is calypso? Many have attempted to answer that question, including a few calypsonians. These versions vary from fanciful explanations about how it came from Africa or France to scholarly background and historical studies of how it evolved in the Caribbean from the times of slavery. The legendary and undisputed king of calypso, The Mighty [...]
The most vibrant masquerade tradition in the Caribbean
The Trinidad Carnival is often called “the greatest show on earth” even though the Rio Carnival in Brazil might have claim to that title. But game and worthy challenge might come from smaller, less known quarters, viz the junkanoo festival in the Bahamas. We have already mentioned in these pages that there are Christmas-time traditions [...]
Burns and the New Year anthem
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne? Chorus : For auld lang syne, my jo, for auld lang syne We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne. And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp! and surely I’ll be mine! And we’ll [...]
Christmas: A religious and secular festival
Christmas is a religious festival, but it is much more than that. It is Christian, and is one of those typical religious festivals that are expressions of belief with internal sacred rituals and worship, but which also have a large public outreach. Again, like so many other religious festivals, the public celebration is primarily utilised [...]
A poet of the Harlem Renaissance
When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou sayst, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” – that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. (John Keats, from ‘Ode On A Grecian Urn’) The Harlem Renaissance [...]
Goddison’s poems of heritage and history
As mentioned in a previous discussion, there is no shortage of celebrated verses to mark the United Nations designated International Year of People of African Descent (IYPAD) in 2011. The most appropriate place to start is with the oral traditions within which several African poetic continuities, African derivations or the African influence may be found [...]
Where are the differences?
There is a great irony in Guyana in the way one of its greatest unifying forces has been characterized as a force of division. A real cultural strength possessed by the nation has been a factor in the rancour. Guyana prides itself in noble words on being a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural nation of “six races,” but [...]
McKay: A special contribution to poetry
If We Must Die If we must die, let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Marking their mock at our accursed lot. If we must die, O let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed [...]
A return of the old traditions
The very popular Jamaican play Ghett-Out has proved itself to be a work of limited dramatic achievements. But it represents considerable achievement in the context of the forward march of commercial theatre. Developments in cultural industries in the Caribbean are extremely wide-ranging and really very interesting. The important question was asked in the Carifesta Symposia [...]
The 32nd season
Guyana’s National Dance Company (NDC) performed its Season 32 on October 22 – 23, 2011 on the theme Hello Darkness. The production, directed by NDC producer and choreographer Vivienne Daniel, with narration by hostess Shevonne Semple, focused on the theme of darkness in the first half with the second segment devoted to two tributes: one [...]
Ramlila and Diwali: ritual, spectacle and cultural impact
Two related Caribbean festivals are again topical at this time of the year. It is the season of Diwali, one of the largest traditional festivals in both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. The annual Ramlila performances ended in Trinidad on Sunday, October 9, and Diwali will be celebrated in both countries on October 26. These [...]