With a grant from the Guyana Fund for Cultural and Creative Industries (GFCCI), local musician Gavin Mendonca plans to release a series of folk albums, which he hopes will contribute to the preservation of Guyanese culture and heritage.
In an interview with Sunday Stabroek, Mendonca expressed his elation at being one of the beneficiaries of the GFCCI grant and said he is happy that government has placed a bit of focus on the creative industry.
“Any attention given to the creative industry is greatly appreciated. More should be given. Guyana is so rich with culture that it is one of our most valuable resources, which is also severely overlooked. Many of these creative projects being completed through this grant can make a huge impact on society, but will still be hindered by the lack of modern copyright laws in the country – this should be dealt with ASAP. The government/leaders should come to a point where they understand the importance of intellectual property rights and how it could either hold back, or launch our creative industry into cultural significance,” he added.
A total of $20 million has been allocated under the GFCCI for the projects to be undertaken by the inaugural beneficiaries. Mendonca and 15 others were selected to benefit from the grant after they submitted proposals to the Department of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport.
Mendonca, 27, plans to release five Guyanese folk albums over the course of the next three years. The first album, which is in collaboration with Marlon ‘Chucky’ Adams of the Buxton Fusion Drumming Group, is named “Gavin and Chucky: Folk it up Vol 1” and will be released on August 31st at the Annual Guyana Folk Festival in New York.
To promote the album and inject folk music back into the local awareness, Mendonca has been performing his songs at many public places. “It’s all part of the ‘Folk it up’ tour,” he said.
According to Mendonca, after discovering his passion for Rock music, he decided to fuse it with his love for Guyanese culture and created a new sub-genre that he calls “Creole Rock.” Through his new creation and album, he says, he hopes to “contribute to the preservation of the Guyanese culture and heritage.”
Mendonca, who has performed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Trinidad, Suriname, Colombia and Dominican Republic, has been using his success to bring both Rock music and Guyanese music to a wider audience across the country through a radio show, Radio Rock ‘n’ Roll, while also advocating for more local content to be played on Guyanese Radio.
Mendonca released his first solo album, titled ‘CREOLE ROCK: THE BEGINNING,’ in April, 2016. Last year, he released his first short film, ‘How to Build a Tree House,’ which incorporated the use of Patamona language and folklore. (Laurel Sutherland)
