Dear Editor,
I write with a sense of duty to the preservation of our cultural integrity. For this reason, I wonder if my beloved calypsonian, Lady Guymine, and the esteemed playwright, Ron Robinson, would have undertaken the Herculean task of distilling the essence of the recent US Treasury OFAC sanctions into their artistic oeuvres. I miss their efforts to enlighten us on all things taboo, especially now with the plight of two wealthy businessmen and a public servant that happens to be a fervent PPP loyalist.
Lady Guymine’s lyrical prowess has always had a knack for transforming the mundane into the
majestic. I can hear her latest work, “The Ballad of the Sanctioned Elite,” would be no exception. With a chorus that croons, “From riches to rags in the blink of an eye, the OFAC fairy waved goodbye,” she would have captured the tragic beauty of our oligarchic demigods’ downfall. The verses, dripping with irony, narrate how these once untouchable titans now face the harsh reality of life without their US bank accounts and luxury yacht getaways. Truly, it would have been a masterclass in turning sorrow into song.
Meanwhile, Ron Robinson’s new installment for “No Big Thing,” would have offered a theatrical tour de force that captures the zeitgeist of a nation grappling with the unthinkable: accountability. His protagonist, a loyal PPP public servant, becomes an almost Shakespearean figure, embodying the virtues of unwavering allegiance and the vices of, well, let’s just call it “entrepreneurial creativity.” The dialogue, sharp and satirical, explores how one woman’s dedication to public service is now scrutinized under the glaring spotlight of international scrutiny.
In one particularly poignant scene, our public servant hero delivers a soliloquy that could rival Hamlet’s: “To serve or to splurge, that is the question. Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous sanctions, or to take arms against a sea of subpoenas, and by opposing end them.” It would be a moment that leaves the audience questioning the very fabric of our societal norms and the fine line between public service and self-service.
For me, both Lady Guymine and Mr. Robinson deserve our highest accolades for their past contributions to the cultural discourse. Their works remind me that even in the face of international disgrace, the spirit of the Guyanese people remains unbroken. They would have turned our collective misfortune into a melodious and theatrical triumph, proving that no matter how grim the headlines, there’s always room for a good laugh and a catchy tune.
So, let us pause and celebrate these artistic trailblazers. Let us reminisce that their songs and plays serve as a testament to our resilience and our uncanny ability to find humour in the most peculiar places. And who knows? Perhaps one day, our sanctioned elite will find redemption not in foreign banks, but in the heartfelt applause of a nation that never fails to appreciate a good performance.
Yours faithfully,
Keith Bernard
