GUYANESE folk/rock musician, Gavin Mendonca, is dedicated to chasing after his dreams, while contributing to the preservation of the country’s folk songs and culture, and building cultural bridges around the world.

Gavin is most known for being one half of the popular folk duo – Gavin & Chucky – who have been on a mission to ‘Folk Up De Place’ since meeting for the first time at the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival back in 2015.

He is the bassist for local heavy metal band, Feed The Flames, the guitarist for NYC-based rock band, Mindfield Playground, and one of the directors of the Rupununi Music and Arts Festival which is scheduled to be held again in February 2023.

Gavin is representing Guyana for the first time at an Ethno World event in its 20 plus years of existence.

Ethno World produces super camps for musicians in over 40 countries.

Gavin was supposed to go to the inaugural edition of Ethno USA in 2021, but was selected to be part of the cultural contingent that represented Guyana at the Dubai Expo.

Ethno USA 2022 features musicians from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chad, Chile, Denmark, Estonia, Guyana, India, Italy/Netherlands, Jordan, Poland/Uruguay, Portugal, Sweden, the Hopi Nation and the USA. The event which is being held in the mountains of Western North Carolina began on October 11 and will conclude on October 23.

Each musician teaches the group a song from their country and they all learn them as a world music orchestra.

Gavin has taught the group the popular Guyanese folk song, Small Days. He and his fellow musicians have been living together since October 11 at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in North Carolina.

Every day they rehearse the songs being taught. They have since performed at the Black Mountain Folk Festival and will be heading to LEAF Festival this weekend.

“The entire experience has been transformational and transcendental; to be able to live and work and play music with so many people from different parts of the world…They grow not only as a musician but as human beings in the spirit of community, all made possible through music. Music really is the key to bringing people together and a powerful tool that can change the world,” Gavin expressed during an interview with the Buzz.

It is his intention to one day coordinate and host Ethno Guyana and Ethno Caribbean with each year’s event being held on a different Island.

Meanwhile, Gavin & Chucky will be releasing a new album – Folk It Up Vol. 2 – this December and will feature more iconic folk songs and even a few original songs, produced by Burchmore Simon / Kross Kolor Records.

Gavin is grateful to all of his friends, family and sponsors who have helped him to embark on these “transformational” journeys.