GUYANA’S Golden Jubilee Celebration is more than just a commemoration of Independence; it’s also a stepping stone into the future for the country and its people as we focus on strengthening our cultural identity. 

So says Leon Saul, well-known Guyanese playwright and cultural enthusiast who himself has much in store for the calendar of events.
First up is his annual musical event, Reggae Fest: Celebrating Bob Marley’s Birth Anniversary. This year, however, the event, which will be held at the Pegasus Hotel on Sunday, will also focus on “50 years of Guyanese Music”.
Then from May 20 – 22, Saul will stage the “Legend of Victoria Village” at the National Cultural Centre.
Apart from his planned activities, Saul, a former journalist, is eager to remind Guyanese of the cultural importance of this year as well.
“Culture,” he saiys, “is the most important aspect of our development that we should focus on, simply because of the fact that we are a variety of ethnicities. Culture is our only unifying platform. Through a Guyanese culture we can eventually appreciate the fact of 50 years of independence.”
He believes that we are not paying enough attention to emerging Guyanese culture, because the necessary infrastructure is not in place. Should Guyanese culture truly be nurtured, this would give birth to a Guyanese Culture Industry, which would further provide youth who are not interested in traditional ways of earning money to embrace varying professions that would allow them to earn from their talents.
On that note, he added that there are not enough cultural opportunities available to help youth to hone their craft. “We have a lot of young talent, but no follow-up,” he said.
“We feel our national patrimony revolves around agriculture, gold, bauxite and those things, and we forget a main aspect, which is our human resource.”
It is in this regard that Saul has much hope for Guyana’s Golden Jubilee Celebration, as he feels that it augurs well for the cultural heritage of the country. “I hope to see the emergence of a more defined Guyanese personality; the emergence of a framework for cultural economic undertakings, and the emergence of an environment for practical and realistic approaches to national unity,” he said.
Though admittedly an ambitious dream, he is certain that this is the time for Guyana to achieve such things. “After all this time — 50 years of birthing pains — we have reached so far, so the next 50 years is growth and development. We have a chance to leap into the future; this year is the launching pad for Guyana to circumvent a lot of trials and tribulations, and do a transcendental leap into the future, based on our relationships with each other,” he said.
Saul believes that one of our main problems is our relationships with each other, as such, this is a crucial time during which we should focus on cultural cohesion by using the ability of culture to unite rather than divide people.
“So, more focus should be placed on cultural products of substance, especially in this year of Golden Jubilee. We have been playing too fast and loose with our culture and our legacy and our cultural education.”
As Saul proceeds to host his events, he states that he has made proposals to the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education and other key decision making bodies to request support. Though he is yet to receive a response, ultimately, his hope is to see his events receive support from these bodies so as to make them “bigger, better and more official” productions.
He mentioned that his play, Legend of Victoria Village is actually based on President David Granger’s historical writings of the Village Movement and Victoria Village.
As for Reggae Fest, though not on the official calendar, Saul views it as the first “Golden Jubilee” music event of the year, and is proud to be hosting it.