By Jairo Rodrigues in Haiti
Photos by Kojo McPherson
Guyana’s presentation `Rites and Rhythms’ wowed the CARIFESTA XII audience on Sunday with glimpses of the cultural riches of the country ranging from its Amerindian folklore to African traditions to Hindu rituals all enrobed in dazzling costumes and high energy performances.
Guyana was the first country night presenter under the theme “Rites and Rhythms” which was a mosaic of music, dance, theatre and rituals. The idea was to showcase the artistic creations in the performing arts with emphasis on growth and modernity from Guyana’s cultural roots.
Théâtre National d’Haïti, the National theatre of Haiti had a tremendous turnout for the night. The performance began after 19:00hrs with an astounding welcome from Haitian singers, a choir dressed in head-wraps, dresses and attired in white with laces of Guyana’s national flag colours: Red, Black, Gold, White and Green.
After songs of welcome in Haitian-creole to wake up the audience, the Guyana National Steel Orchestra took the stage by storm. A band of eight wearing green and yellow shirts covered in black jackets and matching black pants, played a mixture of national and folk songs.
Masquerade
The audience was swaying to the pan music but these sways were soon turned up several notches. Gyration dominated the floor as the sounds of drums, flutes, tassas, triangles and the instruments of the masquerade band invaded the stage.
This unique sound out of Guyana, a mixture of Indian, Afro and contemporary instruments in rhythms of a spiral of notes from high to low drew the attention of all in attendance; the audience could not get enough. Later on in the evening the band was accompanied by the mad bull, Boom Boom Sally and the flouncer.
Dance
Cultural collage turned to ethic and religious expressions as women attired in bright saris of red, gold and bright colours danced on stage – circling Lord Shiva in homage to the Hindu ritualistic dance of Shiva tandava.
The dance tells a story of the God Shiva’s power and beauty and his captivating essence in the Hindu faith. Shiva’s Tandava is described as a vigorous dance that is the source of the cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution. While traditional Tandava depicts his violent nature, first as the creator and later as the destroyer of the universe, even of death itself; this dance performed by Guyana depicted him as enjoying.
This dance led into another fascinating one, ‘The Forest Beckons’ which was choreographed by Vivienne Daniels. The most interesting aspect would be of the Amerindian folk stories of the Massacuraman – an evil spirit which dwells in the waters of Guyana’s interior rivers that snatches and devours anyone that is too near, swims or paddles on the rivers.
Two dancers were paddling across the stage on their buttocks in graceful movements before a huge creature, Kijana Lewis in costume jumped on them with energy and ferocity as the Massacuraman in a thick brown bear-like shaggy coat of fur. He featured a huge head and giant ears which pierced long dirty, blonde hair covering a grotesque face with deep glaring eyes which mythically sucked the souls out of its prey.
The evil spirit claimed its victim – Dancer Mikel Andrews scrambled and scurried on stage, fighting with terror in his eyes but eventually accepted his fate. He was now dinner to an old Amerindian creature, folklore of the natives, rich in the culture of Guyana.
A soothing piece of dance, Mother Nature graced the stage with two young angelic women prancing and frolicking on their toes before the Massacuraman emerged on stage from out of nowhere, grabbed the women – never to be seen again.
Drama
In the stick fight – actors Keon Heywood and Nickose Layne battled as King of their masquerade bands, the winner to rule over Georgetown. Stick fights are inspired by African traditions of men asserting rule through fight and dance; this was brought to the Carib-bean and incorporated into the spirit of Carnival. The two battled in creole and rhymes before Layne was stroked to death, segueing into a funeral procession.
Chutney, Indian dances, Queh Queh, Pan Music and Masquerades concluded the Guyana show, but prematurely as rain fell on the open stage of the Greek-styled amphitheatre.
The Grand Cultural Market
Across the city there was the opening of the Grand Cultural Market. The Grand Market is described as a giant space for exhibitions from a variety of artistic categories as well as a centre of activities for the youth. This will take place in Champs de Mars throughout the festival.
CARICOM Secretary-General Irwin LaRocque toured the exhibition booths at the CARIFESTA XII Grand Market along with Haitian President Michel Martelly right after the Opening Ceremony and concert.
Seen as the flagship of activities at CARIFESTA, the Grand Market serves as an exhibition of food, skills and arts. Guyana has several booths at the Market which include fashion, culinary arts, arts and craft, literary arts, indigenous crafts and tourism magazines and brochures.
The Grand Market also hosts booths from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United States of America, Canada and Mexico.
A highlight of the opening of the market was a performance by the Supernovas Steel Band from Trinidad and Tobago.
