THE Guyanese contingent of 100-strong is currently working on refining its group performance to wow the crowd at the ‘Guyana Night’ showcase which will be held on August 18, as part of CARIFESTA XIV.

The 14th edition of the biennial Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) will be held in Trinidad and Tobago this year. There, Caribbean countries will congregate in the Twin Island Republic to showcase their diverse cultures.

As part of CARIFESTA, each country is tasked with hosting a country night to showcase its culture. ‘Guyana Night’ will be aiming to show all of the festivals found throughout the year in Guyana, but in just one night.

The performance is set in the Stabroek Market Square and is described by the Director of Culture, Tamika Boatswain, as simply a “mixture”.

“I think it will blow people away, especially Guyanese living in Trinidad, because it is a good way of bringing Guyana back to them and evoking some memories,” Boatswain said.
The Guyanese performers are integrating various genres into one cohesive performance, and as such, the director noted that she expects a great deal of positive feedback.

Member of the National Drama Company, Keon Heywood, is the orator that ties the entire production together in that cohesive manner. He noted that all of the performers worked hard on this production so far, combining the genres of drama, poetry, dance and music.

For him, CARIFESTA is not only an opportunity for local creatives to showcase the best of the rich Guyanese culture but, it is also a time to learn other techniques and styles from the country’s fellow Caribbean brothers and sisters.

“This is a great opportunity to make everybody blend, not only to make it a cohesive performance, but to have people respect one another as performers and entertainers,” the Guyana Night Creative Director, Esther Hamer said.

While the Monday night showing was only another rehearsal for the local performers, Hamer noted that they will be “sharpening” the performance over a few more rehearsals.
CARIFESTA XIV gets underway on August 16 and will conclude on August 25.