Culture of Guyana
Colonial society put a greater value on entertainment from Europe than locally-produced ones, and for the most part sought to emulate popular Victorian English styles.
Notable Guyanese authors include Wilson Harris, Jan Carew, Denis Williams, Roy A. K. Heath and E. R. Braithwaite.
Braithwaite's memoir To Sir, With Love details his experiences as a black high-school teacher in the poor East End of London.
He is well known for his works, which include Corentyne Thunder and a three-novel set known as the Kaywana Trilogy, the latter focusing on one family through 350 years of Guyana's history.
Other writers who have made a significant contribution to Guyanese literary culture include Fred D'Aguiar, David Dabydeen, Martin Carter and Shana Yardan.
Guyanese actors who have been successful internationally include Harry Baird, Norman Beaton, Anthony Chinn, Tommy Eytle, Cy Grant, Ram John Holder, Pauline Melville, Carmen Munroe, Sol Raye, and Ian Valz.
Due to globalization, sounds from neighbouring countries can be heard such as Merengue, Bachata, Salsa, with Reggaeton being the most popular.
[4] Popular Guyanese performers include Billy (William) Moore, Terry Gajraj, Mark Holder, Eddy Grant, Dave Martins & the Tradewinds, Aubrey Cummings and Nicky Porter.
Visual art takes many forms in Guyana, but its dominant themes are Amerindian, the ethnic diversity of the population and the natural environment.
When famed Bollywood playback singer, Lata Mangeshkar, visited Guyana, she was given a key to the capital city, Georgetown.
A number of boxers have done well at the international level, including Andrew Lewis,[8] Vivian Harris, Wayne Braithwaite.
At the first international game of CWC 2007 at the stadium, Lasith Malinga of the Sri Lankan team performed a "helmet trick" or "double hat-trick" (four wickets in four consecutive deliveries).
Unique preparations[12] include Guyana pepperpot, a stew of Amerindian origin made with meat, cassareep (a bitter extract of the cassava), and seasonings.
Other favourites are cassava bread, stews, and metemgee, a thick rich type of soup with ground provision, coconut milk and large dumplings (called duff), eaten with fried fish or chicken.
Fresh fish and seafood are an integral part of the Guyanese diet especially in the rural areas and small villages along the coast.
Local drinks such as ginger beer, mauby and sorrel are fermented and require a sitting (pre-preparation) period prior to making.
After shedding her skin, she places it in a calabash gourd or in a tree for safekeeping and then proceeds to travel until she finds a newborn baby.
The belief of this being is still upheld in many rural areas and people usually set traps to catch the old higue after which they would beat her with a manicole broom.
When the old higue begins to count the rice grain she has to be careful not to drop it, or she would have to restart her undertaking which may keep her into the morning hours and get her caught by the family.
This is a practice where people petition to dead ancestors for assistance with issues like health, family, work, love or seeking favour and protection.
The dancers perform ceremonial, acrobatic and energetic dances sometimes over broken bottles and whilst eating fire in tribute to spirits and ancestors.
It is the same as creoles spoken in the Eastern Caribbean such Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and St. Vincent but with different accent or emphasis on how the words are pronounced.
