Legendary Guyanese calypsonian and cultural icon, Monica Cecilia Chopperfield, M.S., also called “Lady Guymine”, was on Friday given a hero’s farewell during a thanksgiving service at the National Cultural Centre in Georgetown.

Mourners and sympathizers at the National Cultural Centre for the thanksgiving service in honour of Lady Guymine.

The first segment of the programme, put together by the calypso fraternity, was followed by a religious service, conducted by the Reverend Daniel Fisher. At the conclusion, Lady Guymine’s remains were taken to Linden, her home town, for a final farewell and burial at Christianburg.

Among those joining the bereaved family members in celebrating her life of service to Guyana were Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds; Leader of the Main Opposition PNCR, Mr. Robert Corbin; Mayor of Georgetown, Mr. Hamilton Green; General Secretary of the PNCR, Mr. Oscar Clarke; Bishop Juan Edgill and Mr. Richard Van West Charles.

The near three-hour programme was described by Mayor Hamilton Green as the “consecration of a great lady”, featured glowing tributes during which Lady Guymine was remembered as an illustrious daughter of the soil, one whose confidence in herself was reflected in her lyrics. Mayor Green noted with conviction, “Monica was by any measure a role model.”

Mayor Green, who had a close association with Lady Guymine, remembered her as one who brought joy to others through her music and affable disposition. He noted that she has left an indelible mark in the cultural arena.

Mr. Robert Corbin, Leader of the PNCR the Party, in which Ms Chopperfield was a stalwart, lauded her significant contribution to Guyana in the field of culture, and the performing arts. Mr. Corbin recalled that not only did she distinguish herself in calypso, but in singing generally. “She was a great entertainer …and will continue to be an inspiration to others, that they should use their God-given talents to the fullest…”

And Emcee Hector Stoute opined that it would probably be an easy thing to inter the remains of Monica Chopperfield, but a tremendously difficult task to bury “Lady Guymine” who, through her music and inspiration, would have left a permanent mark on Guyanese culturally.

Meanwhile, she was, in the words of the Mighty Canary: “a great cultural icon; an ambassador who did everything with passion – one whose performance electrified audiences.” Mighty Canary noted, with sadness, “We have lost a champion; a terrific performer; a gifted artiste – an outstanding person.”

Having ventured out into the entertainment world as Baby Monica, in the early 1950s, she thrilled the hearts of many with her ballads, dancing and performing skits on stage, then later doing calypso. She later came to be called Lady Monica, and eventually Lady Guymine. Continuing to demonstrate her enormous talent through the years, she kept getting ‘better and better all the time’ Canary said, and by the early , shot her way to irreversible fame, making her name as Guyana’s one and only “Lady Guymine”.

Having won Guyana’s Calypso Monarchy with “Babylon”, one of her greatest hits was “A decade of Progress”. Lady Guymine continued to be better known for her ever-popular up-tempo soca “Grannie Fit”, with which she electrified audiences.

Born on July 31, 1932 Lady Guymine migrated to the United States of America in the 1990s, and after recently becoming a member of Brooklyn’s “God’s Battalion of Prayer Church”, returned to Guyana a few weeks ago. She died on May 28 last.