Dear Editor,
It is good to see that someone else remembers one of our old songs that seems to have faded quietly away. The treasure of our country lies not only in the tangibles like our vast pristine forests, fertile soil, gold and oil, but very importantly in the rich culture – in the songs, stories and dances that were sung and told and danced, weaving a beautiful picture of this land and its people. Sadly, quite a few of these cultural treasures – and I’ll focus here on our songs – appear to be forgotten. I was therefore pleasantly surprised to see the song “Demera-ra-ra Oh Demera-ra-ra” mentioned in Mr. Green ‘s letter of July 27 .
I wonder how many people here now have heard about that song and actually heard it sung? There are many more like that, to name a few: Berbice Gal, Sun-ah-go down, Way down Demerara, Jane and Louisa. Now about the words that were quoted. If my memory serves me correctly, the words sung were “when you see Demerara with she ‘royal blue’ and gold”; however, I could be wrong. I write solely because I remember this and other little-known folk songs that are seldom, if ever heard. In an effort to preserve this essential part of our culture, recordings should be made and played so that these treasures may not be lost.
Sincerely,
Joan Collins