In a special world music feature, the Rupununi Music & Arts Festival two weeks ago on August 15 saw musicians from Senegal, Belize, Haiti, France, Chile, Ukraine, the UK, India, the US, and Suriname perform in a virtual concert.
The festival, which attracts performers and patrons from all over the country and the world at large, was cancelled last year as a result of the pandemic. In the light of the ongoing situation, the coordinators decided to host virtual concerts of live and replayed performances in December last year and has continued this every two months since then.
UK/Barbados resident Dr Bob Ramdhanie, who co-founded the festival, pointed out that the reason for the virtual event is really to keep the festival alive until everyone can meet and intermingle again. The festival usually runs for a three-day weekend where performers camp out at the site under the stars, participate in yoga classes, share their cultures and then go on to share their traditional, folk and contemporary music from their respective countries onstage. The event also plays an integral part in tourism as many of the tourists who visit usually include it in their agenda of activities.
In an interview, Bob spoke about meeting UK-based Guyanese musician Keith Waithe in 2012 which led to the founding of the music and arts festival. By that time, Bob had retired after spending 40-plus years in the arts in the UK. Keith, he said, introduced the idea of him visiting Guyana and coordinating a music festival. He also met with UK-born Colin Edwards, co-founder of the festival.
The Rupununi Music & Arts Festival saw its inaugural show on Valentine night, 2014. With Rupununi known for being picturesque and a treat for nature lovers, it was planned that the event would also include camping. “It is not as some people would have initially thought, an only Guyanese festival, because it is not sustainable; you will run out of artistes every year. It was always planned to be an international festival with a social conscience. Part of our development is to work with and support local artistes in Guyana, specifically arts and crafts workers and the artistes in Region Nine,” Bob said.
He is currently in Guyana making plans to have a permanent site that can be a creative learning centre in arts and crafts, technology, graphic design, and producing and developing work that creates employment for young people. The centre will also provide an avenue for entrepreneurs to have their products sold around Guyana and internationally.
The new construction will include eco-camping accommodations, the main performance stage shaped like a benab, a central dome enhanced by the locally grown plants and sculpted totem poles where patrons can sit while viewing onstage performances, a sculpted arts park where sculptors will use recycled materials for work and will train aspiring artists, an eco-designed musical children play area, and a space where the local traditional arts and crafts can be sold.
“The government has been a key supporter of the festival since [its] inception, and this new, exciting vision will require support from the government, the private sector and others to underpin its future trajectory. Discussions with both sectors have been very positive and both the current government and the previous administration, publicly expressed their support for the growth of the festival and for its stability as an annual event in Region Nine. The festival team has discussed a Memorandum of Understanding with various government colleagues in the past and expect to have an ongoing dialogue with the government,” a release said.
Banks DIH, Bob said, one of the festival’s sponsors, has indicated a desire to buy products from the Rupununi in bulk and market them locally and internationally, through a collaborative effort with the Rupununi Music & Arts Festival.
In October, there will be another virtual event, this time featuring local musicians, followed by a Christmas event slated for December.
The Rupununi Music & Art Festival is on Facebook and at www.rupununifestival.com.
