ART & CLASS @ RAJKUMARI 1995-2014
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE!
Christmas in Rosignol, Berbice, Guyana
Artwork and Story by Vidur
Christmas in Guyana, in my young days was the event of the year. In my village of Rosignol, every home was spik and span for Christmas. Everyone must look their best and every household must have Christmas cake and Ginger beer for anyone who called in. Shops and most homes were gaily decorated with buntings. Shops, a couple with their own electric lighting and others with gas lamps brightened the village.
Some big events at school were saved for Christmas. One year the prize giving for students of our local Hindi school was held on Christmas day. For me among the most enjoyable and satisfying were the Christmas Masquerade and Carol Singing. Christmas Masquerade. A group in fancy costumes entertain us with music and dancing along the village road from one end to the other and back. Some wore masks. They made a larger than life puppet of a lady - 'long lady', a horse or chicken, got inside it and danced to the lilting tunes of a flute player and his band playing whistle, bugle, trumpet saxophone, mandolin, guitar, kettle drum and big base drum.
The melody of the flute playing was intoxicating. You first hear the drums beating in the distance. You catch a glimpse of 'long lady' dancing and that was the promise of enjoyment to come. The troupe draws near and music beckons from whistle and flute. You cannot keep still wherever you are. Helplessly you head for the dancing troupe.
There are no steps to learn. Right steps come naturally. Letting yourself go, the music takes over. Whatever its name you are dancing to it. You move with the troupe, you and your friends. You dance and you jig, you sway and you shake, you catch your breath so when they come back you are ready to dance again and again.
Carol Singing practice at the Headmaster’s house at Sir James village was a special treat. We gathered there after school. The piano was beautiful, the keys were so nice to touch and the sound that came out was rich and heavenly. Amidst the singing, the appetising smell of food from the kitchen kept flowing over us. It was hard concentrating on the singing. Some days there would be the smell of baking pine tart, coconut buns, or cheese roll; on other days there would be frying, fish or plantain. Our teacher was kind though. We never left without a little taste of the goodies.
One Christmas morning our Headmaster got a few of us volunteers to do carol singing from house to house. We met up at four in the morning in the village Wesleyan Church. This church was also Little School during weekdays.
The Christmas message is precious, one of peace, love, goodwill, harmony and good cheer, most importantly one of hope for a better world. And I am thankful that there are lots of people whose life and deeds show us the way to that better world.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas & a Happy and Prosperous New Year
With best wishes and kind regards from Vidur and Family. December 2014
art & class @ rajkumari
lila linking identity to living arts kitchrie 17th annual festivals gols community arts circles |
the rajkumari cultural center 1995-2014 is a leading
non-profit, multi-arts organization revitalizing the cultural and artistic life
of Caribbean and South Asian immigrant communities through
grassroots and research-based arts-education programs, presentations and
festivals. RCC founded: Gora Singh
|
As 2014 comes to a close, please consider making a Tax Deductible Donation to RCC. Your donation is an additional deduction for you tax filing... here are a few more reasons why ...
|
|
The Rajkumari Cultural Center, Inc. 122-09 Liberty Ave, 2nd Fl, Richmond Hill, NY 11419
P: 347.484.5839 E: [email protected] W: rajkumari. weebly.com
P: 347.484.5839 E: [email protected] W: rajkumari. weebly.com