IT IS safe to say that in this year of our Golden Jubilee, there has been a renewed vitality in the arts industry as local artists strive to contribute to the legacy that will no doubt be created for decades to come.

Not that the industry itself was quiet, but this year, more young artists have taken up the mantle to use their creative talents, as a result of the overflowing sense of national pride brought about by Guyana’s 50^th Anniversary.

With this aim as the pinnacle of their thoughts, out of the minds of some enthused young artists has sprung the idea of the Golden Children Project, a musical dedication of songs compiled by various local artistes aimed at giving the world a taste of the Guyanese sound.

Producer of the project, Jonathan Beepat of Wildfire Entertainment told The Buzz that the concept for the Golden Children Project started last year while in discussion with local rapper, Dominic Rémar Weeks, whom Jonathan manages.

HINT OF HOPE

At a time when the country had just experienced political change, and its atmosphere had changed significantly to be accentuated with a hint of hope, Johnathan said that he charged Rémar to come up with a song that would reflect that feeling. Within a matter of two days, Rémar returned with a completed song titled, ‘Golden Children’, with space for participation from multiple artistes.

Following that song, the idea for an entire album took form, intended on showcasing Guyana’s multicultural diversity. “The album won’t have just Soca and Dancehall music,” Jonathan said. “We are trying to stretch into contemporary genres with more modern and mainstream music that we can market to the world.”

But the aim for the album doesn’t stop there. Jonathan revealed that the Golden Children Project is set to be a model for local artistes to create a sustainable means of earning from their music through a massive promotion campaign.

“We wanted to have these songs create value; so we want to market this album as though it is a concert,” he said.

“We’ll create music videos; have ads for radio and TV; and create awareness of what we’re doing, so that people will really want to buy this album.”

WHAT THE ARTISTES SAY

Speaking with two of the artistes who are on the album, it doesn’t take much to see that these young men are equally enthused and serious about both the project and the contribution they are making to their country.

“We (Jonathan and I) were driving around on the day of the general elections, looking at the responses of people,” Rémar said, reflecting on the day that inspiration came for the featured song on the album.

“You could feel a renewed sense of togetherness. People were committed to maintaining peace, and we all felt optimistic about what the future holds,” he said, adding:

“A lot is made of racial tension during elections, so to see happiness of the people, it was refreshing. So that’s where the lyrics, ‘this is our moment to shine’, came from.”

The young rapper said that so far, the response of those who have heard the song has been overwhelming. “A lot of people are saying it gives them goosebumps; and that it’s like our version of ‘We Are the World’. The response has been nothing but positive; and that’s good to hear,” he said.

In addition to his work on Golden Children, Rémar also has his single, ‘Where I’m from’, on the album, in which he repeatedly “salutes the 592”.

Apart from his spirited praise of all things Guyanese in his lyrics, the song also features the rousing words from the speeches of both the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan and Linden Forbes Burnham:

“I feel confident that you must realise that you have a motherland of which you can be proud  and which at all times offers you a hospitable and receptive embrace” Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham

“… peace and harmony, especially in our country a land of six people and all the people must have an equal opportunity to grow up and have all the things in life that they want to live a rich life, not just material things” Dr Cheddi Jagan

Rémar said that the idea to use these words were his way of giving a wow factor to his song, because there was nothing better than adding the wise words of two of our Founding Fathers to instill inspiration to his listeners.

“I wanted to talk about how I love my country, but there are other times when I feel frustrated,” Remar said. “But at the end of the day, this is my country; like every relationship, it’s not perfect.”

On the other end of the spectrum is Hubert Norville, whose charming raspy vocals have begun to attract much attention while operating under the alias, ‘Juke Ross’.

The 21-year-old musician’s contribution to the Golden Children Project came in the form of three tracks, including two covers of ‘Not a blade of grass’, Dave Martins’ classic tune, which, of late, has become like an anthem among all this patriotic expression.

SOULFUL DELIVERY

One version is a soulful delivery, which Juke Ross says is aimed at invoking peaceful reflection, much like Martins’ intention, while the other is a bit more upbeat and contemporary, which will appeal more to the younger generation.

His third song is an original piece simply titled, ‘Home’, which, like the other artistes’ work, delves into the personal connection he shares with his country. When asked how he feels about being part of such an occasion, his simple response was that he was “anxious”.

“It presents me with the opportunity to speak to my country to evoke feelings that are already in the air,” he said. “I take my role seriously as a musician, and I use it to help in whatever way I can to remind people of what the country means to me, and what it could mean to them. So, I am anxious to see the outcome; to see how the public takes the hard work that we have put into this album, and to see the results of people enjoying the music.”

The Golden Children album features songs from artistes such as: Rémar, Poonam Singh, Juke Ross, Robert ‘Dublin’ Hiscock, Rose Trim (previously known as Shelly ‘G’), Rebecca Xavier and more, and will feature original pieces as well as covers of well-known Guyanese and other songs.

The album will be launched on May 6 at the Palm Court, and the artistes will attend a signing session at the Giftland Mall the following day.