IN pre-independence times, the term “Culture” was used mainly to describe good manners and good breeding. After independence, the term “Culture” came to connote Guyanese culture which included Literature, the Performing Arts and Painting and Sculpture.

Culture became an important facet of National Policy and Ministries of Culture were established throughout the newly independent Caribbean countries. This new consciousness of national cultures culminated in Guyana pioneering a biennial Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) to be held on a rotational basis in various Caribbean countries.

Music has always been an important part of culture and was so recognised in all the ancient civilisations. In Indian civilisation, there was a special manifestation of God as Music and Culture, the Deota Saraswati. And in Greeko-Roman civilization, one of the Muses represented music. In the first wave of nationalism after independence, there was a great stress on Folk Music as being the authentic form of Guyanese music. The main casualty of this nationalistic wave was our western, and particularly British musical tradition.

In the education system, teaching of music, and particularly formal western music came to be neglected. The Royal College of Music examinations almost fell into desuetude and since the demand for musical instruments fell away, the commercial houses ceased to import violins, pianos and other instruments. Even the militia and police bands which once gave regular and well-attended public concerts ceased to offer public performances. The repertoire of these bands consisted mainly of marches, waltzes, polkas and popular opera and ballet music, together with some local and Caribbean music. And the same trend occurred in serious Indian music, the other written musical tradition in Guyana. African drums however remained irrepressible and there was even some fusion between the Indian tassa drum and other drums with African .

The popular musical culture of Guyana is now rather chaotic and mainly consists of Jamaican and Trinidadian reggae, mentos, calypsos and soca with little of the Guyanese equivalent. There is also the Indian equivalent variety coming out of Trinidad with singers like Sundar Popo. Chutney, like reggae, has earned some international recognition. Overarching it all, however, is American popular music.

There is accordingly great need for leaders of culture and educationists to give their urgent attention to the musical culture of Guyana and to try and resuscitate the creativity which Guyanese culture enjoyed. At the moment, there is no composer of the calibre of the Pilgrim brothers or song writers like Valerie Rodway or performers like Lynette Dolphin, Rosemary Ramdeholl, Lynette Katchay and others. And in the mandirs, there are no singers and musicians of the calibre of Pandit Gangaram and Mohan Nandu. Equally, there are few outstanding choirs in the Christian churches and church music of the quality of Bach and Mozart is rarely ever heard.

This situation could be bettered and a richer musical culture could be resuscitated and further evolved. In the first place, at both the educational and Ministry of Culture levels, it should be grasped that on coastal Guyana where most of the population live, there are three musical traditions — the African, the Indian and the western tradition. Within the colonial practice, and as a continuum of it after independence, no attempt was made to permit these traditions to enrich each other or to give validity to any other than the Western tradition. This attitude springs from the colonial assumption that the Culture of Guyana was a monolithic western one. Today, there is the intellectual, though not fully the emotional acceptance that Guyanese culture is plural. Accordingly, National Cultural Policy should give equal recognition to all three musical traditions and allocate funds and efforts for their development.

With this intellectual framework of cultural pluralism, music education at the Primary and Secondary school levels should involve all three traditions. In evolving their syllabuses and practice, Guyanese musical educationists will have to be particularly creative. Children and young persons are aware of percussion instruments through the steel bands. But they need to be introduced to other instruments such as the violin, piano, flute and the large variety of wind and string instruments and should be taught the western musical notation. The Royal College of Music Examinations should again be introduced on a wider scale.

The classical aspects of these musical traditions should be introduced, since it is only popular music with which young persons are acquainted. Indian Ragas, sonatas,concertos, symphonies and opera and ballet could now more easily be introduced and taught with the help of the computer and other electronic possibilities. Concerts of more serious music should be organised by the Ministry of Culture. Such concerts would be by local artistes and visiting international performers and may have to be subsidised. For several decades, no international artistes have included Guyana in their tour itineraries of South America. The High Commissions and embassies may be able to help in having Guyana again be placed in the itinerary of the great international artistes. The Guyana musical tradition could have its Renaissance.