The Culture of the South American nation, Guyana, is very similar to that of the English speaking Caribbean, so much so that Guyana is considered a Caribbean Nation. Guyana shares similar interests with the islands of the West Indies, such as food, festive events, music, sports, etc. Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning to cultivate), generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... West Indian redirects here. ... The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ... Guyana is a South American country whose musical traditions are a mix of Indian, African, European and native elements. ...

Guyanese culture reflects the influence of African, Indian, French, Amerindian, Chinese, British, Dutch, Portuguese, Caribbean, and American culture. A world map showing the continent of Africa. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ...

[edit] Cultural events

• Mashramani
• Phagwah
• Deepavali (Diwali)
• Folk Festival
• Rodeo
• costa rica babay

Mashramani is the celebration of Guyanas independence from Great Britain. ... Holi is an annual Hindu spring festival. ... Diwali taking place in a rural area Dīpãvali (also transliterated Deepavali; Sanskrit: row of lights) or Diwãli (contracted spelling) is the Hindu festival of lights, held on the final day of the Vikram calendar, one type of a Hindu calendar that is followed by North Indians. ... Diwali, also called Deepavali or Divali, is a major Hindu festival that is very significant in Hinduism, Sikhism and Jainism. ...

[edit] Music

Main article: Music of Guyana

Guyana's musical tradition is a mix of Indian, African, European, and native elements. Popular music includes American, Caribbean (reggae, calypso, chutney^[1]), Brazilian and other Latin musical styles. Guyana is a South American country whose musical traditions are a mix of Indian, African, European and native elements. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music which originated in Trinidad at about the start of the 20th century. ... A chutney (British spelling), chatni (Urdu or Hindi transliteration) or catni (archaic transliteration) is a term for a variety of sweet and spicy condiments, originally from South Asia. ... Latin American music, or the music of Latin America, is sometimes called Latin music. ...

Popular Guyanese performers include Terry Gajraj, Mark Holder, Eddy Grant, Dave Martins & the Tradewinds, Aubrey Cummings and Nicky Porter. Among the most successful Guyanese record producers are Rohit Jagessar, Eddy Grant, Terry Gajraj and Dave Martins. Eddy Grant (born Edmond Montague Grant, 5 March 1948), is a Plaisance, Guyana born musician. ... Aubrey Cummings is a renowned Guyanese musician. ...

[edit] Theatre

The beginnings of theatre in 19th century Georgetown was European in nature. In the early 20th century there was an emergence of new African and Indian Guyanese middle-class theatre. In the 1950s there was an explosion of an ethnically diverse and socially committed theatre. There was a struggle to maintain theatre post-1980 in spite of an economic depression. Serious repertory theatre was highlighted by Carifesta and the Theatre Guild of Guyana^[2]. // Recovering from World War II and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ...

Wordsworth McAndrew has been prominent in Guyanese theatre since the 1960s. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ...

[edit] Literature

Popular Guyanese authors include Wilson Harris, Jan Carew, Denis Williams and E. R. Braithwaite. Braithwaite's memoir, To Sir With Love, details his experiences as a black high school teacher in a white London slum. Wilson Harris (Born March 4, 1921) is a Guyanese writer. ... Jan Rynveld Carew is a novelist, playwright, poet and educator. ... Denis Williams (1923 - 1998) was a Guyanese painter and archaeologist. ... E. R. Braithwaite photo taken by Carl Van Vechten, 1962 Edward Ricardo Braithwaite (born 1922) is a Guyanese novelist, writer, teacher and diplomat, best known for his stories of social conditions and racial discrimination against black people. ...

Edgar Mittelholzer is well known outside of Guyana for such novels as "Corentyne Thunder" and a three-part novel known as the Kaywana trilogy, The latter focusing on one family through 350 years of Guyana's history. Edgar Mittelholzer(16 December 1909 - 5 May 1965) was a Guyanese novelist. ...

[edit] Visual arts

Art takes many forms in Guyana, but its dominant themes are Amerindians, the ethnic diversity of the population and the physical beauty of Guyana. Popular artists include Stanley Greaves, Ronald Savory, Philip Moore and the late Aubrey Williams. Stanley Greaves is a painter and writer who was born in a tenement yard on Carmichael Street, Georgetown, Guyana. ... Philip Brian Cecil Moore GCB GCVO CMG QSO PC (b. ... Aubrey Williams (born 1926 in Georgetown, Guyana - died 1990) was a prominent artist and art lecturer in the United Kingdom. ...

