Guyanese Creole Rock singer Gavin Mendonca did not disappoint when he seized the opportunity to teach a group of North Carolina children the popular folk song “Small Days” at the Ethno USA festival. With vigour and rhythm, led by Gavin, who has been on a mission to share Guyanese folk music and culture with the world, the children delivered an astounding performance during the LEAF Festival in North Carolina.
Gavin said he was thrilled at the opportunity to not only teach children the song, which tells the story of a Guyanese childhood journey, but to represent and showcase the culture of the country. In the midst of it all, he was also able to share his take on folk songs with peers from different countries and participate in several musical workshops.
“The past two weeks have been absolutely amazing and transformational for me. I had the opportunity to live and make music with musicians from 10 different countries,” he said.
The singer who has been on a mission to “folk up de place”, said he was proud of having this avenue to represent Guyana and he will continue preserving the folk songs of our country, which is rich in culture and history.
The Ethno Festival is a global platform where musicians engage in peer-to-peer teachings of music of their country and culture. Ethno USA 2022 featured musicians from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chad, Chile, Denmark, Estonia, Guyana, India, Italy/the Netherlands, Jordan, Poland/ Uruguay, Portugal, Sweden, the Hopi Nation and the USA. The event was held in the mountains of Western North Carolina from October 11 and to October 23.
At the end of the peer-to-peer teachings and workshops participants presented a grand cultural show to the audience at the Leaf Festival.
Each Ethno music camp combines workshops, jam sessions, rehearsals and performances that enable participants to develop both personal and professional skills. Through Ethno, musicians gain a greater understanding of each other’s cultures. At Ethno, music is a powerful tool that fosters inclusion, understanding and acceptance.
According to the Ethno’s USA website, the festival is a JM International’s programme for folk, world and traditional music. JM was founded in Brussels, Belgium in 1945 by a group of compassionate musicians and organisers who saw music as a means of bringing young people together to overcome the divide created by the second world war.
The festival, founded in 1990, targets young musicians (up to the age of 30) with a mission to revive and keep alive global cultural heritage.
Present today in over 40 countries and on all six continents, Ethno engages young people through a series of annual international music camps as well as workshops, concerts and tours, working together with schools, conservatories and other groups of youth to promote peace, tolerance and understanding, the website stated. It added that at the core of Ethno is its democratic, peer-to-peer learning approach whereby young people teach each other the music from their countries and cultures. It is a non-formal pedagogy that has been refined over the past 32 years, embracing the principles of intercultural dialogue and understanding.
“Ethno provides a unique opportunity for young people from across the globe to come together and engage through music in a manner that is characterised by respect, generosity and openness,” the website said.
The goal of Ethno is to inspire musicians through these interactions to deepen their musical interests and to build a global network that supports their careers.
