Happy Phagwah!
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Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc.Newsletter Mar 15, 2012 Volume 2 Issue 3 TM TM HAPPY MAY PHAGWAH! YOUR LIFE BE AS COLORFUL AS HOLI COLORS! WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH Celebrating Guyanese Women Who Inspire Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. Newsletter Letter from the Editor IN THIS ISSUE WOMEN’S HISTORY PAGE 3: Happy Phagwah PAGE 7: Frank Thomasson passes MONTH PAGE 10: Looking for a Wife As this edition of our newsletter PAGE 12: Memories of a Costume Desgner developed, the media team was PAGE 14: Making of a Bucktop reminded of a subtext to its main PAGE 15: Beware the Ides of March PAGE 16: Bernadette Persaud theme, Celebrating Women. It PAGE 18: Guyana All Girls Steelband is only possible, within the limits PAGE 20-First Female Black Fighter Pilot of this newsletter, to highlight PAGE 22: Hugh Sam PAGE 23: Reaching for the Prize portions of the theme. However, PAGE 24: Fish in Abundance as you read this March issue, do PAGE 26: Back Step Talk remember woman as mother, PAGE 28: Midwives woman as the channel of new March Editor - Juliet Emanuel life. In this season of Lent we try Copy Editors- to examine our lives as we move Edgar Henry & Lear Matthews towards the Crucifixion and Layout and Design by death and the reason for its Ashton Franklin & Claire A. Goring occurrence: life. The festival Contributors: of Phagwah heralds life Peter Halder, Lear Matthews, triumphing over the threat Juliet Emanuel, Claire A. Goring Tangerine Clarke, Edgar Henry of destruction. Vibert Cambridge, Cyril Dabydeen, This issue celebrates woman Rose Braithwaite, Pritha Singh, Yvonne McCallum-Peters within the context of Carl E. Hazlewood intertwining of the CELEBRATING Muriel Glasgow, beginning and the end Photographs and all the glorious Guyanese Tangerine Clarke, madness in between. Bryanmaxx.com Romesh Singh, Pritha Singh Our theme: Women. Women Immigrant News Queens, Our subtext: Life. latestsms.com, crazyfrankenstein.com Welcome to our Who Francis Quamina Farrier Carl E. Hazlewood Emirates 24/7 March, 2012 Inspire Art - “Neighba, Len’ me Yuh Mata” issue Claire Goring Juliet Emanuel GCA Media Team Ave Brewster-Haynes (Chairperson), Juliet Emanuel, Edgar Henry Tangerine Clarke, Lear Matthews, Claire A. Goring, Muriel Glasgow, Ashton Franklin, Margaret Lawrence, Francis Quamina Farrier Please join our Facebook group, Website: www.guyfolkfest.org GCA Secretariat 1368 E.89 Street, Suite 2 Brooklyn, NY 11236 Tel: 718 209 5207 Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. Newsletter A RELIGIOUS-CULTURAL FESTIVAL THAT HAS CROSSED ETHNIC BOUNDARIES 3 hagwah arrives with the promise of new life - Spring is the season of rejuvenation and rebirth. The earth discards its winter gloom Pand begins to blossom again. As if to mark this change, Holi flings color into the landscape and invites the celebration of life. It is a time to remember the brightness and splendor of living, a time to spread joy, color and love into the life of our community. Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. Newsletter CLAIMING AND CELEBRATING OUR MULTIPLE HERITAGES 4 HAPPY PHAGWAH! APPRECIATING AND UNDERSTANDING THE DEEPER MEANINGS BEHIND THE SYMBOLISMS OF OUR HOLI-DAYS! NAMASTE! Vibert Cambridge, Ph.D., uyana is blessed with a range of holi- adopted as the Prayer for Guyana’s Parlia- President, days that encourage deep reflection ment: Guyana Cultural Association Gand promote community together- Where the mind is without fear and the of New York, Inc. ness. This month, we celebrate head is held high; Phagwah/Holi. As a people, we all can claim Where knowledge is free; India as a root culture and confidently enjoy the fullness of that heritage. An important Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic wars; step in claiming and celebrating our multi- ple heritages is appreciating and understand- Where words come out ing the deeper meanings behind the symbol- from the depth of truth; isms of our holi-days! Where tireless striving stretches Phagwah or Holi is a multi-dimensional festi- its arms towards perfection; val expressed in color, sweet smells, song, Where the clear stream of reason has not “sweet” meats, and community jollification. lost its way into the dreary desert sand In its original context, it signified faith, good of dead habit; over evil, justice over the autocrat, and the sprouting of new life—Spring. Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action - Guyanese poet Milton Williams considered Into that heaven of freedom, this “abeer drenched day” as a day when the voices of love come in song that my Father, let my country awake. … ‘felled star apples and sapodillas from So with Abeer, Abrak, sweet their trees” smelling liquids, and delicious The very voice that “ripened the cherries foods, The Guyana Cultural Asso- and gooseberries all around” … ciation of New York, wishes you The day, when he gave back and placed his love on a pedestal “under the cherry tree” a very Happy Phagwah. On the crest of that tree “a red breast (a Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti! Fire-Red) was warbling her song!” It was a sacred sight… He dared not utter a word… for suddenly; it came upon him “like the ruffling of the trees … the very mean- ing of “Phagwah.” Phagwah is a day of love, a day of recognizing and celebrating nature’s potential, and reminding us of our responsibilities for nour- ishing spring’s tender shoots so that they can bloom and blossom and bring forth lus- Milton Williams. “Oh! Prahalad Dedicated Day,” A.J. Sey- mour. Ed. A Treasury of Guyanese Poetry. Georgetown, cious and filling fruit. Guyana: GTM, 1980: 184. Phagwah gives us another moment to col- From Rabindranath Tagore, Gitanjali first published in lectively visualize the tomorrow that Tagore 1910. This extract from Gitanjali is also the Prayer for the Guyana Parliament. prayed for in Gitanjali and which has been Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. Newsletter 2012 PHAGWAH CELEBRATIONS IN NEW YORK After Holika Dahan, the lighting of the bonfire, the following day 5 Dhuleti is celebrated. It is the day that the play of colors takes place. People take extreme delight in spraying abeer, singing and dancing to the beat of dholak. Amidst all this activity people relish traditional Holi delicacies with great joy. After an eventful and funfilled day, people in the evening greet friends and relatives by visiting them and exchanging sweets. This helps in revitalising rela- tionships and strengthening emotional bonds between people. Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc. Newsletter A CELEBRATION OF LIFE 6 THE GODFREY CHIN PRIZE FOR HERITAGE JOURNALISM LAUNCHED Tangerine Clarke unday, Feb. 26 was a pleasant “our The message which was read by Family and friends day befitting the convivial Guyanese family.” immediate Past President, Mal- join GCA members Sspirit and extraordinary person Making mention of Chin’s hugely colm Hall, called Chin a hero. “His at a Memorial Godfrey Winfield Chin was. His popular book, “Nostalgias – Gold- love for Guyana was complete Service for exceptional body of work that en Memories of Guyana,” and his and his life has been a story of Guyanese cultural will forever be etched in Guyana’s video presentations, the Ambas- constantly adding to the great icon and GCA landscape was celebrated in the sador said “Propagating our cul- Guyanese story” wrote Cam- Boardmember, worship hall of Our Lady of Victo- tural heritage was a responsibili- bridge. ry in Brooklyn, where a journalism Godfrey Winfield ty which he undertook voluntari- The memorial service was filled prize in his name was also Chin. ly, and one which he executed with love and emotion for Chin, launched. with singular purpose and who was admired for the elegant Ambassador “A person is not honored for enduring determination.” and stylish way he did everything, Bayney Karran what he has received. An honor is from his love of dancing and greets family and “He was a living tribute to our a reward for what that person bygone days and was adept at cooking to his love for his ‘dear pays tribute . has given” were the sentiments rekindling in us an irresistible land.’ expressed by Guyana’s Ambas- longing for times when things A procession by GCA board mem- sador Bayney Karran, who added seemed purer, simpler and more bers opened the requiem which that it was a fitting tribute that the enjoyable,” added Ambassador Kar- included bible readings by his Guyana Cultural Association of ran. sons, Gary Chin and Margaret New York, (organizers of the annu- “Where we are today is testimony Lawrence and a eulogy by his son al Guyana Folk Festival) celebrated Richard Chin. the life of Chin during the Mashra- to your unselfish contributions” mani season to which he gave wrote President of GCA, Dr. Vibert Reverend Msgr. Paul W. Jervis, much. Cambridge, who complimented delivered the homily during the Chin for helping to shape the service attended by Mrs. Shirley Ambassador Karran thanked the organization’s vision and style. Chin and other family members former costume designer, found- “We will remember you capturing and mourners who celebrated ing member of GCA, journalist, with Guyanese patriotic songs and author for the passionate way the essence and framing GCA’s mission to Preserve, Promote and tributes that recalled Godfrey in which he nurtured his cultural Chin’s endearing name ‘cook- roots, and the dedication he exhib- and Propagate all of Guyana’s heritage with pizazz,” added Cam- shop fly’ and his favorite line “Ya ited in cultivating the seeds of that think it easy.” culture within the branches of bridge. Guyana Cultural Association of New York Inc.