[edit] Film

Guiana 1838, a film by the US based Award Winning Guyanese born director Rohit Jagessar, is the historic epic film depicting the abolition of slavery in British Guiana, now Guyana, indentured Indian servants on their first arrival to the Caribbean in 1838. Guiana 1838 was released on September 24th., 2004 when it scored the highest screen average of all movies released that weekend at the North American box office. View the trailer www.guiana1838.com

The story of the cinema in Guyana goes back to the 1920s when the Gaiety, which was probably British Guiana's first cinema, stood by the Brickdam Roman Catholic Presbytery in Georgetown, and showed Charlie Chaplin-type silent movies. The 1920s is a decade sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or the Roaring Twenties, usually applied to America. ... “Charles Chaplin” redirects here. ...

The Gaiety burnt down around 1926, but was followed by other cinemas such as the Metro on Middle Street, in Georgetown, which became the Empire; the London on Camp Street, which became the Plaza; and the Astor on Church and Waterloo Streets, which opened around 1940. Year 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

The Capitol on La Penitence Street in Albouystown had a rough reputation. The Metropole was on Robb and Wellington Streets; the Rialto, which became the Rio, on Vlissengen Road; the Hollywood was in Kitty; and the Strand de Luxe on Wellington Street, was considered the luxury show place.

Cinema seating was distinctly divided. Closest to the screen, with rows of hard wooden benches, was the lowly Pit, where the effort of looking upwards at the screen for several hours gave one a permanent stiff neck. The next section, House, was separated from the Pit by a low partition wall. House usually had individual but connected wooden rows of seats that flipped up or down. Above House was the Box section, with soft, private seats and, behind Box, Balcony, a favourite place for dating couples. These divisions in the cinema roughly represented the different strata existing in colonial society.

[edit] Architecture

Much historic architecture reflects the country's British colonial past. Many of these buildings in Georgetown and New Amsterdam were built entirely of local woods. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... New Amsterdam (Nieuw Amsterdam in Dutch) is one of the largest towns in Guyana, not far from the capital, Georgetown. ...

[edit] Sports

The major sports in Guyana are cricket (Guyana is part of the West Indian cricket team), softball cricket (beach cricket) and football (soccer). Minor sports in Guyana include netball, rounders, lawn tennis, basketball, table tennis, boxing. For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ... Learie Constantine, was one of the first great West Indian players. ... Beach cricket Beach cricket is an informal ad hoc variant of the game of cricket, played by people of both sexes and all ages in back yards, on the street, in parks and (of course) on the beach. ... Football (soccer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Netball sport similar to and derived from basketball, and was originally known in its country of origin, the United States, as womens basketball. Invented by Clara Gregory Baer[1], a pioneer in womens sport, it is now the pre-eminent womens team sport (both as a spectator... Rounders is a sport which developed from Cricket and originated in Great Britain and Ireland. ... This article is about the sport, tennis. ... Sara Giauro shoots a three-point shot, FIBA Europe Cup for Women Finals 2005. ... Ping Pong redirects here. ... Professional boxing bout featuring Ricardo Domínguez (left) versus Rafael Ortíz Boxing, also called pugilism (from Latin), prizefighting (when referring to professional boxing) or the sweet science[1] is a sport and martial art in which two participants of similar weight fight each other with their fists in a...

[edit] Cuisine

Guyanese cuisine is enriched by traditional foods from every ethnic group in the country. These dishes have been adapted to Guyanese tastes, often by the addition of spices.

Favourite dishes include pepper pot, a stew made with bitter cassava juice, meat, hot pepper and seasoning; roti and curry; garlic pork; cassava bread; chow mein and "cook up", a one-pot meal which can include any favourite meats. The Pepper Pot is a colloquial name for the Old Town Hall in Godalming. ...

Popular homemade drinks are mauby, made from the bark of a tree; sorrel drink, made from a leafy vegetable used in salads; and ginger beer, made from ginger root. Mauby (also mavi in Puerto Rico, or mabi) is a drink that is widely consumed in the Caribbean. ... Binomial name Rumex acetosa The common sorrel, or spinach dock, is a perennial herb, which grows abundantly in meadows in most parts of Europe and is cultivated as a leaf vegetable. ... Ginger beer is a type of carbonated beverage, flavored primarily with ginger, lemon and sugar. ...

Over 400 Guyanese recipes are listed at Guyana Outpost.

[edit] Religion

Many religions are practised in Guyana, the predominant ones being Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... Hinduism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

• Manuel, Peter (1995). Caribbean Currents: Caribbean Music from Rumba to Reggae. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. ISBN 1592134637. 
• Manuel, Peter. East Indian Music in the West Indies: Tan-singing, Chutney, and the Making of Indo-Caribbean Culture. Temple University Press, 2000. ISBN 1-56639-763-4.