Oh, Guyana? That's in Africa, Right?
So, I was on my way to work one morning last week, listening to the Breakfast Club on Power 105.1, as I tend to do, and I happened to find out that Tory Lanez is West Indian, half bajan (Barbados) and from what I understood, Guyanese (from Guyana, not to be confused with GHANA!). I never would have guessed it! Partly because NO ONE claims they are guyanese, and I mean no one. Rihanna is the exact same mix, Bajan and Guyanese, yet you rarely hear her claim or talk about it. I would say she is the most famous Guyanese person/place/thing ever, and one of the most famous people in America, perhaps worldwide. I must say, she did rep her roots on that one performance at the VMA’s last night though!
This brings me to wonder, why do celebrities rarely claim/flaunt their Guyanese heritage? Are they ashamed? Do they think it will detract from their art, or pigeonhole them into a genre? I am not sure what the case is; I am only certain that I am proud of my Guyanese heritage and take every opportunity to bask in that roti and curry, El Dorado, and poloughri filled world. Back on topic, this is a conversation I’ve had with my cousins an innumerable amount of times. We went crazy when Fabolous (I had to say that out loud like he did in, “Holla Back”, to spell it correctly lol) mentioned going to the beach in Guyana on Mary J. Blige’s “Family Affair” remix from 2001! The excitation of hearing our country mentioned in such a popular song drove our speculation so rampant to the point we began thinking Fab was Guyanese simply because he mentioned the place lol. That is how little often it is spoken about musically, or in any facet of entertainment period!
I simply wish more artists and celebrities would give Guyana the respect and spotlight it deserves; there is a diverse culture in the country and great music as well. In Guyana alone you have 5 prevalent ethnicities in the Dutch, Asians, Indians, Blacks, and Portuguese. It truly is amazing, and you haven’t lived until you’ve eaten “Guyanese Chinese” food, or plait bread with butter and dip it in some hot tea. I have grown up with both the positives and negatives of the culture, as any culture has, and let me tell you that it has shaped me as a person, consequently my musical choices have been influenced by the culture as well. It would do us Guyanese well to big up our culture; look at the Jamaicans! I would even venture to say that Trinidad is more spoken about and claimed than Guyana, not that there is anything wrong with Trinidad. I would just like to see Guyana represented the same!
By the way, Kfrxsh is Jamaican and I am 50% Guyanese, so we have firsthand experience. We grew up in that world! My point in writing about this is to bring attention to the initial question, “Why does no one claim their Guyanese heritage?” I hope you have enjoyed reading this, and if you are Guyanese, or any type of West Indian, feel free to share, repost, reblog, or comment on this!
Until next time my friends.
Peace & Love,
eXceL